Shekhahoret for Shirona and 2 questions

[Judith R Cohen <judithc...>]

Hi,
Lorele: a melograph is basically a transcription machine but not using
notation, rather using a graph system; Charles Seeger invented several
models, but as I said, it never really caught on.

Sylvie: my MA thesis was on women musicians in the Christian, Jewish and
Muslim communities of medieval Spain (my ph.d. dissertation was on
Spehardic music). The MA thesis is only available through University
Microfilms but a short update appears as a chapter in the
almost-published (has been in press forever) "Cross-Cultural Approaches
to Medieval WOmen's Song" (ed. Klinck and Rasmussen, U.Penn Press).

Shirona:

The song is "Morenica" . The version which was adapted as "Shekhakhoret"
is a "cleaned up" version in which all the microtones and little
rhythmic subtleties have disappeared (largely casualties of
transcriptions, especially Isaac Levy's). It's still a great tune of
course.
I can give you the words but follow a recording because the text
underlay is a little quirky.
Can't remember exactly how they sing the words (Parvarim??) but a
standard version is (somewhat phonetically spelled):

Morenica a mi me yaman, yo blanca nasi,
y del sol del enverano, yo ansi me hissi.
Refrain:
Morenica, grasiozika sos,
tu morena y yo grasiozo, y ozhos pretos tu.
(or instead of "ozhos pretos tu", substitute "mavramatio mou", in Greek)

Morenica a mi me yaman los marineros,
si otra vez me yaman, me vo con eyos.

Morenica a mi me yama (no n)
el hizho del rey
si otra vez me yama
yo con el me ire.

It's a very old text (Renaissance-based, or older) but the tune is not
nearly as old as the text. "They call me the dark one [cf Song of Songs,
the Black But Comely Syndrome], I was born fair;  from the summer sun I
became like this; Refrain: Little Dark One, you are so pretty, you're
dark [feminine], I'm handome [masculine] and you have dark eyes.
They call me the dark one - the sailors; if they call me again, I'll go
with them.
He calls me the dark one - the king's son - if he calls me again, I'll
go with him.

cheers, Judith

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