Sephardic music | ICH ISRAEL

SEPHARDIC MUSIC

Sephardic Jews have a repertoire from the Mediterranean basin region. In the secular tradition, material is usually sung in dialects of Judeo-Spanish of the Sephardic diaspora. Tambourines and other percussion instruments are sometimes used, especially in wedding songs. Oud and qanún are also used in some instrumentations of Sephardic music, and more modern performers incorporate countless other imported instruments.

Sephardic music has its roots in the musical traditions of the Jewish communities in medieval Spain and medieval Portugal. Since then, it has picked up influences from Morocco, Argentina, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and other places that Spanish and Portuguese Jews settled after their expulsion from Spain in 1492 and from Portugal in 1496.

Lyrics were preserved by communities formed by the Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula. These Sephardic communities share many of the same lyrics and poems.

The song traditions were studied and transcribed in the early twentieth century by a number of ethnomusicologists and scholars of medieval Hispanic literature. From around 1957 until quite recently, Samuel Armistead (UC Davis) with colleagues Joseph Silverman and Israel Katz collected Judeo-Spanish songs from informants in North America, Turkey, the Balkans, Greece, North Africa, and Israel. The digitized recordings, with transcriptions and information about song type, are available on the website Folk Literature of the Sephardic Jews, now permanently hosted by the University of Illinois Library.

The early 20th century saw some popular commercial recordings of Sephardic music come out of Greece and Turkey, followed by recordings from Jerusalem and other parts of the Eastern Tradition. The first performers were mostly men, including the "Turks" Jack Mayesh, Haim Efendi, and Yitzhak Algazi. Later, a new generation of singers arose, many of whom were not themselves Sephardic. Gloria Levy, Pasharos Sefardíes, Flory Jagoda, the Parvarim, and Janet & Jak Esim Ensemble are popular Eastern Tradition performers of this period.

Gerard Edery, Savina Yannatou, Stefani Valadez, Françoise Atlan, Marlene Samoun, Yasmin Levy and Mara Aranda are among the new generation of singers bringing a new interpretation to the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish heritage and, in the case of Yasmin Levy and Gerard Edery, mixing it with Andalusian Flamenco.

Opera singer and actor David Serero sings Ladino and Sephardic songs which he often includes in theater classics such as The Merchant of Venice and Othello.

The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki Choir was founded in 1995 by members of the community. The choir was founded in the hope that the musical tradition that their ancestors took with them when they were expelled from the Iberian Peninsula 500 years ago would be preserved and revived. The research of its conductor, Kostis Papazoglou, on Sephardic music from the medieval tradition (songs like "Tres Ermanikas") and later, as the music evolved, resulted in a CD, produced by Minos EMI, with the participation of the Codex Ensemble, under the title " En la mar ay una torre." Today, this choir has 25 - 30 members of different ages. Its conductor Kostis Papazoglou, is an experienced and distinguished music teacher, soloist, and orchestras conductor, who has given concerts all over Greece as well as in Israel (Tel - Aviv), Skopia, Vienna, Salzburg, Bulgaria (Sofia), Russia (St. Petersburg), Egypt (Cairo at the inauguration of the rebuilt Ben Ezra Synagogue), Turkey (Istanbul in the Ashkenaz Synagogue on the occasion of Jewish Culture Week), and Hungary (in the Great Budapest Synagogue).

Instrumentation

Sephardic music, including pan-Sephardic music which may not necessarily be Judeo-Spanish, is primarily vocal. Instruments, when they are used, are played to accompany songs. The choice of Instruments used by Sephardim has generally reflected the instruments used in the host culture (Greek, Turkish, Moroccan, etc.) The instruments most commonly played are plucked lutes (fretless: oud, the Middle Eastern lute; and in Turkey fretted saz or sometimes mandolin or the cumbus), kanun or santur (plucked or hammered Middle Eastern zither), violin, and hand drums (frame and goblet).

Composers

From the Sephardic music roots has grown a large corpus of original new classical music. Notable among modern composers are

Yitzhak Yedid, combine classical genres with improvisation on Sephardic roots and Arabic music. Yedid's composition 'Oud Bass Piano Trio' is a good example of this.
Betty Olivero, who has taken traditional Jewish melodies. Her work "Serafim," for soprano, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, is a good example of this.
Tsippi Fleischer, who has composed vocal works that merge contemporary Western compositional techniques with the modal, quartertone scales of Arabic music.
Marina Toshich, Bosnian-born Israeli contemporary composer and oud player who uses Sephardi elements from her homeland Bosnia. She has also published Oud educational books in the USA (Mel Bay).
Rabbi Simon Benzaquen from the Judeo-Espanyol hip-hop band Los Serenos Sefarad, who has composed rap lyrics to update Old Romanzas.

The Founding Voices of Early Israel

Jo Amar (1930–2009): Immigrating from Morocco in 1956, Amar was the absolute pioneer of mainstream Mizrahi and Andalusian music in Israel. He was the first artist to introduce Moroccan-Jewish liturgical melodies and classical Andalusian phrasing to Israeli radio, paving the way for all future Middle Eastern genres in the country. His extensive, decades-long discography is indexed in English on Discogs - Jo Amar Profile.

