Music of the sephardic jews

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Music of the Sephardic Jews By Elise Armstrong and Amy Huie

Transcript of Music of the sephardic jews

Music of the Sephardic Jews

Music of the Sephardic JewsBy Elise Armstrong and Amy Huie

Victoria BenozilioBorn in Athens in 1942Sings in a Jewish chorusWas the director at an elders home

Sephardi: a Jew of Spanish or Portuguese descent. They retain their own distinctive customs and rituals, preserving Babylonian Jewish traditions rather than the Palestinian ones of the Ashkenazim.

The Diaspora1492: Edict declaring all Jews must convert to Christianity250,000+ Jews abandoned Spain and PortugalSultan Bayazid allowed all Jews to enter into the Ottoman Empire safely

Result of the DiasporaAll the armies of the Lord left, the refugees of Jerusalem that lived in Spain, this cursed land, in the fifth month of the year 5252, that is 1492. From there they dispersed to the Four Corners of the earth They went where the winds guided them: to the lands of Africa, Asia, Greece and Turkey. And they live there until today.~Yosepf ha Kohen, Italian Jewish writer

Jews in ThessalonikiThessaloniki you are the city and mother of Israelmother of the people of Israel, like the people of Jerusalem in the days of her glory.~Samuel Usque, Jewish poet

Thessaloniki very accepting to Jews and marranosGrew in popularity by mid 16th centuryMarranos considered inferiorThessaloniki was a singing city

LadinoPredominantly Spanish with foreign influencesIn Thessaloniki the lower class Ladino was well-preserved whereas upper class Ladino was dilutedWas not spoken in the synagogueDying language but there are still people who communicate with itVictorias mother in-law only spoke Ladino, necessary for her to learn

Music A mosaic of sacred and profane, Jewish and non-Jewish, old and new.~Amnon Shiloah, Jewish Musical Traditions

Both secular and religiousAbout 200 songs preserved from 15th century

Characteristics of Sephardic MusicReligious music was performed a capellaSecular music included instruments:Instruments:Oud DarbukaMandolinViolinLuteVerdis Adio QueridaThemes of romance, everyday life

Adio Querida

When the Music Stopped

German OccupationVictoria was born during the German Occupation

AftermathJewish Population today is about 1200After WWII the survivors were afraid to speak Ladino and sing their songsJewish singer in elders home sang to Victoria authentic Sephardic songs

Jewish Community TodayJewish Community Center in ThessalonikiStrives to preserve the Ladino language and Sephardic cultureProvides classes on LadinoThere is an elementary school for Jewish kidsOnly taught Hebrew, Spanish and FrenchLadino is not part of their curriculumVictoria helped organize a Sephardic music festivalBands from all over the world participated

Ocho Kandelikas

Music TodayLarge Sephardic music revival todayPasharos SepharadiThe commercialization and experimentation of Sephardic music has allowed this this tradition to continueModern influences electric guitar, CDs, etc.Music has become more universal because many people are able to recognize their own language in the songs

Savina YannatouVictoria said Savina is considered an artistic performer of Sephardic musicBorn in Athens in 1959Classically trainedCombines her classically trained background with traditional music and improvised music

Savina Yannatou

Works CitedNew Oxford American Dictionary 3rd edition 2010, 2012 by Oxford University PressPrimavera en Salonico