Piyut and Andalusian Music Center Launches 2026 'Shirat HaBakasot' Season
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
The Center for Piyut and Shirah in Ashdod has launched its 2026 "Shirat HaBakasot" season, a centuries-old North African Jewish musical tradition. The season opened with a concert and will include gatherings across Israel, concluding with a major performance in Ashdod featuring prominent singers. The center aims to preserve and revitalize this heritage for younger generations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Center for Piyut and Shirah in Ashdod has launched its 2026 "Shirat HaBakasot" season.
- The tradition of "Shirat HaBakasot" originates from North African Jewish musical heritage.
- The season includes concerts and gatherings across Israel throughout the winter.
- A final concert in Ashdod will feature singers Moshe Louk, Benjamin Bouzaglo, Mani Cohen, and Gabriel Ohayon.
- The center, founded in 1988, works to preserve and promote piyut and Andalusian music.
- The initiative aims to connect ancient traditions with contemporary Israeli culture and younger audiences.
The Center for Piyut and Shirah in Ashdod has launched its 2026 season of "Shirat HaBakasot" (Songs of Supplication), a tradition rooted in North African Jewish musical heritage. The center, dedicated to preserving and promoting piyut (liturgical poetry), hazanut (cantorial chanting), and Andalusian music for decades, aims to connect ancient traditions with contemporary Israeli culture.
The season commenced with a festive opening concert featuring performances of Moroccan "Shirat HaBakasot" repertoire by the center's singers and musicians, including Menor Ben David, Shlomi Lugasi, Yaakov Ben Adiba, Yonatan Huta, and Raz Elbaz, under the musical direction of Maestro Elad Levi. The event was attended by a large audience of piyut and Andalusian music enthusiasts.
Throughout the winter months, the center will host "Shirat HaBakasot" gatherings across Israel. The season will culminate in a grand finale concert at the Ashdod Performing Arts Center. This final concert will feature renowned piyut singers Moshe Louk, Benjamin Bouzaglo, Mani Cohen, and Gabriel Ohayon, alongside an ensemble of musicians, all under the artistic direction of Rabbi Mordechai Azran.
Tali Saharani, Chairwoman of the Center for Andalusian Culture and Piyut in Israel, emphasized the importance of not only preserving but also revitalizing this tradition and making it accessible to new audiences and younger generations. Yisrael Ohayon, CEO of the Center for Piyut and Shirah, highlighted the tradition's ability to connect generations and communities, promising events in various locations nationwide.
Rabbi Mordechai Azran, the artistic director, described "Shirat HaBakasot" as the vibrant soul of Moroccan Jewish heritage, a rare spiritual and musical treasure. He expressed his mission to maintain the tradition's authenticity while presenting it to the younger generation, ensuring it remains a living and evolving part of Israeli culture. The center, founded in 1988, also offers piyut studies, hazanut, instrumental instruction, children's and youth programs, seminars, and concerts.
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