Intertwined Identities: Music of Northern Morocco’s Jews

Intertwined Identities: Music of Northern Morocco’s Jews

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Arabic, Hebrew, and Spanish are intrinsically interwoven in the formation of Jewish identity in Northern Morocco. Through a version of Judeo-Spanish called Haketía, language and oral traditions are used to forge the community’s hybrid culture. Join Moroccan music expert Vanessa Paloma for a journey into this poetic and multifaceted world.

Vanessa Paloma is a performer, scholar, and writer based in Casablanca. She specializes in Judeo-Spanish women’s songs and their role in Sephardic communities. Internationally known for this repertoire, she has performed and lectured on five continents. She received her masters at Indiana University’s School of Music and is completing a doctorate at the Sorbonne’s Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales.