From Andalusia to Orient... Songs of Sepharadic women.

From Andalusia
to Orient...
Songs of Sepharadic
women.
maayan
From this golden earth flow the songs of these women,
living memories of my ancestors.
From this earth their voices rise, living memory of love and life.
From these lineages of women, I am and I sing.
Naïma Chemoul
maayan
maayan*
Songs of Sephardic women.
In this show, Naima Chemoul explores her origins,
those of Sephardic women.
She sings their words, their language, their daily lives.
She honours their memory and tells their story.
She makes their voices be heard.
Samir Hammouch on qanoun, Bonaventure Akoto on percussion,
use theirknowledge of Arab-Andalusian and Eastern European
music, their talent and artistic sensibility
to accompany the songs of these women.
Together they explore this musical heritage,
express their artistic freedom,
between East and West, tradition and modernity,
and play a timeless music that has no boundaries.
* Sources in hébreu
maayan
some history
Sephardim
The Sephardim or Spanish Jews took with them their music, language, culture,
when they were expelled from Andalusia by Isabel the Catholic in 1492.
The songs of Sephardic women come from Judeo-Spanish secular music :
lullabies, nostalgic or humorous romances, songs of weddings, births, mourning.
In these songs the women could express their joys, their sorrows, their world,
Jewish and universal values, their experience, their knowledge.
These songs were transmitted orally word from woman to woman, mother to daughter.
The language of these songs is Judeo-Spanish, the Castilian of the 15th century
land steeped in the language of the lands in which the Sephardim settled.
These songs, preserved by the diaspora since the 15th century, carried from one land to another, from Andalusia
to the East, continue to tell the story of these women and this people.
This singular and colorful heritage bears witness to the history on which our universal culture is built.
maayan
biographies
Naïma Chemoul
Voice
Began studying vocal jazz in Paris with Christiane Legrand, and then with La Velle.
Since arriving in the Tarn, a few years ago, she has initiated several intercultural musical projects for children
including Jazz in En Gach, Musiterrannée and El Andalous.
In 2004 she founded the group Edanéres, whose music is a meeting between jazz and
Eastern music with its main theme, the poetry of the Conference of the birds.
She has appeared with this group in Albi, Mazamet, Gaillac
and at the festival Actu'elles as the opening act for Dianne Reeves,
at the Jazz Festival 31 in Toulouse in a tribute concert to Jeanne Lee,
at Vinovalie Jazz Festival in Gaillac, at Parnac, Rabastens…
From the homeland of her father, Morrocco, she has retained a love
for the sweet spicy voices, and music evoking the secrets of the dowser.
Her meeting with Esther Lamandier in 2008 will be crucial to reconcile
and assume the dual artistic identity :
a voice of jazz singer to service of women and Sephardic music singer.
From 2009, she embarked on a project close to his heart since long :
a tribute to Rachel, his grandmother,
she decided to sing Sephardic songs of women, and founded Maayan.
Photo : F. Lejoyeux
maayan
biographies
Samir Hammouch
Qânoun
After eight years of study at the Conservatory of Qanoun in Morocco, it is perfected in music
Arabo-Andalusian at the Conservatory of La Medina in Meknes,
Then he diversified its practice with different groups of Eastern and Moroccan music.
When he moved to France, he discovered new worlds of expression and
develops its musical experiences.
Today he is a member of several different types of groups
like all Mosaica (Occitan and Moroccan music),
the Faâla Trio (music of the Mediterranean)
and the sextet Enfance Rouge (oriental rock).
He played at international festivals such as:
Festival Occitania;
Rio Loco,
Babel Med Musique (France),
Festival Fusion (Allemagne),
Festival de Mondo (Portugal).
maayan
biographies
Bonaventure Akoto
Percussions
Self-taught drummer and percussionist, he learned the roots of popular music from the Maghreb through
the practice of the bend and the darbuka in various formations.
Co-founder of Kafila (Eastern music) is in this group that studies the
directories and Middle Eastern rhythms and increases the performances
and meetings with many musicians.
Over the collaborations he participated in various live recordings and as
a studio with the trio Nonalinians (reggae-jazz)
or project European Mirada (light music on the Spanish Civil War).
In parallel he developed a passion also for choreographic creations
between belly dance and percussion with companies
Zig Zag and Desert Roses (dance and percussion).
Currently he performs on stage with the Ensemble Mosaïca
(Occitan and Moroccan music)
and his new creation Faâla, a lyrical musical journey
witch has its source in Traditional Mediterranean music.
maayan
Past and futur programming...
During the 2011 season, Maayan has been discovered for his show :
« From Andalousia to Orient songs of Sepharadic women »…
Festival des Musiques Juives, Carpentras.
Festival International des Musiques Sacrées de l’Abbaye de Sylvanès.
CIAM, Salle de la Fabrique Culturelle de l’Université Toulouse Mirail.
Festival Pause Musicale, l’Ostal d’Occitania, Toulouse.
Festival Châteaux Chantants, Bruniquel.
Journée Internationale des Femmes, Gaillac.
Festival Cultures Vagabondes, St Paul Cap de Joux.
Festival des Cultures Juives, Paris IV.
Colloque « Les Voyages de mémoire de la Shoah », Lacaune.
Festival Ibero-Andalou, Conservatoire Henri Duparc, Tarbes.
Festival de La Mothe-Achard, Landeronde, Vendée.
Casa de España, Castres.
Centre Maayan, Paris XI.
maayan
Contact us
Naïma Chemoul
maayan
3 rue Dupuy Monbrun
81220 St Paul Cap de Joux
FRANCE
Tél. : 06 88 90 92 10
naima.chemoul@gmail.com
http://www.maayan.eu/
www.myspace.com/maayanmaayan