Islamic Ibiza with Jordi Vives Colomar

For foreigners like me who are the latest invaders of Ibiza, it is fascinating to delve into the history of this jewel in the Mediterranean Sea. Most of us are vaguely aware that it has been conquered by various cultures over the centuries such as the Phoenicians and Romans. The invasion which led to centuries of Islamic rule in Ibiza before the Christian Catalans arrived is particularly interesting. I was very excited to come across a detailed study – a masters dissertation no less - focussed on rural Ibiza during the island’s Islamic period. And I’m delighted to welcome to the podcast Jordi Vives Colomar from Barcelona University, who wrote this 150-page study which left me overflowing with questions.

Om Podcasten

Welcome to Ibizology, a podcast exploring the culture, history and arts of the Balearic island of Ibiza. I’m Will Beacham, an Ibiza-based journalist and in each episode I interview an Ibizan who is contributing in some way to life on this wonderful island. Through their words I aim to bring to life different aspects of island living as they tell their unique stories. The Ibizan music you hear was recorded in July 1952 in the churchyard of the village of St Josep by the musicologist Alan Lomax. It is called “Bon amor jo et venc a veure” which translates from Catalan as “Good love, I come to see you.” It is part of a huge archive of folk music he recorded all over the world. The Ibizan segment of the archive can be heard at http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=11950:89&idType=subregion&sortBy=abc The music, from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. Painting of Ibiza's Dalt Vila by Vicent Calbert, courtesy of Bar Costa, Santa Gertrudis.