Mor Karbasi burst onto the global world music scene in 2008 with the release of her first album, and has continued to capture audiences internationally with her truly exceptional voice. Her first album ‘Beauty and the Sea’ received rave reviews. She was immediately mentioned alongside such renowned singers as Mariza and Estrella Morente. 

 

But as Robin Denselow in The Guardian puts it “ Mor has her own individual approach and she sounds as dramatic as she looks, switching effortlessly from the songs that mix Flamenco with North African…to old Ladino songs. Her voice is remarkable as she mixes delicacy, power and control, as she moves between rousing harsh edged songs and spine tingling subtlety.”

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Mor Karbasi is the perfect artist for a TalkingGig – a stunning talent with a repertoire which reflects her own fascinating story, as well as the centuries old traditions of the Sephardic Jews and the influences of both Flamenco and Fado.  The gig will give you the chance to learn something about these different elements of her story as well as hearing a full set of her astonishing music. 

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Born in Jerusalem to a mother of Moroccan origins and a father of Persian ancestry, she feels very close to her Sephardic roots.  The Sephardic Jews were forced to leave Spain in the 15th century as a result of the unification of the two main Catholic kingdoms and the defeat and expulsion of the Moors.  The Jews that left Spain spread out into a far-reaching diaspora taking with them the Spanish language of the time, and continued to speak it in their closed communities.  Interspersed with some Hebrew and the various Mediterranean languages of the countries where they settled, this lead to the Judeo-Spanish tongue called Ladino.

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She says: “To me Ladino is the most beautiful, melodic and magical language I can imagine. I hope to bring its richness to many people. I feel it is my mission to convey the power of those 500 year old melodies and lyrics. Ladino is a language full of vitality – and as far as I’m concerned – It is a perfect vehicle to express every aspect of being a woman.”

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Mor has already performed in many countries: Italy, Great Britain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Morocco as well as the United States and South America, to great popular acclaim. This tour marks the release of her 4th album Ojos de Novia (Eyes of the Bride) and is one of only a handful of dates in the UK.