On 9/17/24, Hunter hosted this program as part of the Robert Seltzer Lunch Lecture Series.
The Art of the Niggun: Melody as Devotion
In a duo performance, Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas traverses the world of niggunim, drawing upon the Hasidic devotional practice of wordless melody. In the hands of Dr. Torjman Thomas’ Traveling in Pairs configuration (with piano accompaniment), niggunim become a vehicle for improvisatory exultations and exploration, through the lens of a jazz-tinged set oscillating between tradition and invention. The performance-talk combined concert performance with contextualization of repertoire.
Presented by: Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas, a multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, oud, nay), vocalist (Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish), and founder and artistic director of ASEFA and the New York Andalus Ensemble. He teaches ethnomusicology and Sephardic Jewish Studies at City University of New York (Hunter and John Jay College) and is a faculty member for both the ALEPH and Academy of Jewish Religion Cantorial Programs. He is also the Director of Musical Arts at the Sephardic Community Center.
Watch the program below.
