‘Corral de comedias’, literally, ‘theatrical courtyard’, was the term coined in Spain in times past to describe the cool interior patios of buildings where theatrical works would be performed. With the passing of the centuries the vast majority of these popular outdoor theatres have long since disappeared. Byt the Teatro Principal -Main Theatre- in the northeastern Spanish city of Zamora is one of the very few that still retains the original 17th Century structure within its walls.
It’s this one-of-a-kind venue that will see Mara Aranda perform, having risen to high acclaim on the international Sephardic music scene after a career spanning 25 years of research and performance revolving around the Mediterranean tradition. Mara will perform, as on so many occasions, alongside J Martinez, renowned hurdy-gurdy and citar expert, and the owner of one of the most prestigious and extensive mediaeval musical instruement collections certainly in Spain, and most likely in Europe; and with Aziz Samsaoui, oud and qanun player, instruments typical of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Together they will present the Judeo-Hispanic repertoire of one of Mara’s latest albums, Sephardic Legacy. Mara is pleased to have special guests Judith Cohen, Alberto Jambrina and Guy Mendilow along for the show.
Mara Aranda’s concert will be the final act in a series of events to promote the study, conservation, and promotion of the Sephardic culture in the Zamora area of Spain, and the Portuguese area of La Raya, just across the border. By the time Mara performs, diverse names, all experts in their fields, will have participated in the different events in various towns across the region.
The International Sephardic Conference comes at an important time in the recent history of Spain, with respect to its Jewish heritage: five long centuries after the Catholic Kings Fernando and Isabel expelled the Jewish population from the Iberian Peninsula, the Government of the Kingdom of Spain today has taken some small steps towards redressing this historic injustice in offering Spanish nationality to those descendents of the Sephardic diaspora spread across the modern world.
