One of the wonderful things about traditional music is that it embraces the creativity of every era it passes through. In doing so, it continually transforms and enriches itself. La Serena, a Sephardic ballad spread throughout the countries of the eastern Mediterranean coast, evokes dreamlike images of striking power, where the legacy of tradition is offered—by those willing to take on the task—to be reinterpreted and rewritten through a pacifist lens. Instead of “yo me mancharía entera por salvar la mi bandera,” Rusó sings:
“If the sea were made of milk and the ships of cinnamon,
I would stain myself entirely for peace, which is my flag.”
With this statement of principles, Rusó Sala and Miriam Encinas present the second song from their new album Paxaras. Kantele, guitar, and voice engage in a serene dialogue to create a soundscape deeply inspired by the open, blank space generated by the contrast between music and silence. What if the protagonist were what is not said, what is not touched? How many images can fit into the silences of a song? What emotion runs through your skin when you hear them?
This ballad reaches Miriam and Rusó through archival recordings of women’s voices, many of them now long gone. In these recordings, they generously interpret the melodies they learned throughout their lives—an intact treasure with the power to transport you to another space-time dimension and enrich your own life through theirs.
“I would stain myself entirely for peace, which is my flag”
La Serena is the second song from our new album Paxaras, a duet with Miriam Encinas. ☀️ Kantele, guitar, and voice in a serene dialogue between music and silence.
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What if the protagonist were what is not said, what is not touched?
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How many images can fit into the silences of a song? What emotion runs through your skin when you listen?
At this link you’ll find the links to listen to it on all platforms 🤍
https://rusosala.ffm.to/laserena
