The Hebrew word asefa has two meanings: As a noun, it refers to a committee or gathering that aims to achieve a specific goal; as a verb, it means “to gather.” Asefa is also the name of a band dedicated to fusing the sounds of the Middle East and North Africa with Sephardic melodies.
Since its formation in 2001, Asefa, led by Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas, has brought its uniquely forged musical tradition to stages all over the world. The band’s next stop is Boston from March 3-4. Brought to town by the Jewish Arts Collaborative, Torjman Thomas and Asefa will kick off the weekend with a Kabbalat Shabbat service and oneg at Temple Israel of Boston. The following evening, they will headline a concert called “Sephardic Sounds and Spices” at ONCE Ballroom; a Sephardic-inspired dinner will cap the festivities.
Torjman Thomas recently spoke to JewishBoston about his musical roots in Boston and the lifelong influences he has incorporated into Asefa’s music. With a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, Torjman Thomas said that through Asefa, he has explored “the cultural context and the meaning that music can have in human expression. I wanted to understand more in-depth what music-making could be.”
Music-making began early for Torjman Thomas, with family culture and California geography inspiring his musical choices. He grew up with a Moroccan mother and an American father in northern California, and played jazz, blues and classical music as a woodwind player, specifically with the saxophone, clarinet and flute. His proximity to San Francisco exposed him to the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s, including the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. “But the most influential music,” said Torjman Thomas, “the one that planted a seed that would come to be cultivated, was the Moroccan music I heard growing up in my house.”