To Say I Was Here: Curator Talk + Listening Party

Join JMM for the opening of To Say I Was Here, an exhibition of Arabic, Greek, Ladino, and Turkish-speaking Jewish immigrant musicians recorded in the U.S. between 1916 and 1966. This multimedia exhibit currently on view delves into the lives and legacies of several immigrant musicians—both celebrated and little-known—who shaped the rich tapestry of American music in the early to mid-20th century. During this era of rapid expansion in the U.S. sound recording industry, countless immigrant artists recorded songs from their homelands, preserving and transforming cultural traditions. Among them were Jewish musicians from Aleppo, Baghdad, Istanbul, Ioannina, Izmir, and beyond, who performed not only for their Jewish communities but also within Armenian, Greek, and Arab circles, united by shared languages and cultural bonds.