The Romani people in Spain are generally known as gitanos (Spanish pronunciation: [xiˈtanos]). Spanish Romanies belong to the Iberian Kale group, with smaller populations in Portugal (known as ciganos), in southern France. They tend to speak Caló, which basically encompasses a range of regional dialects of Spanish with numerous Romani loan words and mannerisms. Nevertheless, to varying degrees, they identify with Andalusian culture and music due to the large gitano population present in that region. Data on ethnicity is not collected in Spain, although the Government's statistical agency CIS estimated in 2007 that the number of Gitanos present in Spain is probably around one million.
The term "gitano" comes from "egipcio", a Spanish term for "Egyptian" as the English word "Gypsy" comes from "Egyptian". Both terms are due to a medieval belief that the Romani people came from Egypt.
Gitano identity is particularly complex in Spain for a variety of reasons which are examined below. Nevertheless, it can be safely said that both from the perspective of gitano and non-gitano (payo) Spaniards, individuals generally considered to belong to this ethnicity are those of full or near-full gitano descent and who also self-identify as such.
Spanish Gypsies are Romani people in Spain. Spanish Gypsy may also refer to:
Leave me here where I can do no wrong
It is night-time and their fires burn
Alt that matters here is song and dance
It is my time and their hearts, they burn
In a circle, in a ring
Gypsy dance, gypsy sing
Gypsy dance to the tambourine
In fields of green
Promises of fate and destiny
Old woman... I don't want to know
Anything tomorrow brings will be
When this hour is yesterday's ghost