Sonic Ruins of Modernity shows how social, cultural, and cognitive phenomena interact in the making and distribution of folksongs beyond their time. Through Judeo-Spanish (or Ladino) folksongs, author illustrates a methodology for the interplay of individual memories, artistic initiatives, political and media policies, that ultimately shape “tradition” for the past century. He fleshes out in a series of case studies how folksongs can be conceived, performed, and circulated in the post-tradition era – constituting each song as a “sonic ruin,” as an imagined place. At the same time, the chapters provide a unique perspective on the history of the Judeo-Spanish folksong.