The Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival is one of the city’s most important cultural events and a major draw for all types of travellers: those interested in the Jewish past of Córdoba as well as visitors who wish to add an enriching experience to their travel itinerary. If this is your case, take note of the information in this post, where we explain the highlights of this festival.
What the Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival is like and what it is about
Each year, the Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival brings together some of the world’s finest composers and performers in this folk genre. In fact, the event’s official name is the Córdoba International Sephardic Music Festival. Although many participants come from Spain or Israel, it is also common for other musicians from countries such as Portugal, Uruguay, or Mexico, among others, to feature in the programme.
In the latest edition, participants included artists such as Diwan Saz and Al’Fado, with their shows Sacred Music From The Galilee and Encounters of Ladino & Fado, respectively. Representing the Spanish ‘Sephardic spirit’, musicians such as Daniel Martínez Martín, Jesús Parra, and Hombre Folkíbero Trío Sefardí performed, among others.
The festival is organised by the Network of Jewish Quarters of Spain, ‘Paths of Sepharad’, and is usually held at the Royal Botanical Garden of Córdoba: an incomparable setting that also evokes the importance that nature and water have always held in Sephardic culture. Performances are usually held at night, from 9:00 or 10:00 PM onwards. In addition, talks and lectures on the city’s Sephardic past are organised at other locations in Córdoba’s Jewish Quarter, which has been experiencing a strong revival in recent years.
When it is held
The Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival is held every year. Until 2020, it was usually organised in June, over the course of a week. However, the emergence of Covid-19 forced that edition to be postponed to September, while observing all safety measures and social distancing.
These will also be the guidelines for the next edition, which is currently scheduled for 2021-09-04 to 2021-09-09, also at the Royal Botanical Garden of Córdoba. However, due to the current pandemic situation, both the dates and the participants are still pending confirmation.
A unique opportunity to discover Córdoba’s Jewish Quarter
Whatever the date of the Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival, it is certainly an excellent opportunity to discover the city in general and the Jewish Quarter in particular. Its magnificent 14th-century synagogue and the Casa de Sefarad are among the most charming places in this distinctive neighbourhood, which was the birthplace of great figures such as Maimonides.
Therefore, if you are planning to attend the Córdoba Sephardic Music Festival, we suggest contacting Andalucía Exclusiva to arrange a route through the Jewish Quarter, guided by our professionals.
