• The Jewish Diaspora formed communities in Morroco, where Sephardic Jews speak Ladino.menorah, close-up image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Sephardic Jews originated in the Iberian Peninsula of Spain and Portugal and spread to Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Morocco. Their western Mediterranean musical tradition formed in Morocco. Judeo-Spanish, also called Ladino or Judezmo, formed the basis of language and lyrical composition among Sephardic Jews.
  
  

Language and Instruments

• While Morocco is a largely Muslim country, it is also home to Sephardic Jews.tappeti02 image by cilin from Fotolia.com
  
  The Ladino language goes by different names in different countries. In Morocco, it is Khaketía.
  
  Moroccan Sephardic songs are largely vocal, though regional musical instruments can accompany them. In Morocco, instruments include the lute, the Middle Eastern zither, the violin and hand drums.
  
  

Romances

• The romantic songs of the Sephardim encompass religious, cultural and day-to-day themes. The songs serve as lullabies, and women sing them while doing embroidery or preparing family meals. Girls sing them on a "matesha," the Ladino term for swing, set up in courtyards during Passover.
  
  There also are romantic songs specifically for weddings and other special occasions, as well as songs for mourning known as "endechas."
  
  A "romancero" is not a song, but a collection of romances. While romanceros can refer to collections of romance songs from Portugal, the Sephardic romanceros are distinct collections of Jewish songs sung by Moroccan Sephardim.
  
  

Para-Liturgical Music

• A second type of song in the Sephardic tradition in Morocco is the "copla." These are largely religious songs that people may also sing apart from religious services. Coplas can involve specific religious themes, such as the religious festival of Purim, but they can also be based on more general themes.
  
  

The Origin of Sephardic Music

• The Sephardic musical tradition is largely oral, not written, so it is difficult to trace its origin to a specific time. Additionally, because the culture and language of Moroccan Sephardim is a blend of Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, Castilian Spanish and Portuguese, the Sephardic songs may be based on traditional Jewish music from previous centuries, but they have adapted over time to evolve into their own unique form.
  
  The history of the songs can be traced with some certainty to, at the latest, the 18th century and may have originated during the Renaissance period, which spanned the 14th through mid-17th centuries.