Is he allowed to?

Can he do that? Heino sings “Zigeunerlied” in Munich

Folk song giant Heino doesn't want to have his mouth or his songs banned. "Only when it's banned by law will I stop singing the song!"

(Bild: Benedikt Bartsch)

He came as a surprise guest and brought his hits with him: The folk song star Heino, who lives in Kitzbühel, performed at the Oktoberfest in Munich. He also sang "Lustig ist das Zigeunerleben" - and 3500 guests sang along in good humor. Gypsy? A controversial term among Roma and Sinti for their ethnic groups ...

Wherever he performs, people give him a standing ovation. At this concert, they even stood on the benches. As a surprise guest and at the invitation of an insurance company, Heino last performed in Munich at the Oktoberfest in the Vroni tent. A success, because 3500 spectators were thrilled. But the reverberations are still powerful afterwards.

Tent guests sure of the lyrics
The performance had been planned for a long time, but nobody revealed the secret of the show. Then, at 7.30 pm, he arrived: Germany's best-known singer and probably the most famous person to have chosen Kitzbühel, Heino. From "Blau blüht der Enzian" to "Rosamunde" and "Layla", everything was there and it was interesting: "The whole marquee was sure of the lyrics and swayed along to 'Lustig ist das Zigeunerleben', said his manager and intimate in an interview with the "Krone". But is Heino allowed to do that?

Folk song giant Heino doesn't want to have his mouth or his songs banned. "Only when it's forbidden by law will I stop singing the song!"

(Bild: Benedikt Bartsch)

In principle, the word "gypsy" is a highly controversial term (and not just since yesterday), which many Roma and Sinti as well as Yenish people, to whom it refers, reject as discriminatory. "Heino lived with exactly these kinds of people back then. So nothing could be further from his mind than wanting to discriminate against them," says Helmut Werner about the incident, which is now likely to go viral with the video (see above). Because nobody in the tent stops the bard. On the contrary, the 3,500 guests roar and sing along.

"Let's not be banned!"
For Werner and his artist, the case is clear: "The song has been sung for 200, 300 years. And it's only negative for those who interpret it negatively." As long as the song is not banned, "Heino will sing it. Because people enjoy it. And until then, we won't let it be banned!"