“Scholars’ preoccupation with the medieval origins of the Hispanic and Judeo-Spanish ballad has resulted in what Israel Katz has aptly termed “ethnic mysticism” (1973:237), which is strikingly apparent in many performances of Judeo-Spanish songs by outsider groups, especially early music specialists. The imbalance of the value placed on material with clear medieval or Renaissance origins has led to neglect of many aspects of the tradition, as suggested earlier. On the other hand, it would be unrealistic and counterproductive to deny the crucial importance of the firm sense of history which has shaped the Judeo-Spanish tradition through the centuries. This aspect of the “formative processes”, as Rice calls them (472) is central to the understanding of this music-culture.” (Cohen 1989, 16)