A Sonore Al-Andalus - the sound of Al Andalus

For close to eight hundred years, the Iberian Peninsula in Europe - the modern-day nations of Spain and Portugal - was largely dominated by Arab states. Arab rule in this part of the world led to a Golden Age of tolerance and prosperity, not to mention its profound impact on the arts.

In homage of the great Andalusi musical tradition, soprano Isabel Cañada Luna, who hails from the Andalusian city of Málaga, in collaboration with Polish pianist Magdalena Wajdzik and American violinist Crosby DeLaney Barret, has been inspired to provide a glimpse into Spain's Arab past by staging this musical recital. After gaining insight from scholars and poets, such as Rafael Luna García, the concert began to take shape.

The recital opens with a 9th-century poem by the creator of the Moaxaja, Andalusí poet Ibn Muafá Al-Qabrí. The performance continues from there to include music from different time periods by various Spanish composers, thus showcasing the Arab cultural and musical legacy present in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sonore Al-Andalus serves as a musical bridge between cultures, through which the audience can experience both the Arab and Hispanic worlds, past, present, and beyond ...