Djoyas de Mar

This album is not only musically interesting but is an inventive reimagining and bringing together of two traditions. At first glance rebetika and Judeo-Spanish songs may not seem to have much in common aside from each having origins in the eastern Mediterranean. However, both stem from an experience of expulsion and exile, both are eclectic in terms of musical influence, and both traditions have suffered from repression and exclusion; indeed, the communities of rebetes and Jewish musicians in Greece and Turkey have some famous examples of crossover, not least the great singer Roza Eskenazi. Here we have a selection of rebetika and traditional Judeo-Spanish songs from Anatolia, some of which would have been sung in the cafÉ aman. Arranged by pianist and composer Camille el Bacha, they retain much of their original character, especially through the voice of Greek-French singer DafnÉ Kritharas. Mention should be made of the subtle percussion playing of Naghib Shanbehzadeh, which supports and adds to the texture perfectly.