Sani Rifati is a human rights activist and the President of Voice of Roma.[1]
A native Roma himself, he was born in Pristina, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, lived and worked in California, United States. He currently resides in Berlin, Germany.[2]
Rifati began dancing as a youth in Pristina and was a part of the 'Kheljen Romalen!' Folklore Dance Ensemble. During the 1980s, he was a drummer for a professional band. He has worked as Romani dance instructor and choreographer. Since 2012 he has worked as a Roma-dance teacher at the refugee dance group Heimatsterne of the Arbeitsgruppe Flucht+Menschenrechte in Berlin.
Rifati is a cousin of the Macedonian Gypsy vocalist and dancer Esma Redzhepova as well as being her tour manager.[3] He has also managed Ivo Papasov, Yuri Yunakov, and Kal.
He appeared on the History Channels programme Curse on the Gypsies.