*2nd Generation dance. A dance that developed and was disseminated in a non-traditional way. 2G dances are specific – have a fixed format designed to correspond with the arrangement of a particular recording., whereas 1G dances are generic – have a shorter sequence that works with live music – where many different songs are played and arrangements vary according to the tastes of musicians and dancers. For more on the differences between 1st & 2nd G dances click here.
Šaban Bajramović “The King of Gypsy Music”, wrote the song Opa Čupa in 1977. This YouTube also gives a brief biography of the man. He’s singing the official Roma anthem Djelem Djelem (which he did NOT write: everything else on the screen titles agrees with what is written elsewhere).
Here’s he’s singing Opa Čupa. By the way, he preferred to be called Gypsy, not Roma.
Andy Bettis from the UK is credited with choreographing a dance to the song. Steve Kotansky brought it to the USA.
NOTE: This choreography, purposely composed for the International Folk Dance Community, should not be confused with the individualistic, spontaneous, improvised moves, (seldom involving holding hands), that are characteristic of Roma dancing.
There are also slightly different versions;
Some IFD groups prefer to dance to the music of Brass Menažeri, from Oakland CA.
Folkdance Footnotes 