Jewish Songlines: Charting & Chanting the Moroccan Diaspora

In this multimedia, multidisciplinary presentation, Samuel R. Torjman Thomas explores the place of musical expression in the definition of Moroccan Jewish culture. Through discussion and live musical performance, Dr. Torjman Thomas analyzes the place of liturgical, para-liturgical, and folk repertoires in Moroccan musical life, highlighting the juxtaposition of several fundamental diasporic identities: Jewish, Sephardic, and Moroccan. The role of music has been central in galvanizing disparate micro-identities into a singular Moroccan Jewish identity, which defines homeland in modern cultural contexts. As The Magnes’ exhibition emphasizes the diversity of Moroccan Jewish life before the major emigrations of the mid-twentieth century, Torjman Thomas’ exploration of musical expression—through performance and discussion—provides an aural picture synonymous with this narrative.

Jewish Songlines: Charting & Chanting the Moroccan Diaspora by magnesmuseum on Scribd