Bridges of Song: Music of the Spanish Jews of Moro

PRODUKTBESCHREIBUNGEN
Bridges Of Song Music of the Spanish Jews of Morocco [Sephardic Music] Paths of Exile Quincentenary Series, Volume Two Voice of the Turtle Judith Wachs, Artistic Director Derek Burrows: Medieval Spanish bagpipe, mandolin guitar, flute, percussion and voice Lisle Kulbach: rebec, kamanja, violin, shawm, harp, flute, percussion and voice Jay Rosenberg: 'ud, guitar, cornetto, psaltery, chalumeau, dumbeks, percussion and voice Judith Wachs: bombard, flute, strumstick, naqqara, percussion and voice In 1492, all the Jews of Spain (Sephardim) who refused to renounce their faith, as required by the Inquisition, were expelled from their homeland of 1500 years. The Ottoman Empire welcomed this educated population, who brought with them technological skills so valuable to the aspirations of the Empire. But despite this hospitality, and because of the Ottoman policy of allowing their minorities almost total autonomy, these exiles continued to identify themselves as Spanish Jews, preserving the old Castilian language, and much of the culture of their Iberian experience. Because music was so central to their daily lives, particularly in the domain of women, they were able to preserve this astonishing musical heritage for five hundred years by oral tradition. In 1992, the western world marked the Quincentenary - the 500th year since the momentous voyage of Christopher Columbus. Voice of the Turtle hopes to expand the modern perception of that history through it's series of CDs called the "Paths of Exile." This special recording project will enhance the significance of the Quincentenary from the little known perspective of the Jews of Spain. This second volume of the series focuses on Morocco. The series continues to other discrete "paths" taken after the expulsion - Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Rhodes and Palestine. SEPHARDIM The Sephardim, (from the Hebrew word for Spain, Sepharad, found in Obadiah 1:20) are the Jews whose ancestors came from a rich and remarkable history on the Iberian Peninsula. Expelled from Spain in 1492, and in 1497 from Portugal by the forces of the Inquisition, they found new homes in the Ottoman Empire the Middle East, parts of Europe, and in the New World. JUDEO-SPANISH The medieval Castilian Spanish spoken by the Jews of Spain at the time of the expulsion is called Judeo-Spanish, Judeo-español, Djudezmo, 'Spanyolit, 'Spaniol de mosotros, and Sephardi. The language was spoken and written, first in Hebrew characters and recently, in the Latin alphabet. It was preserved in exile largely by the women, whose insulated life protected the language and maintained it's vitality. It is often called "Ladino," which historically was the language emerging from Latin into which liturgical Hebrew texts were translated. The word cones from the old Spanish "ladinar," which means "to translate from Arabic or Hebrew into Latin or a latinate language." THE JEWS OF MOROCCO By Judith Wachs, Artistic Director The experience of the Spanish Jews who cohose Morocco as their new homeland in 1492 differed from their co-religionists who settled to the east in the Ottoman Empire. Exposure to the Iberian peninsular environment, because of proximity and trade, assured a continued European, as well as Arab influence, particularly during the periods when parts of Morocco were ruled by Span (1860, Tetuan; 1912, North Morocco; 1923, Tangier declared international zone). Thus their spoken language, Haketía was influenced by peninsular Spanish, and repertoire from Spain was added to their own. Nonetheless, many texts and melodies among the ballads, the life cycle songs, and the para-liturgical repertoire were preserved faithfully despite these influences, and are unique to the repertoire of the Jews. Some are common to Eastern and Western Sephardim, offering to modern audiences a fascinating perspective. This second volume of the Paths of Exile Quincentenary Series evokes that history by presenting musical "bridges," spanning ancient Israel ("Mosé salió de Misrayim"), medieval Spain (as heard in the ballads), the periods of reacquaintance with the evolving Spanish culuture, and even the modern world ("En este bulevar"). These "bridges of song" are powerful articulate vehicles through which history is audible. Voice of the Turtle has been guided by the spirit heard on field recordings which, linking sacred and secular, reflect the dynamism of the music of the Moroccan Sephardim. TEXTS Commentary by Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak This recording by Voice of the Turtle reflects the rich repertoire of the Moroccan Sephardim as it has been preserved and sung to the present day. The wide variety of the selections reflects an anthropological approach, presenting a synchronic panorama of the Sephardic repertoire in Morocco, rather than a purposeful search for songs which may testify to the preservation of the medieval Spanish heritage of the Jews. This approach is validated by the use of authentic sources, i.e., field-work recordings. The collection extends from old romances, whose texts can be clearly dated to pre-exilic times (in medieval Spain), to songs composed in our century [20th] which reflect attitudes towards new fashions. It also includes several songs learned by the Jews during the decades of the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, as part of the process of re-hispanization which resulted in the re-encounter of Jews with Spaniards. FULL SONG TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS IN BOOKLET, AVAILABLE WITH CD PURCHASE.

Number of Discs: 1

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