Yasmin Levy

Yasmin Levy, born on December 23 (1975),is world music singer and song writer of Judeo-Spanish music.

Yasmin Levy
Yasmin Levy in 2023
Background information
Born	(1975-12-23) December 23, 1975
Origin	Israel Turkey
Genres	Sephardic music, world, flamenco
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2000–present
Website	www.yasminlevy.com

Biography

Yasmin Levy was born on December 23, 1975. She is of Sephardic Jewish descent. Her parents were immigrants from Turkey.

Her father, Yitzhak Isaac Levy (1919–1977), was a composer and hazzan (cantor), as well as a pioneer researcher into the history of the Ladino music and culture of Spanish Jewry and its diaspora, being the editor of the Ladino language magazine Aki Yerushalayim. He died when Levy was just one year old, but she names him as one of her greatest musical influences.

She is a mother of two children Michael Amir and Manuela Amir.[1]

Career

With her distinctive and emotive style, Levy has brought a new interpretation to the medieval Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) song by incorporating more "modern" sounds of Andalusian flamenco and traditional Turkish music as well as combining instruments like the darbuka, oud, violin, cello, and piano.

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 Judería (Spanish: The Jewish Quarter). In 2006, she was nominated again, then in the category Culture Crossing.[2]

On her second album, La Judería, she also covered the popular songs "Gracias a la Vida" by Violeta Parra and "Nací en Álamo" 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 "The Song of the Gypsies" (Greek: "Το Τραγούδι των Γύφτων"), written by Greek songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis in 1990)..

Yasmin Levy mixes with the audience at Sept. 2022 concert in Warsaw

In her own words in 2007:

"I am proud to combine the two cultures of Ladino and flamenco, while mixing in Middle Eastern influences. I am embarking on a 500-year-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."

In her own words in 2023:

“If there were no religions, music would be the religion of humanity. As a person, I believe that each of us is a different color of God, and each color has its own beauty and God sent his colors to this world through us. We are just the conduits. If we understood this, we wouldn’t hate and fight each other, if we understood, that each of us is a part of God, if we connected and loved God’s colors, our world would be beautiful and without wars. Thank God for letting me bridge people and cultures through music.“

— Yasmin Levy

In her career, Yasmin Levi has given a great number of concerts all over the globe. She has already performed in Spain, Iran, Turkey, USA, the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland and many other countries. She has also entered into a variety of music collaborations during her career, such as with Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas, Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises and Spanish singer Buika.

Yasmin Levy mixes with the audience at Sept. 2022 concert in Warsaw

Other roles

In 2008, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Children of Peace, a UK-based charity fighting to alleviate the plight of all children caught up in the Middle East crisis.[3]

Accolades

In 2006, Levy was nominated in the "Culture Crossing" category for the fRoots / BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards.

In 2006, Levy's work earned her the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Award for promoting cross-cultural dialogue between musicians from three cultures.

Levy’s original composition, “Me Voy,” won the 2008 USA Songwriting Competition for the best world music song.[4]

She has been nominated for the BBC World Music Award and Holland’s Edison Award (2008).[5]

The Sunday Times named Sentir as one of the Top 100 albums of 2009, and placed it in their Top 10 World Music releases of the year.

Yasmin received the “Pomegranate Award for Music” from the American Sephardi Federation(2023).[6]

Discography

Yasmin Levy in concert in Warsaw, September 2008 (Mano Suave World Tour)

Full albums

• 2004: Romance & Yasmin
• 2005: La Judería
• 2006: Live at the Tower of David, Jerusalem
• 2007: Mano Suave
• 2009: Sentir
• 2012: Libertad
• 2014: Tango
• 2017: "Rak Od Layla Echad" ('Just one more night')
• 2021: Voice & Piano
• 2024: Mujer

Singles for movie soundtracks

• 2011: "Jaco", for My Sweet Canary (featuring the oud player Tomer Katz)
• 2011: "Una Pastora", for My Sweet Canary (featuring the qanun player Mumin Sesler)

Collaborations

• 2008: Tzur Mishelo Achalnu, for Avoda Ivrit 2, featuring Shlomo Bar
• 2010: Tzur Mishelo Achalnu, for Kol HaNeshama, featuring Shlomo Bar
• 2012: Yigdal, for Yehuda Halevi Pinat Ibn Gabirol - The Collection

Further reading

• "Yasmin Levy - Sing like a butterfly". FLY Global Music. February 22, 1999. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
• Werman, Marco (March 16, 2011). "Israeli singer Yasmin Levy's flamenco twist" (audio). The World from PRX.