Yasmin Levy

An internationally renowned story-teller, singer-songwriter and vocalist Yasmin Levy should really need no introduction. Over the course of six remarkable albums and countless world tours, her deep spiritual singing and passionate vocal delivery have made her that rarity, a true international star. "Tango," released at the end of 2014, is Levy’s sixth album in a remarkable career.

Levy's albums and tours have garnered great critical acclaim from some of the most prestigious music critics at The New York Times, USA Today and Boston Globe, as well as UK critics from The Sunday Times, The Times, The Independent and many others throughout the Continent and beyond.

Levy's touring activities have taken her to many parts of the globe. Her career has blossomed in Turkey, Greece and Poland in recent years, where she is a regular performer, as well as in her homeland, Israel. In addition to extensive European touring, Levy has also played extensively in North America and has also toured Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea and beyond.

Levy's prior disc releases include "Libertad" (2012), “Sentir” (2009), “Mano Suave” (2007), “La Juderia” (2005), and “Romance & Yasmin” (2004). Levy also published a book of songs in 2010. She is the winner of the International Songwriting Competition for her composition “Me Voy”, and has also won the Anna Lindh Award for cross-cultural collaboration. She has been nominated for numerous other awards including the BBC World Music Award as well as Holland’s Edison Award. Levy has also been the subject of an ARTE TV documentary entitled Music Mon Amour and appeared in the TV film My Sweet Canary.

In 2008 Levy was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Children of Peace, a UK-based charity fighting to alleviate the plight of all children caught up in the Middle East crisis.

She has featured on America’s Daytime TV programme, Holland’s acclaimed Vrije Geluiden television programme, Greece’s ERT, Europe’s ARTE tv, the UK’s Later with Jools Holland, as well as appearing on television and radio in countries as diverse as Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Sweden, Spain, Austria, and on the popular Turkish television programme Ibo Show.

Levy grew up in Jerusalem, which she describes as a true melting pot of peoples and cultures, listening to Turkish versions of Moroccan music, classical, chanson, jazz, Jewish and Muslim music, and church music. Her taste in singers gives some idea of the importance of passion in Levy's music: Pavarotti, Billie Holiday, Julio Iglesias, Piaf, Turkish and Greek music. Levy's father, Yitzhak Levy, was born in Turkey in 1919 and worked as both a composer and cantor. After the creation of the State of Israel, he was appointed head of the Ladino department at Israel's national radio station. His life's work was devoted to the collection and preservation of the songs of Sephardic Jews: these Ladino songs had been passed down orally from generation to generation over a period of 500 years.