On 31 March 1492, the Catholic monarchs expelled the Jews from Castile and Aragon. Between 70,000 and 170,000 people fled Iberian soil into permanent exile. The programme presented on this disc bears witness not only to the exile of a people, but also to the emotional exile so beautifully exemplified in mediaeval courtly lyrics. Yearning for the homeland, the wanderings of a heart in despair, the rejection of a world of appearances… all these forms of exile inspired this repertoire.

In order to follow in the footsteps of this diaspora, so conducive to cultural encounters, La Roza Enflorese has collaborated with the Alfama String Quartet, performing a Judaeo-Spanish repertoire supplemented by Spanish Renaissance polyphony and original compositions by Philippe Malfeyt setting poems by Pablo Neruda.

The wedding between historical or traditional instruments and modern ones has created a modern universe infused with ancient and folk sonorities rich in nostalgia.