Libertad (Freedom)

When I first heard her debut album, La Juderia, seven years ago, I was convinced that Yasmin Levy had the makings of a major international star. Here, after all, was a striking-looking Israeli singer with an intriguing mission: to revive Ladino, the now-endangered language that was spoken by Spanish Jews until their expulsion in the late 15th century, when their songs and culture were dispersed around the Mediterranean, from North Africa to Turkey. Since then, Levy has recorded a series of well-received albums, but hasn’t developed in quite the way you might have expected. Now comes a new set in which the musicianship is as excellent and intriguing as the production work by Ben Mandelson. The only problem comes with the lack of variety in Levy’s sometimes over-theatrical, pained and passionate vocal style.

Taken individually, many of the songs work well. The opening ‘La Ultima Cancion’ starts with light, rhythmic backing from double bass, percussion and impressive guitar from Yechiel Hasson, joined later by unexpected trumpet. The following track, ‘La Nave del Olivido’, introduces the 12-piece string section of The Strings Orchestra Istanbul, while further colouring and textures are provided by ney flute, piano, accordion and trombone. Many of the songs are pained love ballads, or deal with suffering and death – an emotional interpretation is of course to be expected. But Levy seems to have only one, declamatory style. It works well enough on Ladino traditional songs, and on her dramatic duet with Concha Buika, ‘Olvidate di Mi’. But this relentless approach is not enough to sustain a full album – especially when applied to the traditional wedding song ‘Skalerikas de Oro’. Maybe Levy should listen to Mariza – introducing the occasional relaxed or cheerful song would have certainly helped.