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Related Pieces
Piece Description
1492 was not just the year of Columbus' journey to America. It was also the time of the famous Alhambra Decree, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered all Jews out of Spain, under penalty of death. Thousands of Spanish Jews fled to the Balkans, where the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire welcomed them. Over the centuries, their "Judeo-Spanish" evolved into a new language, called Ladino. Now Ladino is evolving again- from a living tongue of the kitchen and the street, to a language of historians and librarians. But every Tuesday night at the Club Ladino, Sophie Danon and her fellow members meet to reminisce, to share songs and proverbs, and to teach the next generations what they know. Sandy Tolan traveled to Bulgaria and found that Ladino speakers there aren't quite ready to let their language go.
Broadcast History
Aired 07/05/04 on NPR's All Things Considered
Transcript
INTRO: In Bulgaria, efforts are under way to preserve a language steeped in Jewish history. Ladino evolved from Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish and other languages picked up by Jews who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. Now Ladino is evolving again---from a living tongue to a language of historians and librarians. Sandy Tolan visited Bulgaria and found Ladino speakers there aren?t quite willing to let go.
Old women talking in Ladino
FOUR OLD WOMEN, SIT AROUND TABLE AT SHALOM, A JEWISH GATHERING HOUSE IN SOFIA. IT?S THEIR WEEKLY MEETING OF THE CLUB LADINO ? A SOCIAL GROUP WHOSE MEMBERSHIP IS GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER.
Sophie Danon begins to sing, then under:
WHEN SHE SINGS, SOPHIE DANON?S FACE LIGHTS UP LIKE A CHILD?S, ALERT AND ANIMATED. SHE AND HER FRIENDS ARE HERE TO TEACH ? TO TRANSFER WHAT THEY KNOW BEFORE IT?S TOO LATE. AND SO THEY TURN TO THE NEXT GENERATION?...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
INTRO: In Bulgaria, efforts are under way to preserve a language steeped in Jewish history. Ladino evolved from Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish and other languages picked up by Jews who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. Now Ladino is evolving again---from a living tongue to a language of historians and librarians. Sandy Tolan visited Bulgaria and found Ladino speakers there aren?t quite willing to let go.
OUTRO:
That story was produced by Sandy Tolan & Melissa Robbins with help from Polia [PO- LIA] Alexandrova. It is part of Worlds of Difference, a series on global cultural change from Homelands Productions.
Musical Works
Lika Eshkenazi sings Ladino love songs
Yo me namor? d'un ayre (I Fell in Love with a Wind) (1:32)
Los bilbilikos (The Nightingales) (1:36)
Additional Files
- Ladino Intro (ladinointro.doc)
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Paul Sireci
Posted on August 26, 2006 at 04:07 PM | Permalink
Review of Ladino Transformation
This was a wonderful piece that shows the hopeful approach of a worried Buldgarian Jewish community bent on saving its language. I found it inspiring!