Nani Noam Vazana: Ke Haber

‘Nani’ Noam Vazana is one of the few singer-songwriters in the world who composes new songs in the endangered Ladino language. This language is close to Spanish, and was spoken by the Jewish population of Spain in the fifteenth century. There are thought to be less than 60,000 speakers today. Nani offers a contemporary view on this piece of history, with lyrics about migration, gender, and the empowerment of women. Her new album Ke Haber sounds raw and magical, with soft and feverish trombones, flamenco guitars, and Arabic percussion.

Noam Vazana was born In Israel, and about fourteen years ago she moved to The Netherlands, where she established herself in Amsterdam. Her music does not sound traditional, but it reflects the times we live in, and rejuvenates an almost obsolete culture. Soft choral-like trombones embellish mariachi guitars and percussion, with glimpses of piano and cello tracks, make this record a magical realistic mosaic. Nani unveils a piece of history we don’t easily find in other mythology and anthropology.