In 15th century Spain, the dominant musical culture was called “Romansa”. Romances were long poems, each one telling a story about current pains, loves and gossip. The Jews who settled in the Ottoman Empire blended the music of these lands with the 'Romances' they brought with them and created today's Sephardic Music. Turkish-Sephardic music is basically divided into two: Kantikas, which are folk songs, and religious music performed in synagogues. The language of the Kantikas is Judeo-Spanish. Listening to today's Turkish-Sephardic music, one can feel a strong influence of Turkish Art Music and Balkan music, which is a good example of cultural interaction.

Presented by Karen Gerson Şarhon