Alhambra Poetry

Studium Generale celebrates the end of the year with a special literary-musical program inspired by poetry and stories from the illuminated streets of Córdoba and the historic blue-white medina of Tangier.
Between the 9th and 15th centuries the Moors ruled in this part of Europe that flourished in the field of music, literature and science. At the time, this area was called Al Andalus and several groups and religions lived relatively peacefully together. The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra tells the story of Al Andalus and traces the richness of different cultural influences left on our society through music, theater, literature and education. Alhambra Poetry is a story about the fall of Granada and the remarkable friendship between Isabella of Castile and an imprisoned Moorish poet. Poems and stories from this illustrious period come alive through presentations of spoken word artist and singer Karima El Fillali and storyteller Raphael Rodan. In the background  the sound of the guitar, the ud and the rhythms of the cajón and the derbuka bring the cities to life. A unique collaboration between international artists and virtuosos from the Netherlands, which tell the story of the mystical musical history of Al Andalus and Andalusia today.

Raphael Rodan is a storyteller, actor and workshop leader. He graduated in 2008 from the School of Speech and Drama in Harduf, Israel and then continued for another two years to study at the School of Storytelling in Sussex, UK and completed my Actor training at the Actors Temple in London. Growing up Rapheal  was surrounded by stories of war, separation and the demonization of the other, his aim is to use the power of stories for the opposite, namely to bring people together in the search for our shared humanity.
Karima El Fillali is a singer and spoken word artist. After her study Arts, Culture and Media at the University of Groningen, she went on a musical journey to Morocco. There she got interested and inspired by traditional spiritual Arabic singing and she was apprenticed to a master of lyrical singing in Fez. Karima el Fillali has performed at several festival stages in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Edsart Udo de Haes - Spanish guitar 
Francesco Buenciorno - percussion 
Anastasis Sarakatsanos - kanun

Alhambra Poetry is part of Andalus Voices, a special series of concerts about the broad variety of Andalusian repertoire and voices. www.andalusvoices.nl