In Serbia, a Roma singing group is using music to spread the message of women’s empowerment in their community. The all-female group aims to urge people to resist centuries-old traditions, including male-only leadership. The band formed in 2014 and goes by the name Pretty Loud. They sing about women chained to abuse that has continued through many generations. The group sings about teenage girls whose fathers force them into marriage. The songs urge women to seek love, fight back, and stand up for their right to be treated as equals to men. Pretty Loud has gained popularity and international attention. The band performed last year in the British capital, London, at the Women of the Year Festival. The group spoke to the Associated Press recently about its music and mission. “We want to stop the early marriages ... we want the girls themselves, and not their parents, to decide whether they want to marry or not,” said 24-year-old member Silvia Sinani. “We want every woman to have the right to be heard, to have her dreams, and to be able to fulfill them, to be equal,” she added. Sinani said the idea to form a girl band was born at education and artistic classes run for Roma, or Gypsies, by a private organization called Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats, or GRUBB for short. At first, she explained, the women danced in GRUBB’s boys’ band and then decided they wanted one of their own. “They named us ‘Pretty Loud’ because they knew that women in Roma tradition are not really loud,” she said. The band’s music is a mix of rap music and traditional Roma music. It targets a younger generation of girls who are yet to make their life choices. The band includes two 14-year-old sisters. Their songs speak to the position of women in the Roma community. Pretty Loud hopes the musical messages will help to increase self-awareness among Roma females. That could be critical in a community where early marriage is widespread. A UNICEF study published last year showed that over one-third of girls aged 15-19 in Roma communities in Serbia are already married. And, 16 percent of that group were married before age 15. Serbian officials have formed a government group to work toward ending the practice of early marriage.
Title: Serbian Roma Band Sings for Women’s Rights
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Serbian Roma Band Sings for Womens Rights' data-article-id='5725'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12375'>In Serbia, a Roma singing group is using music to spread the message of women’s empowerment in their community. </span> <span data-start-time='12375' data-end-time='24896'>The all-female group aims to urge people to resist centuries-old traditions, including male-only leadership.</span> <span data-start-time='24896' data-end-time='33521'>The band formed in 2014 and goes by the name Pretty Loud. </span> <span data-start-time='33521' data-end-time='41854'>They sing about women chained to abuse that has continued through many generations. </span> <span data-start-time='41854' data-end-time='49000'>The group sings about teenage girls whose fathers force them into marriage. </span> <span data-start-time='49000' data-end-time='60979'>The songs urge women to seek love, fight back, and stand up for their right to be treated as equals to men.</span> <span data-start-time='60979' data-end-time='67438'>Pretty Loud has gained popularity and international attention. </span> <span data-start-time='67438' data-end-time='75917'>The band performed last year in the British capital, London, at the Women of the Year Festival.</span> <span data-start-time='75917' data-end-time='84146'>The group spoke to the Associated Press recently about its music and mission.</span> <span data-start-time='84146' data-end-time='101771'>“We want to stop the early marriages ... we want the girls themselves, and not their parents, to decide whether they want to marry or not,” said 24-year-old member Silvia Sinani.</span> <span data-start-time='101771' data-end-time='113479'>“We want every woman to have the right to be heard, to have her dreams, and to be able to fulfill them, to be equal,” she added.</span> <span data-start-time='113479' data-end-time='135979'>Sinani said the idea to form a girl band was born at education and artistic classes run for Roma, or Gypsies, by a private organization called Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats, or GRUBB for short. </span> <span data-start-time='135979' data-end-time='146479'>At first, she explained, the women danced in GRUBB’s boys’ band and then decided they wanted one of their own.</span> <span data-start-time='146479' data-end-time='156708'>“They named us ‘Pretty Loud’ because they knew that women in Roma tradition are not really loud,” she said.</span> <span data-start-time='156708' data-end-time='164104'>The band’s music is a mix of rap music and traditional Roma music. </span> <span data-start-time='164104' data-end-time='171104'>It targets a younger generation of girls who are yet to make their life choices. </span> <span data-start-time='171104' data-end-time='176625'>The band includes two 14-year-old sisters.</span> <span data-start-time='176625' data-end-time='182958'>Their songs speak to the position of women in the Roma community. </span> <span data-start-time='182958' data-end-time='193063'>Pretty Loud hopes the musical messages will help to increase self-awareness among Roma females. </span> <span data-start-time='193063' data-end-time='200458'>That could be critical in a community where early marriage is widespread. </span> <span data-start-time='200458' data-end-time='215542'>A UNICEF study published last year showed that over one-third of girls aged 15-19 in Roma communities in Serbia are already married. </span> <span data-start-time='215542' data-end-time='222417'>And, 16 percent of that group were married before age 15.</span> <span data-start-time='222417' data-end-time='231292'>Serbian officials have formed a government group to work toward ending the practice of early marriage.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/C.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17677 data-hint-location='75917' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/what_is_a_mission.wav'>What is a mission</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a task or job that someone is given to do'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/an_object_which_is_forcibly_propelled_at_a_target_either_by_hand_or_from_a_mechanical_weapon.wav'><span>an object which is forcibly propelled at a target, either by hand or from a mechanical weapon</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/a_task_or_job_that_someone_is_given_to_do.wav'><span>a task or job that someone is given to do</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/any_of_the_regular_occasions_in_a_day_when_a_reasonably_large_amount_of_food_is_eaten_such_as_breakfast_lunch_or_dinner.wav'><span>any of the regular occasions in a day when a reasonably large amount of food is eaten, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/a_place_where_someone_or_something_is_located_or_has_been_put.wav'><span>a place where someone or something is located or has been put</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17678 data-hint-location='24896' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/what_is_the_name_of_the_band_in_the_story.wav'>What is the name of the band in the story?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Pretty Loud'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/pretty_loud.wav'><span>Pretty Loud</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/grub.wav'><span>Grub</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/the_romas_and_the_papas.wav'><span>The Romas and the Papas</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/roma_if_you_want_to.wav'><span>Roma If You Want To</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17679 data-hint-location='176625' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/their_songs_speak_to_the_position_of__blank__in_the_roma_community_.wav'>Their songs speak to the position of <span class='blank'>women</span> in the Roma community. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='women'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/women.wav'><span>women</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/goats.wav'><span>goats</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/cars.wav'><span>cars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5182/weather.wav'><span>weather</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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