<i>Judeo-Spanish Ballads from Oral Tradition IV: Carolingian Ballads (3): Gaiferos. Folk Literature of the Sephardic Jews, Vol. V</i> (review)
Alexander J. McNair
Reviewed by: Judeo-Spanish Ballads from Oral Tradition IV: Carolingian (3): Gaiferos. Folk Literature of the Sephardic Jews, Vol. V Alexander J. McNair Samuel G. Armistead, Joseph H. Silverman, and Israel Katz. V. Newark, DE: Juan de la Cuesta, 2006. 565pp + 17 plates. ISBN: 1-58871-106-4 It is hardly necessary to rehearse for readers this journal history or importance tradition, but I reproduce here, by way introduction, poignant words Zarita Nahón, whose fieldwork in Tangier late 1920s documented more than sixty ballads: For most part, those who contributed collection came old first families - descendants aristocratic Jews lived Spain under Caliphate Catholic Kings until they were driven out Inquisition. From Castile, took culture, learning, ancient traditions their past. They entrusted me ballads that are no longer heard, a tongue spoken. Their legacy lives again these pages. (9) Armistead with musicological commentary Katz, edited Nahón's mid-1970s confirmed situation enclave Tangier: "no reunía últimamente condiciones tan propicias para conservación los romances" (21). The preservation cultural heritage traditional languages an urban setting accomplished only great difficulty. Nahón reminisced her 1974 prologue, "It was octogenarians able gather greatest number (8); dialect itself danger extinction even 1929: "The attitude young at time disassociate themselves good-naturedly speech, eventually Haketía [Judeo-Spanish] became property people, slowly disappearing as died" (7). Ten years after publication collection, [End Page 329] Silverman would write global "clearly final stages critical decline", "the recent . reveals steadily decreasing repertoire, which general common themes continue be sung increasingly aged diminishing group singers"; conclude sense urgency: "time running all efforts must bent saving future study surviving vestiges venerable tradition" ("The Ballad Tradition" 642). No individual team has done last half century rescue "surviving vestiges" oblivion book review here fifth volume series began 1971, (FLSJ), fourth volumes dedicated collected editors dates back 1950s (for summary early fieldwork, see FLSJ II: 4-7). By 1986, when published series, Tradition, had interviewed 241 informants North African Eastern Mediterranean origin nearly 1,500 ballad texts fragments (FLSJ 7). often fragmentary, disappointing, gathered nonetheless, "live pages" (as might say) because so fully accompanied apparata, musical transcriptions, erudite editors. current volume, example, buttressed eighty-seven-page bibliography, nine indices, glossary, addition abundant notes. Moreover, announce now supplemented "digitized archive field tapes pertaining project" V: v), can consulted online Jews: A Multimedia Archive Other Judeo-Spanish, <http:// www.sephardifolklit.org/flsj>. material not only...
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