The Humanities Institute at UCSC & Kuumbwa Jazz Present:
Samuel Torjman Thomas & ASEFA
ASEFA (meaning “gathering”) is led by ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist Samuel Torjman Thomas, Ph.D. Blending vocals, oud, violin, nay, and plenty of percussion, with songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, and Ladino, this trio ensemble traverses several North African song traditions. Drawing upon a rich intercultural mix of Hebraic and Islamic traditions, audiences feel the heartbeat of the Maghreb. Thomas is the director of the New York Andalus Ensemble and ASEFA, he journeys through a lush Mediterranean garden of songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino, and Spanish, highlighting intercultural exchange in the expressive cultures of North Africa and the Middle East. Dr. Thomas teaches music, interdisciplinary studies, and Sephardic studies at the City University of New York. He is a frequent guest speaker at cultural institutions, universities, and in multi-denominational ecumenical spaces worldwide. His formal talks center on historical and cultural topics related to Sephardi-Mizrahi Jewry.
January 9, 2020 @ 7 PM
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA
1/2 Price Student Tickets at the Door
Doors & Dinner: Beginning at 6:00 PM
Sponsored by:
The Neufeld-Levin Chair in Holocaust Studies and the Center for Jewish Studies at UC Santa Cruz.
Directions and Parking:
Kuumbwa Jazz Center located at 320 Cedar St # 2, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Click here for directions and parking at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center.
If you have disability-related needs, please contact the The Humanities Institute at thi@ucsc.edu or call 831-459-1274 by January 3rd.