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"Life of the Soul" concert 

March 08, 2021 6:00 p.m.
CORDOBA
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. Seats sold out. Possible soon on this website.
Texts in Spanish. Music in Arabic and Spanish.

As part of International Women’s Month at Casa Árabe, on March 8 we will be hosting this concert by Habiba Chaouf, Pilar Alonso and Ana Silva in Cordoba. Follow it live on our Youtube channel.


“Life of the Soul” combines a contemporary representation of the “Three Mediterranean Mothers” (grandmother, mother and daughter) from the pre-patriarchal societies of the Mediterranean as an unbreakable thread between speech, music and the female body’s appearance on stage. The stage is always the blank page we work upon. Assisted by the strength of the magic number three, this show recovers the grandeur of the hidden, what we were never told about the genealogy of Mediterranean women. The fusion of music with unpublished texts connecting feminine writing with singing, guitar and the unforeseen paradox of silences. 

On stage, an unbreakable thread between speech, music and the female body’s appearance... The stage is always the blank page we work upon. Assisted by the strength of the magic number three, this show recovers the grandeur of the hidden. The fusion of speech, feminine writing and music come together to strengthen the lost memory of women’s genealogy. With the presence of music and its secrets, in the form of ‘peteneras,’ ‘alegrías,’ lullabies, and lyrics in Arabic, in Andalusian, they help us to find the maps of feminine grandeur in one single blow of the ‘quejío,’ which enters into the body, unwaveringly threading together time and beauty.

The concert will be taking place on March 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the Casa Árabe Auditorium in Cordoba. In order to attend this live event, you must sign up in advanceusing (capacity is limited due to the health situation. SEATS SOLD OUT). The concert can also be watched live on our YouTube and Facebook Live channels.

Written by: Ana Silva
Singer: Habiba Chaouf
Guitarist: Pilar Alonso

Performance 

TEXTS: 
1. Introduction to the Three Mediterranean Mothers: grandmother, mother and daughter. 
2. Antigone and the Mediterranean Mother Goddesses. 
3. Female authority. 
4. The truth about women.
5. Liberation in suffering. 
6. Feminine beauty and loyalty to adornment. 
7. Freedom and dreams. 

SONGS: 
1. Introduction 
2. Petenera 
3. Lullaby (Berber Lullaby-Arabic Lullaby)
4. Solea (Muwashah of Al-Andalus)
5. Tanguillos (Kassida Ahwach)
6. “Di Di Ana” Tangos 
7. Bulerías (Chekkara Song)
8. Alegrías

 
Ana Silva Cuesta 
Ana is a writer and legal expert. She earned her PhD in Law from the University of Granada. Master’s Degree in Sexual Difference Studies from the “Duoda” Women’s Research Center at the University of Barcelona. Master’s degree in Law from the University of Granada. Secretary of the Gender Studies Chair at the University of Granada’s Euro-Arab Foundation. A researcher and expert in migration, women, gender and human rights. She is a member of the research group “Others, feminist perspectives in social research” of the University of Granada’s Women’s Institute. Member of the editorial board of the scientific journal “Revista General de Derecho Penal de Iustel,” where she is in charge of editing and preparing the session on jurisprudence involving crimes against sexual freedom: sexual abuse, assault and rape of women. She is the assistant director and editor of the journal Revista SecretOlivo in which she is responsible for the section on migration, women and human rights. She has authored essays, articles and a book of poems titled Cuerpo Adentro (Body Inward), translated into the Arabic by Iraqi writer Bahira Abdulatif. She coordinates the women’s writing space “La Hora Violeta: Women relate through writing.” 

Habiba Chaouf
Habiba was born in Casablanca, Morocco, where she started to participate in cultural events at a very young age. After moving to Granada, she developed a passion for flamenco music. She began her career as a singer collaborating with the teacher and musician Ahmed Damaj (an Arabist of Lebanese origin from Granada) in the conference “Lorca and Mahmoud Darwish.” She has formed part of other acclaimed Arab and Andalusian music groups such as “Al Tarab Ensemble,” “Al Garnati,” “Al Nisrine” and “Al Makam.” She has performed at several important festivals: The Luna Mora Festival in Guaro, the Marbella Music Festival, the Maqamat Festival in Rabat, the Chaouen International Music Festival and Madrid’s Sufi Music Festival. A reciter and singer at different poetic events, in duos with her partner, guitarist Pilar Alonso, accompanying both Spanish and Arab poets. She performed before H.M. Queen Letizia in July 2018. She is currently the Arabic voice in Mujeres Mediterráneas

Pilar Alonso
Pilar is a flamenco guitarist (from Baza, Granada) and began her career with Miguel Martínez. She studied classical guitar in Granada at the “Victoria Eugenia” Conservatory of Music, which she combined with a major in Education. She studied flamenco guitar at the “Rafael Orozco” Higher Conservatory for Music in Cordoba and became the “first female” flamenco guitar teacher at an Official Center of Education. Since it was founded, she has been the director of the “Velasco Villegas” Spanish Lute Orchestra from Baza, with four albums on the market. Founder of the flamenco groups “Brotes Nuevos,” “Grupo Algedid” and “Al 4 por Medio.” Flamenco group “Trajitoma.” Director of the Orchestra of the Máske Música Summer School. Guitarist for Baza’s Municipal Group of Choirs and Dance. “Mujeres Flamenkas” group, director and arranger of the show “Cuéntame la copla” with singer David Bastidas. Guitarist for the musical “La gitana superdotá” and “Juana la Lorca” by Valeriano López. She teaches flamenco guitar at the “Angel Barrios” Professional Conservatory of Music in Granada. Guitarist of Mujeres Mediterráneas.