Andalusian and SephardicTwo major cultures that had an impact in Iberia were the North African muslims that controls the southern part of the peninsula for 700 years, and the large Jewish population.
Both cultures have very rich musical traditions, though unfortunately not as much of it has survived. After 1492 these cultures were expelled from the peninsula, and much of their music, learning and art was lost, destroyed, or repurposed. But what there is that remains is fascinating. Sephardic (hispanic Jewish) music is mostly written in Ladino, the dialect of Spanish used by the Jews. It is similar to Castilian but has noticeable differences. The melodies however, have a completely different character from the Castilian music composed around the same times. Andalusian music, for the most part, was written in classical Arabic. This style of music is very complex, and based on very strict poetical forms. They used completely different instruments, and different musical modes for their compositions and have almost nothing in common with European music of the time. Though there is evidence that there were some melody swaps that happened early in their occupation, as the Spanish reconquest rose, their interchange lessened greatly. FAVORITES Avrix mi Galanica (Sephardic) - a boy talking his way to his girlfriend's room Lamma Bada (Arabic) - a man mesmerized by his dancing lady |
LinksMaqam World
An amazing resource to learn the building blocks of Arabic music, as well as descriptions and examples of the different types of poetry. Classical Arabic Music A great site with original texts, music transcriptions, and a lot to listen to and look at. Oral Literature of the Sephardic Jews A nice overview of the ballads, literature, and evens ome riddles. |