Kostas Hatzis gave a wide-ranging interview where he discussed the challenges he faced due to his Romani heritage.
The well-known singer was a guest on the show “Buongiorno,” where he opened up about the difficulties he encountered as a Romani person. He mentioned that when he entered the music industry, he faced resistance, as people couldn’t accept certain aspects of him. He also questioned what the country benefits from the Romani people and the creation of ghettos.
In more detail, Hatzis said: “I faced a bit of difficulty as a Romani. I had to study. I am not ‘self-illuminated,’ I am ‘lighted by others.’ I studied and cried. I entered this field because, from a very young age, I felt I belonged to the marginalized.”
Kostas Hatzis raised concerns about the role of the state in relation to the Romani people and the creation of ghettos, asking: “What does the country benefit from the Gypsies? They are moved from here to there to improve the areas, and then they are moved again. Why are ghettos allowed to form? If a child doesn’t go to school, the prosecutor intervenes. Why isn’t this happening with the Gypsies? Why do you allow them to commit all kinds of crimes?”
He continued: “What education do the children have? When I teach my child about ‘gyftakia’ (a derogatory term for Romani people), and they develop an inferiority complex, as they grow older, they begin to harbor hatred and engage in criminal behavior.”
In another part of the interview, Hatzis spoke about his own children: “I have 6 children. I had 4 children with Ursula, who was German. She passed away, and I married a French woman, and we had two children. I do it on purpose when I say the word ‘Gyftos.’ I studied to learn about the Gypsies and began to see how I could refer to them, not to correct anything, but for my own conscience.”
Closing, Kostas Hatzis said: “When I entered this field, they couldn’t accept certain things from me, no matter what. I was tried for my political views, and everything I had studied was taken from me. My father was a great clarinet player in Greece, known as Karagiannis. He also played the santouri. I had a different education. I studied ballads. I could never be somewhere and judge because you can’t hurt people like that.”
