BUCHAREST, Romania - At first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma, or Gypsies — and the cheers gave way to jeers.

The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000, who had packed a park for Wednesday night's concert, underscores how prejudice against Gypsies remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.

Despite long-standing efforts to stamp out rampant bias, human rights advocates say Roma probably suffer more humiliation and endure more discrimination than any other people group on the continent.

Sometimes, it can be deadly: In neighboring Hungary, six Roma have been killed and several wounded in a recent series of apparently racially motivated attacks targeting small countryside villages predominantly settled by Gypsies.

"There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. They have historically been the underdog," Radu Motoc, an official with the Soros Foundation Romania, said Thursday.

Roma, or Gypsies, are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000.

Until the 19th century, Romanian Gypsies were slaves, and they've gotten a mixed response ever since: While discrimination is widespread, many East Europeans are enthusiastic about Gypsy music and dance, which they embrace as part of the region's cultural heritage.

That explains why the Roma musicians and a dancer who had briefly joined Madonna onstage got enthusiastic applause. And it also may explain why some in the crowd turned on Madonna when she paused during the two-hour show — a stop on her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour — to touch on their plight.

"It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe," she said. "It made me feel very sad."

Thousands booed and jeered her.

A few cheered when she added: "We don't believe in discrimination ... we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." But she got more boos when she mentioned discrimination against homosexuals and others.

"I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?" said Ionut Dinu, 23.

Madonna did not react and carried on with her concert, held near the hulking palace of the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Madonna and other had told her there were cheers as well as jeers.

"Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement," Rosenberg said in an e-mail. "She will not be issuing a further statement."

One Roma musician said the attitude toward Gypsies is contradictory.

"Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts," said Damian Draghici, a Grammy Award-winner who has performed with James Brown and Joe Cocker.

"But there has been a wave of aggression against Roma people in Italy, Hungary and Romania, which shows me something is not OK," he told the AP in an interview. "The politicians have to do something about it. People have to be educated not to be prejudiced. All people are equal, and that is the message politicians must give."

Nearly one in two of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The group says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education.

Many do not have official identification, which means they cannot get social benefits, are undereducated and struggle to find decent jobs.

Roma children are more likely to drop out of school than their peers from other ethnic groups. Many Romanians label Gypsies as thieves, and many are outraged by those who beg or commit petty crimes in Western Europe, believing they spoil Romania's image abroad.

In May 2007, Romanian President Traian Basescu was heard to call a Romanian journalist a "stinky Gypsy" during a conversation with his wife. Romania's anti-discrimination board criticized Basescu, who later apologized.

Human rights activists say the attacks in Hungary, which began in July 2008, may be tied to that country's economic crisis and the rising popularity of far-right vigilantes angered by a rash of petty thefts and other so-called "Gypsy crime." Last week, police arrested four suspects in a nightclub in the eastern city of Debrecen.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have been criticized for widespread bias against Roma.

Madonna's outrage touched a nerve in Romania, but it seems doubtful it will change anything, said the Soros Foundation's Motoc.

"Madonna is a pop star. She is not an expert on interethnic relations," he said.

I've seen a clip and I don't think she was heavily booed. Probably a few, but she should not care about racist fans anyway.

I don't know why she has such fans anyway.

People underestimate Madonna's message, that has been there since the very beginning:

Everbody, all over the world, in every nation people should get together.

She wants us to dance and feel free, not to repress our personalities, to be strong and independent.

That's a good message.

yeah,her message has always been anti-discrimination.Can't see why some of her fans would have a problem with that

SoulAlive said:

I know. I think that was awful they would boo her for standing up for peoples right not to be discriminated against.

the Romanians were apparently just as bored by and tired of the gypsy segment of her last few tours as we are

errant said:

SoulAlive said:

maybe some people just go to concerts to be entertained and not to be lectured to or politically/socially motivated.

i mean, she's madonna and not neil young or u2.

It's about fucking time she got booed!!! I bet it was her vericose veins too...

She had a few weeks ago a concert in Germany and sold just half of the tickets. The hall was nearly "emtpy". I think her time is up.

BUCHAREST, Romania – A Russian trio performing Gypsy music with Madonna said Friday they were "pained" to see the pop star booed during her Bucharest concert for criticizing widespread discrimination against Gypsies.

Thousands of people applauded the trio's performance with Madonna in Bucharest on Wednesday night during her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour. But minutes later they booed and jeered the pop star when she said discrimination should end against eastern Europe's Gypsies, also known as Roma.