Asher Mizrahi (1890–1967): A legendary singer, tenor, and poet born in Jerusalem during the Ottoman era, he split his life between Tunisia and the newly founded State of Israel. He is revered as one of the 20th century's greatest masters of the Jerusalem-Sephardic cantorial tradition (Piyoutim). A deeply detailed academic biography of his compositions is hosted by the Jewish Music Research Centre - Asher Mizrahi Biography.

Bracha Zefira (1910–1990): Born in Jerusalem to a Yemenite family, Zefira was a groundbreaking cultural catalyst in the 1930s and 1940s. She was the very first artist to collect and sing traditional Sephardic, Yemenite, and Persian folk melodies, introducing them to European classical composers in Israel to create an entirely new hybrid style. Her early shellac and vinyl recordings are analyzed on Sephardic Music: A Century of Recordings.

Isaac Levy (1919–1977): Born in Turkey and raised in Jerusalem, Levy was the single most important researcher and preservationist of Ladino music in early Israel. As the head of the Ladino department at Israel’s national radio station (Kol Yisrael), he dedicated his life to collecting orally transmitted romances from elderly Sephardic immigrants and transcribing them into songbooks. His foundational recordings and compilations are preserved on the Israel Music Ladino Archives.

Yehoram Gaon (Born 1939): Born in Jerusalem to a prominent Sephardic family with Turkish-Macedonian roots, Gaon became a massive Israeli pop icon. In 1969, he starred in the groundbreaking theater production Romancero Sephardi, which single-handedly brought Ladino folk music into mainstream Israeli culture. He later released a foundational album of traditional Ladino tracks. His music can be browsed on the AllMusic Yehoram Gaon Hub and specialized platforms like Sephardic Music History.

Yossi Banai (1932–2006): A legendary actor and singer from a highly respected Jerusalemite Sephardic family. While famous for his Hebrew chansons, he regularly integrated traditional Judeo-Spanish family tales and folklore into his stage plays, audiobooks, and musical releases. His legacy and recordings are cataloged at the Jewish Music Research Centre.

Rivka Raz (Born 1936): A prominent Israeli singer and actress of Sephardic descent who became a vital female voice in the early theater movements that revived Ladino romances. Alongside Yehoram Gaon, she starred in the influential Romancero Sephardi stage shows, popularizing tracks like Cuando El Rey Nimrod. Her early career works are preserved in the Israel Music Catalog.

The Parvarim (Formed 1960): This famous Israeli folk-singing duo (originally consisting of Nissim Menahem and Yossi Hurvitz) played an indispensable role in mainstreaming Ladino folklore. In the late 1960s and 1970s, they released highly influential albums containing acoustic Hebrew adaptations of classic Ladino love ballads, introducing the genre to a younger generation. Their historical recordings can be explored via the National Library of Israel Music Archive.

Artists of traditional Sephardic music

Mor Karbasi: Born in Jerusalem to a mother of Moroccan and Sephardic descent, she is one of the world's leading voices in the preservation of Ladino culture, blending ancient Jewish romances with acoustic flamenco. You can check her official news on the Mor Karbasi Official Website or listen to her performances directly on the Mor Karbasi YouTube Channel.

Yasmin Levy: A globally renowned ambassador of Sephardic musical heritage, she specializes in deep, emotional interpretations of medieval Judeo-Spanish songs passed down through generations. You can find her concert schedule and project announcements on the Yasmin Levy Official Facebook Page.

Yamma Ensemble: This acclaimed traditional acoustic group breathes new life into the centuries-old musical heritage of Sephardic, Yemenite, Turkish, and Babylonian Jewish communities, using ancient instruments like the oud, duduk, and darbuka. You can view their full discography on the Yamma Ensemble Website or watch their live folk performances on the Yamma Ensemble YouTube Hub.

Asaf Shefer: A prominent singer and Paytan (liturgical cantor) who specializes in Eastern Sephardic celebratory folk tracks and traditional Mediterranean wedding chants. His musical services are available on the Asaf Shefer French/English Site.

Yossi Azulay is a premier Israeli singer, producer, and vocal artist born in Jerusalem to parents of Moroccan-Jewish descent. He represents a powerful artistic bridge within our exploration of Sephardic music, known for combining ancient liturgical prayers with modern, cinematic production. Yossi Azulay Official Website.

Masters of North African Judeo-Arabic & Amazigh Heritage

Neta Elkayam: A celebrated multidisciplinary artist and vocalist who conducts deep archival research into 20th-century Moroccan-Jewish records. She sings primarily in Moroccan Arabic, honoring historical icons like Zohra Al Fassiya while incorporating traditional Chaabi and Amazigh folk elements. Explore her work on the Neta Elkayam Official Website

Lala Tamar: A singer-songwriter, poet, and guimbri player who tracks down orally transmitted ritual music from the Atlas Mountains. She made history by recording the first contemporary album sung entirely in Haketia and frequently collaborates with traditional Moroccan Gnawa musicians. Learn about her projects on The Official Lala Tamar Website.

Specialized Sephardic Archival Platforms