Rootless is a newly emerging group comprising Indian and Roma musicians who blend modern Indian musical styles with Gypsy (Roma) traditions. Their sound is highโenergy and draws from genres like Bhangra and Manele , celebrated for exploring the cultural connections between these traditions. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1.ย Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?
I grew up in the 1980s Hungary during communism, when it was very difficult for people to travel abroad. But my father was a folk musician, and his band was one of the rare groups invited to perform in Denmark. That opportunity opened the door for many more trips, and eventually I was able to travel with him.
As a young person, it was extraordinary to suddenly be in the West, meeting Danish musicians and hearing Scandinavian, Irish, and all sorts of other folk traditions. Those early trips had a huge impact on me because they showed me a world I really wanted to be part of. Later, as a teenager, they gave me a clear direction as a musician ,they shaped which way I wanted to go.
2.ย Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?
I started off as a classical musician, studying from the age of eight. But my early experiences with folk music โ through my dadโs playing and our travels to Denmark and Hungary, gradually pulled me in a different direction. By my teenage years I was really drawn to folk traditions.
In the 1990s I began exploring further, spending time in England and Ireland where the folk scene was so vibrant. That eventually led me to settle in Scotland when the borders opened in 2004, and Iโve been based here ever since, mostly working within the traditional Scottish music scene.
About eight years, ago I felt the need to return to my Roma roots. I realised that intangible cultural heritage, like music, can be a very powerful tool to support and empower Roma people. That realisation eventually grew into creating Ando Glaso, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding and celebrating Roma culture.
3.ย Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, whatโs the story behind choosing the name โRootlessโ?
My father has been one of the biggest influences in my life, both when I was young and right up to today. Through him I was introduced to music, and thanks to him I had the chance to meet incredible musicians in Hungary and beyond. Iโve been lucky enough to play with many influential artists and to travel the world with them, and that exposure to so many different styles and traditions has shaped the way I approach music.
At Ando Glaso, we run many projects that explore how we can engage with our intangible cultural heritage, how we can build opportunities for Roma people, and how we can embed our culture into the mainstream cultural scene of this country. Rootless is one of our newest projects. Weโd been thinking about it for a long time because Roma people originate from India, and Scotland is a unique place where both Roma and Indian communities live side by side. It felt natural to bring them together and explore our shared cultural heritage.
The name โRootlessโ comes from this search for origins and identity. Roma people have often been branded as rootless, as nomadic wanderers of Europe for the last thousand years. With this project, we turn that idea around. Rootless is about seeking our roots and finding them through collaboration with amazing Indian musicians, reconnecting with where our journey began.
4.ย What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
In the case of Rootless, what really sets it apart is how unique it is. As far as I know, there havenโt been many projects that explore the connection between Roma and Indian musical heritage in this way. We approach it by making the music both authentic and accessible, so it can be understood and enjoyed by a wide audience.
One of the things weโve discovered is that modern Roma music has evolved in very similar ways to Indian folk music. For example, when you listen to Bollywood or Bhangra, you can find a lot of parallels with manele or Bulgarian ฤalga in the Roma world. Rebuilding on these similarities creates music that feels familiar and resonant to both Roma and Indian audiences, while still having its own unique twist.
Thatโs what excites us most โ weโre creating something that is rooted in two strong traditions but also speaks directly to contemporary listeners. The positive feedback weโve had from both communities has been amazing, and it shows that this sound really connects with people.
5.ย For most bands, originality is often preceded by a phase of learning and emulating others. What was this like for Rootless? How would you describe your development as a band and the transition towards your own style , which comes under World Music?
The way we started out was very simple โ we got together and shared popular songs that we love from our own traditions, especially more modern ones that we all listen to within our cultures. At first, we experimented by creating mashups of these songs, seeing how they would fit together and how the sounds would interact. That stage was really exciting and fu
, it gave us the chance to explore our similarities and differences in a playful way.
From there, things naturally developed. Those early experiments helped us see the directions we could take, and eventually we started writing our own original music , like our debut single Rakitaki Tanana.
Weโve also been very fortunate to work with a fantastic producer, Sarmad Ghafoor, who is one of Pakistanโs leading music producers and has worked on major projects such as Coke Studio Pakistan. Having his experience and guidance has been a huge asset in shaping our sound and helping us take Rootless to the next level.
6.ย Music often transcends entertainment. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try to affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
Historically, music has been very important for Roma people. As small, fragmented communities, often marginalised and even enslaved , we didnโt have many opportunities to be included in mainstream society. But certain crafts, and especially music, created those opportunities. Music was one of the ways Roma people were welcomed and valued, and it left behind a huge cultural legacy across Europe.
