Like the Jewish people, the oud found a home in a diverse range of countries. From North Africa, through the Middle East, and up into the Caucasus and Balkans. For this reason, it is a wonderful vessel by which to explore the life of many Jewish populations from around the world: investigating how they expressed themselves, and connected with their homes in diaspora.
Join us with emerging scholar and musician Zack Youcha as we explore the histories and stories surrounding the oud, a popular stringed instrument central to the sounds of many Jewish communities in the diaspora.
Through a virtual panel discussion moderated by Zack, musical recordings, and performances by a selection of musicians from Montreal and beyond, Playing Jewish Histories: Sounds of the Oud will explore the connection between Jews, their lives in diaspora, and music they play. It aims to provide historical background, as well as show the music’s cultural significance, and its place in modern Jewish life.
This event is a part of the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s Microgrant Program for Creative or Cultural Exploration, which is funded by the Quebec Community Group Network's Community Investment Fund. We also thank KlezKanada, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal, and the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America for their partnership.
About Zack:
Zack Youcha is a musician, academic, and current MA student in Jewish Studies at McGill University. He comes from an Ottoman Sephardic Jewish family of musicians, and is always looking for ways to help share the beauty of music, in all its forms, with the world. Zack is working on an album and website entitled Playing Jewish Histories which will highlight a series of instruments popular among Jewish communities in the diaspora.
