Jordi Savall presents
Un mar de músicas
A musical and historical journey spanning four centuries of Atlantic memory
February 12, 2026
Traquen’Art is proud to present, as a Canadian premiere in Montreal, Un mar de músicas 1440–1880, the masterful new creation by Jordi Savall, a leading figure in early music and committed humanist. This exceptional concert is a musical and historical journey that explores four centuries of Atlantic memory, bringing together about thirty artists from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean on the stage of the Maison symphonique on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
With this evocative musical fresco, the Catalan master—indispensable figure of the viola da gamba and pioneer of historical performance—explores the Atlantic as a place of encounter and cultural blending, but also as a space scarred by the violence of the transatlantic slave trade. Un mar de músicas weaves a dialogue between European baroque music and the songs of enslaved peoples from the 15th to 19th centuries, revealing a history where music became “a means of survival and—for our greatest joy—the only refuge offering peace, comfort, and hope,” as Savall testifies.
Jordi Savall highlights a shared cultural heritage of infinite diversity. He is a man for our time.
The Guardian
This work continues Les Routes de l’esclavage 1444–1888, the grand historical fresco tracing four centuries of the triangular trade through music and narratives, presented as a North American premiere in Montreal in 2017 as part of Traquen’Art’s Grands Événements. That concert deeply moved audiences and critics alike.
An exceptional international ensemble
Alongside La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI, Jordi Savall brings together artists from Canada, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Mali, Mexico (with the Tembembe Ensamble Continuo), Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
Program
The program will highlight works by Gaspar Fernandes, Diego Durón, Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Felip Olivelles, Santiago de Murcia, as well as anonymous pieces from various regions shaped by Atlantic history. In an artistic and humanistic gesture of rare intensity, Savall offers a musical meditation on memory, resilience, and cultural exchange—a reflection of five centuries of history. Blending Baroque polyphony, African rhythms, sacred chants, Latin American traditional music, and mixed dance forms, Un mar de músicas celebrates the creative power born from encounters, despite tragedy.
Un Mar de Músicas 1440–1880
A dialogue with the music of Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean
Works by Gaspar Fernandes, Diego Durón, Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Felip Olivelles, Santiago de Murcia, and anonymous composers
‘With this deeply evocative musical fresco, the Catalan maestro explores the Atlantic as a space of encounter and cultural fusion.’
18 guest musicians
Canada • Neema Bickersteth, songs of Afro-American slave origins
Guinea • Sekouba Bambino, griot singing
Guadeloupe • Yannis François, baritone and dance
Mali • Ballaké Sissoko, kora and vocals ; Mamani Keita, Tanti Kouyaté et Fanta Sissoko, vocals and dance
Mexique / Colombia • Tembembe Ensamble Continuo : Ada Coronel, vocals and dance; Leopoldo Novoa, marimbol, marimba de chonta, and tiple colombiano Ulises Martínez, violon, vihuela, leona, and vocals
Brésil • Maria Juliana Linhares, soprano ; Zé Luis Nascimento, percussion
Cuba • Teresa Yanet, vocals; Lixsania Fernández, vocals and viola da gamba; Marlon Rodríguez, percussion and vocals; Frank Pereira, guitar, tres cubano, and vocals
Haïti • Sylvie Henry, vocals
Venezuela • Iván García, bass
La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Anna Piroli, soprano; David Sagastume, countertenor; Víctor Sordo, tenor; Lluís Vilamajó, tenor
Hespèrion XXI
Jordi Savall, direction, treble viol; Pierre Hamon, flutes; Béatrice Delpierre, flute et and shawm; Daniel Lassalle, sackbut; Josep Borràs, dulcian; Xavier Puertas, violone; Xavier Díaz-Latorre, theorbo, guitar, and vihuela de mano; Andrew Lawrence-King, Spanish baroque harp; David Mayoral, percussion
About Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall • image: Geri-Born
Jordi Savall is one of the most versatile musical figures of his generation. For over fifty years, he has brought to light musical treasures long consigned to darkness, indifference, and oblivion. As both a viol player and conductor, he has rediscovered and reinterpreted these early works. His career as a performer, teacher, researcher, and creator of new musical and cultural projects has made him one of the leading forces in the revival of historical music.
Together with Montserrat Figueras, he founded the ensembles Hespèrion XXI (1974), La Capella Reial de Catalunya (1987), and Le Concert des Nations (1989), with which he has explored and created a world of emotion and beauty that he continues to share with audiences around the globe—bringing joy to millions of music lovers.
Jordi Savall – Un mar de músicas 1440–1880
Maison symphonique – Place des Arts
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8 pm.
Box Office – Place des Arts
514 842-2112 • 1 866 842-2112
1600 Saint-Urbain Street
Images: Un Mar de Músicas Esclaus – Toni Peñarroya – Courtesy of Traquen’Art