In a press conference Friday in Bucharest, Vadim Kolpakov, the youngest member of Kolpakov Trio, said the public reaction was unexpected.

"The audience was wonderful when we played," he said. But he called the booing and jeering "the worst" reaction the Roma group had received during the entire tour.

"Madonna was surprised (about the reaction) but I cannot comment for her," Vadim Kolpakov said, declining to say if Madonna had made a similar comment about Gypsies at other concerts in eastern Europe.

"We want ... to be recognized as equals," said trio founder Sasha Kolpakov, a Russian Roma.

"It pains me to see discrimination in the world, it pains me to see discrimination of Roma," Sasha Kolpakov said. "There are good Roma people that we are proud of. There are also Roma who live in poverty and who have nothing to do, who beg or do illegal deeds."

Roma are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000.

The Kolpakovs said discrimination against Roma exists not only in eastern Europe but in the West too.

"We played in Italy and met Roma representatives in Milan. We heard there's a big problem (in Italy)," said Vadim Kolpakov, adding that he thought discrimination against Roma was increasing in Europe.

"I think it is going up," he said, mentioning the killing of six Roma in Hungary and the burning of Roma caravans in Naples, Italy.

Kolpakov Trio will travel with Madonna to Bulgaria and Israel — the last two destinations on her tour. The Kolpakovs are Roma, while the band's third member is a Russian Jew.

Moonbeam said:

but only this tour has a gypsy section,

Confessions had a Bedouin section

RIT had a circus section

DWT had a latin section.

errant said:

Lord





She did extremly good for being the highest paid female artist concert of all time (Sticky & Sweet Tour) though Give her that much props! She made her money for the year!

Europeans hate gypsies and that's a FACT

Thibaut said:

So Europeans are racists and that's just a FACT?!!!
Pretty broad brush there . . . .

susi said:

one show out of how many?

Thibaut said:

Not all europeans hate all gypsies. But yeah, there is a problem of discrimination against gypsy folk in certain parts of europe.

LittleFigNewton said:

And NY or U2 ain't Jesus.

Madonna had a message from the beginning and actually, she's always been preachy.
The good-human-attitude started with Kaballah (?) but she always had messages and I like the fact they were transported through her shows or soem dancey songs and not citchy ballads a la Heal The World.

susi said:

In Germany a stadium was too much. She did three concerts last year, another one was too much.

DesireeNevermind said:

I don't know but the equal to your gypsie word is not pc in Germany anymore. Anyway, we have killed them during the 3. Reich, which is terrible enough.
There's no reason for hating them.

graecophilos said:

Is it just like hating them because their black or white?

Thibaut said:

not all europeans hate gypsies. stop speaking for everyone, please.

is it racism to point out that some gypsies have totally scandalous lifestyles? I am only speaking of my experience knowing 2 different gypsies. One a man, one a woman. They were scam artists of the highest order!

I don't know if this is a generalization or not but could there be a source for malice if it exists?

LittleFigNewton said:

If that's how they feel,then they should keep their asses at home.There are alot of issues that are important to Madonna and she should be allowed to speak her mind at her OWN show.Speaking out against racism and prejudice is a good thing.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

It's a generalization. Like Blacks in America are criminals or drug dealers.
Why malice toward a group based on personal experience? You aren't interacting with the whole group. Makes no sense.

SUPRMAN said:

I have no malice. Just observing what I saw. These were americans, they were con artists. thievery has always been the charge I heard lobbed against them and I'm not European so I have no way to know how gypsies conduct their lives there.

Madonna has always spoken out on discrimination so props to her.

ehuffnsd said:

she can dress it up with whatever ethnicity she wants, but it's the same tired shit every time and it's time for it to go.

errant said:

yeah, I'm pissed at those sections as well. The gypsie sec on S&S is my least favorite set. Not because of the gypsies but beause I hate the decor, most of the songs. Pros are, that she looks really stunning in that dress.

LittleFigNewton said:

i'll take madonna over these vomit inducing acts anyday

Thibaut said:

It's not that, you wake up to a dozen caravans parked near your house, people stealing your fence for firewood, Dogs, children and adults(!) using you garden as a toilet, stealing from your sheds, littering and generally being a nuisance.

Doesn't matter who they are, you aint going to like it, and why should behaviour like that be tolerated?

Next time i see some gypo's, i'll point them towards Madonna's house.

[Edited 8/29/09 2:32am]