"Kuando el rey Nimrod"[1] (קואנדו אל ריי נמרוד, Ladino pronunciation: [ˈkwando el rei nimˈroð], or [nimˈrod] modern Spanish spelling: Cuando el Rey Nimrod; "When King Nimrod") is a Sephardic folk song. It is sung in the Judaeo-Spanish language and tells the story of the birth of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people and of monotheism.[2]

History

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In contrast to a popular misconception, "Kuando el rey Nimrod" is not a song that dates from the times when the Jews lived in Spain and Portugal in the Middle Ages, and has its roots in a piyyut called La vocación de Abraham, of which several versions have been found that date from the 18th century and were written by anonymous authors in the former Ottoman Empire. The song, with its original much longer lyrics and its makam-based structure, became popular in the Sephardic communities of the Mediterranean basin. Around the year 1890, an anonymous author from Tangiers, Morocco wrote a different version of the song, shortening its lyrics and composing a new melody in maqam Hejaz.[3] This reduced and catchier version survived to our days to become arguably the most popular song in the Sephardic repertoire, becoming a staple for Ladino singers such as Yehoram Gaon[4] and Fortuna,[5] and even for some Klezmer bands when they want to include a Sephardic song in their repertoire.[6]

Interpretations

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Anachronistically, Abraham—who in the Bible is the very first Jew and the ancestor of all who followed, hence his appellation "Avinu" (Our Father)—is in the Judaeo-Spanish song already born, in the juderia (modern Spanish: judería, Judaeo-Spanish: djudería), the Jewish quarter.[7] Abraham became the first Jew by acknowledging the existence of one God. Abraham in the Bible is the very first man to be circumcised and perform circumcision.

Much of this story is based on the account of Abraham's life written in the book "Maaseh Avraham Avinu Alav HaShalom"[8] as well as the Midrash[9] regarding the furnace and Zohar[10] concerning Elijah the Prophet.

Lyrics

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[11]

References

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  1. ^ Marcy Brink-Danan: Jewish Life in Twenty-First-Century Turkey: The Other Side of Tolerance, Indiana University Press, 2011, p. 130.
  2. ^ Moseley, Rebekah (2017-12-13). "Disney Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  3. ^ Hassán, Iacob M.; Izquierdo Benito, Ricardo (2008). Sefardíes: Literatura y lengua de una nación dispersa. Cuenca: Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha. p. 558. ISBN 9788484275534.
  4. ^ "Cuando El Rey Nimrod - Canción sefardí". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  5. ^ "FORTUNA AO VIVO - "Avram Avinu"". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Klezmer from Brussels - KRUPNIK - Quando el Rey Nimrod". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  7. ^ Seroussi, Edwin (2022). Sonic Ruins of Modernity: Judeo-Spanish Folksongs Today. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 154. ISBN 9781000597554.
  8. ^ Bernard H. Mehlman. "Maayanot (Primary Sources) : The Maaseh Avraham Avinu Alav HaShalom: Translation, Notes, and Commentary" (PDF). Ccarnet.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  9. ^ "פרשת נח". Daat.ac.il. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  10. ^ כסא של אליהו [Chair of Elijah]. Jewish Encyclopedia Daat (in Hebrew). Herzog College. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  11. ^ den Boer, Harm; Díaz Más, Paloma (2006). Fronteras e interculturalidad entre los sefardíes occidentales (in Spanish). Amsterdam: Brill Publishers. p. 102. ISBN 9789042018990.