Israeli-Spanish singer Yasmin Levy to perform in Sofia

Judaeo-Spanish, or “Ladino”, is a minority language. It was spoken by Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria and other countries on the Balkan peninsula a long time ago. Some Sephardic minorities speak this language even today, and one person sings it: Yasmin Levy. The Israeli-Spanish vocalist will perform in Sofia in October.

Yasmin Levy has it all in her genes, since her father, Yitzhak Isaac Levy, was a cantor at synagogues. He also researched Ladino music and published a Ladino language magazine. When his daughter was only two years old, he died. But, once she was old enough, she stepped into his footsteps. Her approach may be different though.

Her ballads incorporate a number of elements, apart from Ladino as one of her singing languages, including Flamenco, Chanson and various Middle Eastern sounds.

In 2004, her first album “Romance & Yasmin” earned her a BBC World Music award. Later, she also received prizes for her movie soundtrack songs. “Gracias a la Vida” by Violeta Parra, a famous tune she covered for the motion picture “Vengo”, is just one expample.

For promoting the cross-cultural dialogue between three cultures, Yasmin Levy received the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Award.

She grew up is Jerusalem, which she describes as “a true melting pot of peoples and cultures”. Since her youth, she has been listening to Turkish versions of Moroccan music, Classical, Chanson, Jazz, Jewish and Muslim music, as well as church music, all of which influenced her.

All Israeli artists are being asked about the ongoing Palestinian terror against Israel and the Jewish state’s reactions, including Yasmin Levy: “I avoid talking about politics. I am a singer, but I sing about personal freedom. I know it sounds like a cliché but I believe in love.”

Yasmin Levy will be performing in Bulgaria, on October 21st, 2017, at the Sofia Live Club in the capital. Tickets are available here. The concert is being supported by the Israeli Embassy in Bulgaria.

Written by Imanuel Marcus on August 19, 2017 in Leisure