Sofreh Tisch by Ladom Ensemble

Pianist Pouya Hamidi, originally from Iran, and cellist Beth Silver, of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, bring their rich respective traditions into Ladom Ensemble’s Sofreh Tisch.

This album reflects the Canadian ensemble’s spirit of friendship and artistic exchange. Is a journey that carries the listener from the striking shores of the Caspian Sea to the verdant plains of Transylvania, through the vibrant musical traditions of the Eastern European Jewish diaspora and even to the heart of The Bronx of the 1950s.

The Persian word sofreh (سفره) refers to a spread or a tablecloth traditionally used in celebrations and weddings, its cultural significance bearing a sense of gathering and coming together. Tisch (טיש), its literal translation being “table”, is comparatively the Yiddish equivalent; a gathering of merriment and storytelling before a special occasion or traditional wedding. In Hasidic context, it can refer to a feast for rabbis and their followers in which they recite texts and sing nigunim - songs without words. The fact that both cultures have this concept of coming together around a table to share so much more than food, and at the same time, an idea that beautifully embodies the spirit of the ensemble, was an opportunity that we couldn’t resist. Infused with elements of hope, Sofreh Tisch is a celebration of dance, folklore, and shared human experience, where the music resonates with the rhythms of history and tradition within a contemporary interpretation.

Ladom Ensemble is a mini-orchestra made up of four musicians who play a kind of acoustic fusion drawn from Western classical, klezmer, rock, tango, jazz, east coast traditional and classical Persian influences.

ladomensemble.com
Facebook
Twitter