Based in London, Joglaresa is the UK’s busiest medieval ensemble. The name of the group comes from Troubadour French and means a female minstrel, but there are male musicians in Joglaresa’s pool of ten artists.
Founded in 1992 by Belinda Sykes, the group has established itself as a leader in the improvisational and cross-cultural music repertoire. It is renowned for its subversive programming of ballads about illicit and evil seducers, its ability to transcend the limits of early music and its focus on connecting ancient and traditional sounds. The ensemble pioneered using medieval Arabic and Jewish texts for their Crusades and Iberian programmes. By combining their experiences and varied backgrounds (English, Irish, Balkan, Maghrebi and Middle Eastern), the members of Joglaresa strive to create a homogenous sound.
They have spent years abroad, in the Middle East and in North Africa, to learn the local languages and to experiment with the local traditional tunes.
Joglaresa’s widely acclaimed Crusades programmes, The Scimitar and the Sword, represents the testimonies of medieval Arabs, Jews and Christians through songs and poetry and anecdotes by Arab chroniclers. It is the first modern performance of these songs and the first time any early music group has ever researched such a programme.
In 2002 their first album of Judeo-Spanish Sephardic songs, Ballads of Love and Betrayal, was released and in 2006 Joglaresa was the first medieval band to develop a programme of songs completely devoted to Mary Magdalen.
Their programme of medieval Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish song Al’ Andalus, that includes songs by medieval Spanish-Hebrew and Arab-Andalusian poets, won an Arts Council of England Early Music Award.
Joglaresa has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts, including on World Service, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and Dutch, German and Slovenian radio.
Joglaresa’s performances include the opening concert at the Aldeburgh Festival, the St David’s Hall in Cardiff, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the London Lufthansa Festival, the London Barbican Centre and the closing concert at York Early Music Festival.
They have toured internationally in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands and participated in the Amsterdam International Festival of Jewish Music, Sana’a and Aden in Yemen, Istanbul International Music Festival and Brežice Early Music Festival in Slovenia.
Founded in 1992 by Belinda Sykes, the group has established itself as a leader in the improvisational and cross-cultural music repertoire. It is renowned for its subversive programming of ballads about illicit and evil seducers, its ability to transcend the limits of early music and its focus on connecting ancient and traditional sounds. The ensemble pioneered using medieval Arabic and Jewish texts for their Crusades and Iberian programmes. By combining their experiences and varied backgrounds (English, Irish, Balkan, Maghrebi and Middle Eastern), the members of Joglaresa strive to create a homogenous sound.
They have spent years abroad, in the Middle East and in North Africa, to learn the local languages and to experiment with the local traditional tunes.
Joglaresa’s widely acclaimed Crusades programmes, The Scimitar and the Sword, represents the testimonies of medieval Arabs, Jews and Christians through songs and poetry and anecdotes by Arab chroniclers. It is the first modern performance of these songs and the first time any early music group has ever researched such a programme.
In 2002 their first album of Judeo-Spanish Sephardic songs, Ballads of Love and Betrayal, was released and in 2006 Joglaresa was the first medieval band to develop a programme of songs completely devoted to Mary Magdalen.
Their programme of medieval Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish song Al’ Andalus, that includes songs by medieval Spanish-Hebrew and Arab-Andalusian poets, won an Arts Council of England Early Music Award.
Joglaresa has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts, including on World Service, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and Dutch, German and Slovenian radio.
Joglaresa’s performances include the opening concert at the Aldeburgh Festival, the St David’s Hall in Cardiff, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the London Lufthansa Festival, the London Barbican Centre and the closing concert at York Early Music Festival.
They have toured internationally in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands and participated in the Amsterdam International Festival of Jewish Music, Sana’a and Aden in Yemen, Istanbul International Music Festival and Brežice Early Music Festival in Slovenia.
"Joglaresa are at the forefront of singers and instrumentalists whose study of improvisation and ethnomusicology informs and shapes their imaginative re-creation of medieval music-making"
(The Times) "Joglaresa's imaginative use of improvisation creates an exciting air of authenticity [...] compulsive rhythmic energy [...] luxuriantly ornamental solos" (The Telegraph) |