It may be one of the defining works of the new century» ( Robert Harris)[1]Ayre is the twelfth album by composer Osvaldo Golijov, it is a cycle of songs commissioned by Carnegie Hall for soprano Dawn Upshaw, which offers a tour of the Mediterranean, particularly in that mixture of Spanish, Jewish and Arabic influences that once coexisted (relatively ) quietly in Spain before the Reconquista.
Golijov's Ayre – meaning "air" or "melody" in medieval Spanish – largely centers on southern Spain with its intermingling of three cultures (Christian, Arab, and Jewish) in an era before the expulsion of the Jews in the late 15th century.
In the second part Folk Songs (for voice and seven instruments) the soprano Dawn Upshaw is accompanied by Helen Tara O'Connor, Todd Palmer, Ljova, Erik Friedlander, Bridget Kibbey, Eric Poland and Gordon Gottlieb.
In addition to the instruments mentioned in the pieces Tancas serradas a muru (Sardinian) and "Wa Habibi" (Arabic) a laptop programmed with electronica "beat" was used to provide a rhythmic driving background.
It may be one of the defining works of the new century»[1]Renowned music critic Alex Ross dedicated a section of his best seller The Rest is Noise to Ayre, writing:«a multicultural tour-de-force that weaves together the sounds of Moorish Spain» [4]