Sani Rifati
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sani Rifati is a human rights activist and the President of Voice of Roma.[1]
A native Roma himself, he was born in Pristina, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, lived and worked in California, United States.[1] He currently resides in Berlin, Germany.[2]
Rifati began dancing as a youth in Pristina and was a part of the 'Kheljen Romalen!' Folklore Dance Ensemble.[1][2] During the 1980s, he was a drummer for a professional band.[2] He has worked as Romani dance instructor and choreographer.[1] Since 2012 he has worked as a Roma-dance teacher at the refugee dance group Heimatsterne of the Arbeitsgruppe Flucht+Menschenrechte in Berlin.
Rifati is a cousin of the Macedonian Gypsy vocalist and dancer Esma Redzhepova as well as being her tour manager.[3] He has also managed Ivo Papasov, Yuri Yunakov, and Kal.[2]
He appeared on the History Channels programme Curse on the Gypsies.
