SEPHARDI music and its instruments

As art is an expression of being, it is through which very interesting aspects of humanity are revealed, issues that include not only feelings but even characteristics beyond the individual, deep questions of identity such as culture. This in turn can show us the way of life of people who lived before in history and in a specific part of the world.

Furthermore, in music, instruments can show us not only ingenuity but also historical resources of a social group. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk what is Sephardic music and its instruments, You will be able to get to know this type of music better, the product of a cultural fusion that has remained a heritage from the 12th century.

The word "Sephardic”Used to refer to the group of people from Jewish religion who originally lived in Western Europe, specifically in the confines of the peninsula Iberica (the Spanish territory of Castile, Andalusia and Aragon) during the times of the Empire Roman. By this we mean XII century, although the term would apply strictly after during the fifteenth century, in 1492.

The Sephardim arrived in such a town after being expelled from North Africa, which implies that within their cultural identity there are traits of these cultures, the mixture between the Christian and Arab culture. The Sephardic or Sephardic music It also has influences from the music of places where they later settled, especially Greece, Morocco, Turkey and Bulgaria. These places share similar texts, although they vary in melodies and instruments.

The theme of said music varies from songs related to religious holidays, to biblical stories, lullabies, wedding songs and even love songs. His texts are sung both in Hebrew by Jewish origin, and in Ladino, coming from Christian Romance speech.

Sephardim possess a strong oral tradition, which allowed the traditional preservation of many of the texts of these songs. Today Sephardic music lives on as a folk genre.

Now that we know what Sephardic music is, we are going to attend to know the main instruments of this style of music. The most used are the following.

Lute

Of European origin, it is the forerunner of the guitar that we know today. It has, just like the guitar, strings that are plucked with the fingers and that resonate in its resonance box. The strings, tensioned by pegs, are pressed with the fingers against the neck of the instrument to change the notes.

Psalter

It's a tensioned stringed instrument on a resonance box without a neck. It is played by plucking the strings or striking them with the help of a metal or wooden rod. Another similar instrument from Plucked it is the zither.

Qanun

This is another of the main instruments of Sephardic music. Is a arabic version of salterior, plucked strings. The number of strings varies according to their origin but can have up to 26 groups of strings. Due to its size, it is played horizontally, resting on the ground or some surface.

Derbake, derbuka or dumbek

It's a drum of arabic origin cup-shaped. It has a single taut patch. Originally the derbake was made with clay and a goat or fish leather head, but nowadays versions with a metal body and a plastic head have been created. It is played by holding between both legs and striking with the palms of the hands and fingers.

Hand cymbals

They are small metal cymbals that are touched with their hands hitting each other. Sometimes they are also called rattlesnakes.

Pandor

It is a type of oversized tambourine. It is made with a wooden frame and a taut patch, which was originally made with animal skin. It is played by tapping the head with the palm of the hand and the fingers.

Guitar

Like the one we know today, it was integrated into the Spanish culture. It is used frequently in current renditions of Sephardic music. It has 6 strings, a resonance box and a fretted neck. It is categorized as a plucked string instrument, as it is played with the fingers.

Horn

As its name implies, it is made of sane. It was used mostly in ancient times as a wind instrument, blowing through the narrow end and using its natural bell for sound amplification.

Kinnor

It is the Hebrew version of the lyre, a plucked stringed instrument, like a harp but smaller, portable. It has 5 to 9 strings and was formerly the main instrument for the accompaniment of religious singing within the temples.

Now that you know what Sephardic music and its instruments are, you will notice how interesting it is to know the origin of different types of music and the richness that they can give us as a legacy even today, after surviving so much weather. For instruments it is a good idea to find out what they sound like, so that you can better absorb this knowledge with all your senses.