Page 18 - Jewish News_January 2022

18A January 2022 JEWISH INTEREST

“Mughaniyat: The Songs Stars of David

941-306-1202 By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist
ArtistSeriesConcerts.org of the Mothers” Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish

By Arlene Stolnitz for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jew-
Stars on the Rise om Fogel is a folklorist and eth- than Hebrew. The songs of the women ish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify
Building on our Legacy nographer at Hebrew Universi- were passed down in the oral tradition, with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are
Tty in Jerusalem. His interest in generation after generation. None had also identified as Jewish.
Temple Sinai Series Yemeni Jewish Culture has led him to ever been written down until now.

explore the poetry of Yemenite Jewish The songs reflect the girls’ hard-
MERZ TRIO women from a bygone era. His col- ship and longings. Often, they were
with JORDAN BAK, viola laboration with Israeli musician Ofer married off as young as age six to older
January 23, 2022 • 4:00 pm Kalaf has resulted in “Mughaniyat: men. Their matrimony songs, unlike
“Riveting. Stunning virtuosity and ensemble work.”
– Reading Eagle The Songs of the Mothers,” music the joyful Israeli celebrations we are
from the Khugarya region of Yemen. familiar with, are sad and tearful. The
Mugahniyat were Yemenite poet- practice has continued even in more
ANTHONY TRIONFO, flute
ALBERT CANO SMIT, piano esses who also sang. The poetry comes recent time, and Kalaf (sometimes
February 6, 2022 • 4:00 pm from the Cairo Geniza, a repository of spelled Callaf), never knew that his
“Trionfo was spellbinding, playing with expressive Jewish manuscript mother, orphaned at an early age, was
maturity and authoritative intellect.” fragments from married to his father through such an
– The Santa Barbara Voice countries of North arrangement.
Africa bordering I found Yemenite songs performed

NEXUS CHAMBER MUSIC CHICAGO the Mediterranean. by Kalaf with English titles while
February 20, 2022 • 4:00 pm While researching searching on YouTube. “I Think,”
“The music making was at a supremely high level.” the work of the “Personal Problems,” “ Breaking My
– Chicago Classical Review late Shelomo Dov Eyes” and “Untangled Child” are
Goitein, a scholar worth listening to, although I do not
QUARTET AMABILE of Yemenite Jew- know if they are specifically from the
March 6, 2022 • 4:00 pm Arlene Stolnitz ish culture, Fogel “Mothers” composition. However, the
Celebrated quartets by Mozart and Mendelssohn became interested in the culture of music gives us an interesting insight
plus the Sarasota premiere of a new work that period, which stems from the 9 into Yemenite music and makes for en-
th
by Dai Fujikura. to 13 centuries. It turns out that his joyable listening.
th
family came from southwestern Ye- The musical arrangement “The
STEVEN BANKS, classical saxophone men, as did Kalaf’s family! Together Songs of the Mothers” was presented
with Kalaf, an accomplished musician recently by Fogel and Kalaf at Confed-
XAK BJERKEN, piano
March 27, 2022 • 4:00 pm and thespian, the musical composition eration House, a longstanding center
“He and his saxophone are a single constellation “Mughaniyat” was born. for ethnic music and poetry in Jeru-
of sound.” – Arts writer Isa Freeling To understand this music, one must salem. The center, founded in 1984,
know something about the history of emphasizes innovative activities based
the region. Jews of that time in Yemen on cultural identification, social issues
This project is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture (Section 286.25, Florida Statutes).
numbered nearly 50,000 among mil- and questions of identity.
lions of Yemenite Muslims. Theirs was In the words of the composers,
an amicable arrangement, even though “Non-Yemenite people know we have
the Jews were considered subjects a culture and they respect that. They
Temple Emanu-EL rather than equal in status. The tradi- may know very little about it, but at
Brotherhood, Sisterhood tion was that for nearly half a year, the least we are on the radar.… On another
and Social Action Committee workers in local villages would leave level, it is not so great, because we lost
to work and sell their products in dis- a lot of our heritage. This performance
P R E S E N T tant Muslim towns. Yemeni women honors that legacy as well as our
and children were left on their own, mothers.”
under the “protection” of the town Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-
A TRIBUTE TO leaders. Left to take care of their own sota Jewish Chorale, is a member of
affairs, women did all of the custom-
the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A
Martin ary work for themselves. Harvesting retired educator from Rochester, New
York, she has sung in choral groups
wheat, bread baking, bringing water to
Luther the village and doing needlework were for over 25 years and also sings in
The Venice Chorale. Her interest in
all accomplished by women as they
King, Jr. sang to each other. The women were the preservation of Jewish music of all
illiterate, never having learned to read
kinds has led to this series of articles
or write Hebrew. Therefore, the songs on Jewish Folk Music in the Diaspora.
Sunday · January 16, 2022 · 2 PM were all in Yemenite-Arabic, rather

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