28-year-old Yasmin Levy from Jerusalem is one of the leading Ladino singers of the moment. This role is tailor-made for her, because as a little girl she was raised amid the rich tradition of Ladino culture and singing: her father was the internationally renowned researcher and collector of the Ladino tradition and her mother a well-known singer. Yasmin combined both influences and focused on bringing the Ladino tradition to life. Some critics even see her as the savior of an endangered language. Be that as it may, it is certain that Yasmin Levy is making waves with her deep, intoxicating voice and her return to the original instruments such as the Arabic oud, violin, cello, percussion and piano. On her records, Levy even goes a step further by mixing Ladino with flamenco and influences from the Middle East. It rightly earned her a nomination for the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in 2005 in the 'best newcomer' category. A beautiful pearl waiting to be discovered!
