Sephardi Music > Classes & Courses

Sephardi Song Workshop with Judith Cohen
Wednesday July 23rd 6:00 - 9:00pm
SOAS
Room G50

Discover the mysteries of Sephardi music and learn how to play and sing traditional Judeo-Spanish songs with expert, Judith Cohen (Canada) in a workshop on Sephardi songs and rhythms.

As well as a general overview of the music of the Sephardi Jews, Judith will concentrate on traditional performance with hand percussion and lament singing in the Sephardic tradition. Other areas that she will cover include a background on genres of songs (ballads, life cycle, general); west (Morocco) and east (former Ottoman) traditions; traditional and new approaches. The workshop will also include a discussion on subjects such as older and newer approaches to Sephardi music.

Followed by a Sephardi music jam from 8:00pm (please bring your instruments).

£12 / 7.50 concessions
To book: 020 8909 2445

Dr. Judith R. Cohen is a performer and ethnomusicologist specializing in Judeo-Spanish ("Ladino") Sephardic songs, as well as in medieval and traditional music, including Balkan, Portuguese, Yiddish, and French Canadian, pan-European balladry,and songs from Crypto-Jewish regions of the Portuguese-Spanish border. Her daughter, Tamar Ilana Cohen Adams (b.1986) often performs with her.

Judith's performance repertoire and lectures draw on her village field work in several Mediterranean countries and in urban immigrant communities; and on her academic research, presented in a dynamic, accessible style adaptable to audiences from sophisticated cognoscenti to school children. Her commentaries can be given in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. She accompanies her traditional-style singing on bowed vielle, 'ud, dulcimer and traditional percussion instruments, and is an accomplished player of recorders and pipe-and-tabor. Tamar Ilana is an accomplished traditional singer, and adds percussion, drawing on her years of flamenco dance training and her travels and fieldwork with Judith.