Istanbul to Jerusalem
Hadass Pal-Yarden with the Yahudice Ensemble
Sunday, March 19, 7:30pm
Thrust Stage / Berkeley Repertory Theatre
2025 Addison St., Berkeley
Part of the 21st Annual Jewish Music Festival: March 4-26, 2006
This show is SOLD OUT!
Direct from Turkey, Israeli Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) singer Hadass Pal-Yarden and ensemble present the American premiere of From Istanbul to Jerusalem: Yahudice. This concert showcases rare urban Ladino songs, collected by Ms. Yarden, which provide a musical glimpse into the Sephardic Jewish community at the time of the Ottoman Empire.
Exiled in 1492 from Spain (“Sepharad” in Hebrew), many Jews found their way to the Eastern Mediterranean. By the end of the 19th century, the Sephardic population in the region numbered about 150,000, primarily centered in Thessalonika (now in Greece), Istanbul and Smyrna (now Izmir). Today, there are about 20,000 Jews in Turkey.
Hadass Pal-Yarden is both a consummate performer and scholar of Ladino music. Her recent CD, Yahudice, has quickly gained international acclaim for its musical quality, and the research that it took to find these songs among the dwindling numbers of native Ladino speakers. Currently residing in Istanbul, Ms. Pal-Yarden performs with some of Turkey’s top classical musicians, including Yurdal Tokcan. Considered one of that country’s foremost ‘oud players, Tokcan plays and tours internationally with the Istanbul Turkish Music Ensemble, sponsored by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Other ensemble members include Selim Guler, Yinon Muallem (an Israeli musician who played with Eyal Sela and Darma in the 17th Jewish Music Festival), and Stilyanos Berber. Recent projects with Yahudice have included work with Yair Dalal,
Ross Daly, and Taisir Elias (one of Israel’s premiere ‘oud players).
High Resolution photos for these artists are available immediately upon request or will be available on the festival website www.jewishmusicfestival.org/press. For further information, please call Ellie Shapiro, (510) 848-0237 x126 or
Produced in association with the Israel Center, the Consulate General of Israel and Golden Horn Records.
The Jewish Music Festival is a program of the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center