Yasmin Levy Biography

Yasmin Levy: “I am happy in sadness” Many know her as a performer of Sephardic songs on Ladino. It is amazing that they know not only in Israel, but also in Iran, Turkey, Syria. And even in Russia. At a concert at the Moscow International House of Music, a very grateful audience gathered, who met familiar compositions with applause and asked the singer with flowers.

On the eve of the performance, Yasmin admitted Jewish. About music - let me start with a question that may seem tactless to you. But still, I was at your two concerts, and in both cases it seemed to me that you were much higher. Now you are in front of me - so small and fragile. Scene effect? Firstly, there I'm in heels. Secondly, I am generally on stage, on the elevation.

But in fact, I am completely different on stage, I seem to have wings growing, this is a very specific state. I really live only on stage. Even now, sitting in front of you, I'm not quite what I really are. So the artist is arranged: in his life there is something where no one has access. Neither the son, nor mom, nor a loved one can get there. For me, this is a state when there is only me, my music and Gd.

I am a very vulnerable person and live, in general, in a protective bubble. Even if I am in society, I still hide. But when I sing, no one can hurt me. My voice is my shield, my protection. Because I am my voice. I was often asked this question, and I took up funny songs. But as soon as I took them, I immediately turned them into sad ones. And I left these attempts.

I just realized that I was like - in sadness I am much more comfortable. I am a happy person, but in my heart there is a lot of sadness. And sadness for me is happiness and blessing from Gd. When I am happy, I can’t compose anything. I write only when I am sad. Have you decided to leave this topic? At first, in my repertoire there were only songs on Ladino, but now I have changed a lot.

I am another person, another singer. I began to write my own songs, they are in Spanish. And now my concerts are a mix of songs on Ladino, which I also sing very in my own way, and from my own songs. The audience is used to considering me a performer of songs on Ladino. And I am very proud of it. But I do not want to stay only in this niche. I write music, I write songs. And I want people to accept me like that - the author of their own songs.

Many artists perform only traditional compositions, and they are well done, this is great. But I came to the fact that I want to express myself and through my songs too. And the more they appeared, the more I understood that now I want to deal with them first. About languages ​​- why do you write your songs not in Hebrew, but in Spanish? And for me there is no romance and magic in this language.

But not because they are not in Hebrew at all. This is exclusively my perception, because I speak in Hebrew every day - in a supermarket and on the phone with friends. Therefore, an Hebrew for me is a functional language, and not the language of poetry on which I would like to sing. Perhaps it’s easier for me to write and sing in Spanish, because I can hide. And people, listening to my songs, can touch the most remote corners of my soul.

Apparently, the Spanish language protects me to some extent. Because if it were Hebrew, I would be too open and defenseless. People would have learned too much about me, and I really open in music. Probably, to hide, it is more comfortable for me to sing in Spanish or Ladino. To write on it, you need to own it very well. But I really feel him, he became part of me. About Spain - many Jews, getting to Spain, feel a special connection with this country, even dream of moving there, as if returning to their homeland.

Jews lived in Spain for many centuries, they always loved this country. And I also love her, my ancestors lived there. However, I feel a closer connection with Turkey, because after expelling from Spain, my ancestors left there. And they lived there years until they moved to Israel, to Jerusalem. Although, of course, when I come to Spain, I feel a lot of my own in it.

And this is strange, because my relatives left this country in the year. But there is something that is still very close to me. My father grew up in Jerusalem, but in his area everything resembles Spain. The Jews brought with them from Spain and architecture, and some special Spanish flavor. So Spain is something like a spiritual homeland for me. But "how at home" I still do not feel there.

I just traveled around Spain, through Andalusia, where a lot of Jews lived before expulsion.

And there are traces of Jews everywhere, but there are no Jews themselves. I thought a lot about it and decided not to wear anger in myself and, do not give Gd, not to feel the desire to take revenge. I have many friends in Spain, I really love the Spaniards and this country. But when I think about the story, which I read a lot about, it becomes very sad, because what happened is terrible.You know, in Madrid there is a huge monument to Queen Isabella, whom the Spaniards are very revered, which they are very proud of - for them she is a powerful historical figure, a strong woman, a leader.

And for me, Isabella is the queen who killed, burned and expelled my people. About Ladino-your concert in Moscow, held eight years ago, was for me the first acquaintance with Ladino, with the musical creativity of Jewish-sefards. Until that moment, I did not know anything about this language or how this music sounded. And now you seem to leave Ladino. But this is sad, it means that many do not find out about this culture.

This is a very good question. I will never leave the song in Ladino. This is my soul, this is the most beautiful thing in my life. But I feel that I have to make a trip that will take a lot of years, and then I will return to Ladino. When I get older. I do not leave Ladino, I still include Sephardic songs in all my concerts. Because, with all my modesty, I understand that I am something like an ambassador of Ladino in the world.

But I have to go on this journey to gain new experience, make mistakes, but continue to inspire and delight my listeners. But I will hardly begin to do it. Often people ask me to sing in Turkish, on Farsi, in English, because it seems to them that I will sound good in their language. But it seems to me, if I do not live in language, this is not necessary. Otherwise, it will look like a parody.

Because the language can not simply be simulated. To sing in the tongue, they need to live, it must be understood and feel. Therefore, unfortunately, so far I am not ready to sing in any other language except Ladino and Spanish. About Arabic-when I was at your concert in Tel Aviv this spring, I was surprised that there were several Arab couples in the hall, and religious, in traditional Muslim outfits.

It struck me. I would even say that almost the majority of my audience make up Muslims. I am listened to in Iran and Turkey, Listen to Israeli Arabs.