SANTINO SPINELLI

SANTINO SPINELLI

Santino Spinelli is an Italian Romani musician, composer and poet internationally recognized for his work in promoting Romani culture and history. He belongs to the Abruzzo-based Roma community. Also known by his Romani name, Alexian, Spinelli has dedicated his life to defending the rights and dignity of the Roma people through art, education, and activism. He is also a professor of Romani language and culture at the University of Chieti-Pescara and other institutions, and he has performed widely across Europe with his musical group, the Alexian Group, blending traditional Romani music with contemporary styles. Spinelli is also known for his poetry, particularly the poem Auschwitz, which has been inscribed at the Memorial for the Sinti and Roma victims of the Holocaust in Berlin. Through his multifaceted career, Spinelli continues to be a powerful voice for Romani identity, memory, and inclusion.