That legacy is something we need to capitalise on today when we talk about cultural empowerment. We often find that cultural deprivation is one of the biggest obstacles Roma people face in life. Music is a powerful tool to tackle that , by tapping back into this strong heritage, we can create opportunities, build pride, and use culture as a way of supporting and empowering our communities.
7.ย Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment youโre still seeking?
For me, Iโve found a different kind of fulfillment these days. As the Creative Director of Ando Glaso, itโs not about me as an artist or about shining on stage. Itโs about using our cultural heritage to bring people together and to strengthen our community.
My role now is more as a facilitator. I might put forward ideas, like Rootless, but itโs really the people we bring together who shape the projects. I see my job as supporting and guiding them the best I can. And honestly, that gives me just as much fulfillment โ if not more โ than being on stage playing my own music. Itโs incredibly rewarding to see culture itself take the spotlight, and to help others find their voice through it.
8.ย Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, whatโs the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?
Our way of working in Rootless is very organic. We encourage everyone to bring their own ideas, and then we build on them together. A good example is our debut single Rakitaki Tanana. The starting point came from one of our young participants, Matus, who came up with a little riff idea. It had a strong Balkan Gypsy brass flavour, and that riff became the backbone of the whole song.
From there, the Indian musicians added their own elements , a powerful rhythm section with tabla and dhol โ and that gave the track its drive. Karanโs fantastic vocals brought in a distinctive Indian feel, while our Roma singer David added his own lyrics. The chorus, Rakitaki Tanana, actually comes from a traditional device used by manele singers, who often improvise rhythmic syllables like that to keep the groove going.
So the song grew out of all these layers: a Balkan-style riff, Indian percussion and vocals, Roma lyrics, and a chorus rooted in manele. What makes it special is how naturally these pieces fit together, blending the flavours of modern manele and Bhangra into something new.
9.ย Whatโs been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?
One of the main challenges for us has actually been something quite practical. Many of the musicians in Rootless โ like a lot of people from ethnic minority communities โ are incredible players, but very few of us have the chance to be full-time musicians. Most of us have busy jobs alongside our music, so finding the time to rehearse, write, and develop the project together can be difficult.
That said, we believe so strongly in Rootless that we put in the effort to make it work. Every rehearsal and recording session is the result of a lot of dedication, and that commitment is part of what gives the project its energy.
Another challenge is visibility. Roma and Indian cultures are still underrepresented in Scotlandโs mainstream cultural scene, so we often have to work harder than established artists to build an audience and get recognition. But we see that as part of our mission โ to push through those barriers, to create space for our cultures, and to show the richness we can bring.
10.ย On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And letโs talk about your latest release and future plans.
One of the proudest moments for us was stepping in front of a live audience as Rootless for the very first time at Glasgow Mela. The warm welcome and positive reaction we received from the South Asian audience there was unforgettable. Not long after, we played at the Ando Glaso Roma Fest for a Roma audience, and the response was just as enthusiastic.
Having such strong reactions from both communities so early on gave us a huge push โ it made us believe in the project and commit ourselves fully to it.
Right now, weโre really looking forward to performing at Aberdeen Mela this Sunday , 7th of September ,2025. After that, weโll be going back into production and are planning to release another track soon. For the rest of the year, weโll be developing more repertoire and building towards further concerts, with an eye on a fuller programme in 2026.
11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
So far, we havenโt received any negative reactions or comments about Rootless, which we think is because of the nature of what weโre doing. This project is about culture, about bringing different traditions together to create something beautiful. If someone were to make negative comments about that, we feel it would reflect more on them than on us. For that reason, we wouldnโt give much air to it โ our energy is better spent on the positive connections the music is making.
12.ย Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
Both sides of the process excite us equally. In the studio, we have tremendous fun experimenting, discovering ideas that fit together, and shaping them into new songs โ thereโs something really magical about that creative stage.
But of course, taking those ideas onto the stage brings it to another level. Performing live and seeing the music connect with audiences from different cultures is an incredible feeling. That moment of shared energy is what confirms that what we created in the studio truly works.
13.ย Do you think it is important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
We believe itโs important that people know the story and the cultural meaning behind our songs, because Rootless is about more than just music , itโs about Roma and Indian heritage, and about building connections between communities. Sharing those stories helps audiences understand why the project exists and what makes it unique.
At the same time, we donโt want to prescribe how people should experience music. Everyone brings their own background, emotions, and perspective to it, and we love that our songs can mean different things to different listeners. For us, the best outcome is when the music works on both levels โ it carries a deeper cultural message, but it also connects with people in their own personal way.
โInterview insights shared by Janos Lang, Creative Director of Ando Glaso โ
Rootless is :
Romani musicians: David (vocals), Matus (guitar), Martin (bass) and Elisei (Saxophone) also members of the renowned Romani band ZOR.
Indian musicians: Sodhi (tabla maestro and host of the Talking Tabla podcast), Prince (dhol), and Karan (vocals).
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