Yasmin Levy

Yasmin Levy, an Israeli vocalist specializing in Ladino repertoire, blends that heritage with contemporary elements and a pronounced flamenco influence. She entered the world on December 23, 1975, in Jerusalem, where her father, Yitzhak Levy, an authority on Ladino, introduced her to the music and traditions of the Sephardic Jewish communities expelled from Spain during the late 15th century. Most of her performances feature lyrics in Ladino itself, supported by classic instrumentation that includes oud, violin, and cello, though she regularly incorporates flamenco and other present-day idioms. Her first release, Romance & Yasmin (2000), attracted notice once it received an international reissue in 2004, which led to a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2005 BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. The follow-up, La Judería: Ladino Meets Flamenco (2005), established the approach she continued on Live at the Tower of David, Jerusalem (2006) and Mano Suave (2008). Those projects earned additional BBC Radio 3 World Music Award nominations and achieved strong international sales, with Mano Suave appearing on the French charts and reaching the Swedish Top Ten. Her subsequent studio album, Sentir, arrived in September 2009.