About this Event
The Qadim Ensemble performs Ladino songs from their new album Entre Las Huertas, Presented as part of the JCC East Bay's Exploring Global Jewry through Music concert series.
With their mesmerizing new album, Entre Las Huertas, the SF Bay Area’s preeminent Middle Eastern ensemble, The Qadim Ensemble, unveils a radiant collection of Ladino songs—floral gems hidden within an orchard of memory—illuminating melodies that have echoed the stories of entire civilizations across centuries. Rooted in ancient Spain, Ladino—the Judeo-Spanish language carried and developed by Sephardic Jewish communities following their expulsion from Spain in 1492—traveled eastward into the Ottoman Empire, where many found refuge in present-day Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. Through generations, these secular songs have endured as living vessels holding the heritage and emotional landscapes of Sephardic life. With Entre Las Huertas, Qadim honors this legacy through deeply authentic, world-class recordings. The album presents Ladino kantigas born out of the oral traditions of Sephardic women whose voices filled kitchens, courtyards, and intimate domestic spaces, preserving the cultural memory of a scattered yet unbroken diaspora.
Led by multi-instrumentalist Eliyahu Sills and vocalist/oud player Rachel Valfer, The Qadim Ensemble has spent more than two decades exploring the interconnected musical traditions of the Middle East and Mediterranean basin. Their work exists at the crossroads of cultural preservation, passionate musicianship, and cross-cultural musical dialogue—bringing extraordinary reverence to repertoires shaped by centuries of migration and exchange.
Event venue & nearby stays
JCC East Bay Jewish Community Campus, 6028 Chabot Road, Oakland, United States
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