On Nov. 28, Or Shalom’s Light in Winter music series and the duo Green Pearl present El Tesoro de Sefarad, an evening of Ladino music and song, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Sephardic Jews.
Green Pearl comprises two multi-talented Sephardic performers, Mauro Perelmann and Tânia Grinberg, both originally from Brazil. They now live and perform in the Vancouver area, bringing their complementary interests and musical skills to all their productions.
Perelmann, as well as being a guitarist who performs in many styles, is a composer, arranger and music director. Grinberg is an award-winning singer, composer, actress and storyteller who performs in several languages, including Yiddish, fronts Jewish folk ensembles, and performs at international cultural festivals.
In this production, Perelmann will perform original guitar arrangements and Grinberg will sing traditional songs in Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish or Judezmo. She will provide English translations of the songs for the audience and speak about Sephardic life and history.
Expelled from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century, the Sephardic diaspora migrated mainly to the Americas, northwestern Europe and the areas of the Ottoman Empire that today are part of Greece, Turkey and Israel. As the Sephardim migrated, they took with them their traditional customs, music and language, which grew even richer through these new cultural influences, as will be reflected in this concert.
Two other musicians will be joining Perelmann and Grinberg for the evening. Noah Gotfrit is a standup bass player and composer, who, along with his father, Martin Gotfrit (a Light in Winter founder), has performed many Or Shalom shows. Nick Apivor is a percussionist with a world music background.
Or Shalom has presented Light in Winter since 2017. The series of musical events was started with the goal to lighten people’s spirits during the winter months or, as series founder and technical director Dave Kauffman says, “to help keep the dark at bay.”
The four-concert series is open to all music lovers. General tickets are reasonably priced and there is concession pricing, too, thanks to support from the Kauffman Family Music Fund, which also helps cover artist fees.
Series offerings have included such diverse acts as klezmer band Oktopus, classical guitarist Itamar Erez, Ukrainian-Canadian a capella group Zeelia and accordionist David Berner. This year’s series started on Oct. 17 with Israeli singer Orit Shimoni accompanied by Tony Chotem on piano. The Jan. 16 performers are TBA, while the Feb. 27 show will feature indie roots-rock band Pawnshop Diamond, led by singer-songwriter Katy Ormiston.
For more information on Green Pearl, go to greenpearlmusic.ca. For tickets ($36) to El Tesoro de Sefarad on Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m., go to orshalom.ca/lightinwinter or pay at the door with cash or credit card. For more event information, email programs@orshalom.ca.
Ann Daskal is an independent writer and retired social worker.
