spirit of sepharad

Tracing the Journey of the Sephardim throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East

A soul-stirring program, The Spirit of Sepharad traces the unique migration of the Sephardim from medieval Spain, across North Africa, to the Middle East and beyond. Combining music, dance, narration and illuminating projections, this dynamic mixed-media performance brings to life all the rich cultural strains of the Sephardic diaspora. Featuring an array of virtuoso musicians from multiple disciplines, The Spirit of Sepharad includes songs and instrumental music of secular and liturgical origin from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Greece, Syria, Turkey, Ancient Persia, The Balkans, Israel and Kurdistan (then, as now, part of Iran, Turkey and Iraq). This is the story of a rich cultural heritage that invites the possibility of coexistence, tolerance, respect and peace among all peoples.

Originally conceived, written, and produced in collaboration with Vivienne Roumani.