A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Article on Ladino Singer, Ladino

A while back I was discussing the ambiguous position of Yiddish in Israel. So it seems fair to also note this article in Ha'aretz about Yasmin Levy, an Israeli singer who sings in Ladino and is seeking to revive, or at least keep alive, that language. Ladino is the Sephardic analog to the role Yiddish played among the Ashkenazim: a Jewish form of Spanish that, after the expulsion of the Jews of the Iberian peninsula, became the lingua franca of Jews in countries such as Italy, Greece, the Balkans, and the non-Arabic speaking parts of the Ottoman Empire. (Various Judaeo-Arabics were more common in the Arab world.) The Wikipedia article here seems pretty comprehensive, though I'm no expert. It also includes sample texts for those who find languages fascinating, as I guess you've figured out by now I do.

4 comments:

R. Chatterjee said...

Hey Mr. Dunn,

I am Online editor of the German Middle East Magazine zenith and i'd like to bring to your attention to an interview we did with Yasemin Levy on her Ladino roots:

http://www.zenithonline.de/kultur/interview/?article=549&cHash=d6a5c96405

It's in German, but its worth reading, though, maybe through Google translator or you know somebody who speaks German.

Best Regards

Robert Chatterjee
zenith – Zeitschrift für den Orient
Managing Editor Online
www.zenithonline.de

LJ Marczak said...

How about a post on the incomparable Moshe Habusha? Or Yehiel Nahari? Or the great violinist Felix Mizrahi?

They're not only great talents but have impeccable taste in the music they play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R89wmRaioPM&feature=related

Michael Collins Dunn said...

Robert:

I passed a German competency test in college but haven't much used it since; maybe I'll give the article a look. LJ Marczak: as usual my readers are better at this than I so I'll let your recommendations speak for themselves.

LJ Marczak said...

Here goes, more of an appetizer ...

Mizrahi

(1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGZRV6bo8x4&feature=related

(2) Taqasim - A film about his return to his native city - Cairo.

http://reframecollection.org/films/film?Id=1205

(3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS3TObzFyXM&feature=related

Habucha

(1) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1118247.html

Habucha is known for occasionally employing the recitation style of tartil in religious services.

BTW I believe Almog Behar the author of this article is a self taught poet in the Arabic language.

Nahari

(1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5j-lWiyv-s&feature=related

(2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9-KvQh_Lkc&feature=related

At about 6 minutes into the above, he really displays his virtuosity - though the instrumental up to that point is quite good.

(3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7yNP7Dt69E&feature=related