|
Israeli-Moroccan singer Smadar grew up listening to Arabic music. She came to New York to study theater, voice and movement , and lived bi-coastally between Los Angeles and New York, where she acted in theatre, films and commercials. In 2001 Smadar decided to shift her focus to music, following an encounter with Mr. Rashid Halihal, a tremendously talented singer and violinist from Morocco. Together they formed a trio that concentrated on Moroccan music, and began to perform in a variety of NY venues. Smadar's current repertoire has expanded to include several languages, including Arabic, Moroccan, Spanish, Ladino and Greek, and material that includes both original compositions and traditional songs. The full lineup of her current band includes accordion, Turkish clarinet, bass, drums, darbuka, and violin and the arrangements are embedded in Turkish and Middle Eastern idioms. Smadar debuted her new material in Israel this past summer, receiving accolades from all the major media outlets. For more about Smadar, please check out her website at www.smadarlevi.com, where you can find music, photos, press articles and a video clip of a live performance .
Smadar's band features Seido Salifoski on Darbukka, Harel Shachal on clarinet, Uri Sharlin on accordion, Hagar Ben-Ari on bass, Nili Ramzi Adlibi on percussion, and Megan Weeder on violin.
|
