Yasmin Levy
Encyclopedia
Yasmin Levy born on December 23, 1975 in Jerusalem, is an Israel
i singer-songwriter
of Judaeo-Spanish
music
.
and its diaspora
, being the editor of the Ladino language magazine Aki Yerushalayim. With her distinctive and emotive style, Yasmin has brought a new interpretation to the medieval Ladino/Judeo-Spanish song by incorporating more "modern" sounds of Andalusian Flamenco
and Persian
, as well as combining instruments like the darbuka, oud
, violin
, cello
, and piano
. In her second album, La Judería (Sp
: "The Jewish Quarter"), she also covered the popular songs Gracias a la Vida
by Violeta Parra
and Nací en Alamó from the film Vengo
, directed by Tony Gatlif
, which in its original version won the 2001 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
(itself being a cover of "Το Τραγούδι των Γύφτων" ["To Traghoudi ton Yifton", "The Song of the Gypsies"], written by Greek songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis in 1990).
Her debut album was Romance & Yasmin in 2000, which earned her a nomination as Best Newcomer for the fRoots / BBC Radio 3
World Music
Awards 2005, followed in 2005 with her second album La Juderia. In 2006 she was nominated again, then in the category Culture Crossing.
Yasmin's work earned her the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Award
for promoting cross-cultural dialogue between musicians from three cultures. In her own words:
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish , in Israel commonly referred to as Ladino, and known locally as Judezmo, Djudeo-Espanyol, Djudezmo, Djudeo-Kasteyano, Spaniolit and other names, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
Career
Her late father, Isaac Levy, was a composer and cantor, pioneer researcher into the long and rich history of the Ladino music and culture of Spanish JewryHistory of the Jews in Spain
Spanish Jews once constituted one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities under Muslim and Christian rule in Spain, before the majority, together with resident Muslims, were forced to convert to Catholicism, be expelled or be killed when Spain became united under the Catholic Monarchs...
and its diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
, being the editor of the Ladino language magazine Aki Yerushalayim. With her distinctive and emotive style, Yasmin has brought a new interpretation to the medieval Ladino/Judeo-Spanish song by incorporating more "modern" sounds of Andalusian Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
and Persian
Persian music
Persian traditional music is the traditional and indigenous music of Iran: mūsīqī, the science and art of music, and moosiqi, the sound and performance of music .-Origins:Archeological evidence reveals musical instruments that were...
, as well as combining instruments like the darbuka, oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. In her second album, La Judería (Sp
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: "The Jewish Quarter"), she also covered the popular songs Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida
"Gracias a la vida" is the name of a song composed and first performed by Chilean musician Violeta Parra, one of the artists who set the basis for the movement known as Nueva Canción...
by Violeta Parra
Violeta Parra
Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval was a notable Chilean composer, songwriter, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and visual artist...
and Nací en Alamó from the film Vengo
Vengo (film)
Vengo is a 2000 Spanish film by Tony Gatlif. It is the passionate story of a blood feud that centers on Caco, a proud man who must fight for his family's honor and safety...
, directed by Tony Gatlif
Tony Gatlif
Tony Gatlif is a French film director of Romani ethnicity who also works as a screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer.- Biography :...
, which in its original version won the 2001 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film . Before 2000, the award was called "César Award for Best Music".-1970s:...
(itself being a cover of "Το Τραγούδι των Γύφτων" ["To Traghoudi ton Yifton", "The Song of the Gypsies"], written by Greek songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis in 1990).
Her debut album was Romance & Yasmin in 2000, which earned her a nomination as Best Newcomer for the fRoots / BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
World Music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
Awards 2005, followed in 2005 with her second album La Juderia. In 2006 she was nominated again, then in the category Culture Crossing.
Yasmin's work earned her the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Award
Anna Lindh Memorial Fund
The Anna Lindh Memorial Fund is a memorial fund started to commemorate the Swedish politician Anna Lindh, who was assassinated in 2003...
for promoting cross-cultural dialogue between musicians from three cultures. In her own words:
I am proud to combine the two cultures of Ladino and flamenco, while mixing in Middle Eastern influences. I am embarking on a 500 years old musical journey, taking Ladino to Andalusia and mixing it with flamenco, the style that still bears the musical memories of the old Moorish and Jewish-Spanish world with the sound of the Arab world. In a way it is a ‘musical reconciliation’ of history.
Discography
- 2004: Romance & Yasmin
- 2005: La Judería
- 2006: Live at the Tower of David, Jerusalem
- 2007: Mano Suave
- 2009: Sentir
External links
- Official Homepage
- Official Myspace page
- Long interview with Yasmin Levy on FLY
- Video sample: La Alegría by Yasmin Levy
- BBC "The World" article about Yasmin Levy
- Radio documentary featuring Yasmin Levy on CBC RadioCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's DispatchesDispatches (radio program)Dispatches is a Canadian radio program, which airs Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. on CBC Radio One. The program, hosted by Rick MacInnes-Rae, airs documentary reports on international news and feature topics...