The kick-off event, held at Le Poisson Rouge on December 20th, features an all-female line-up of performers: Persian Jewish performer Haale, Middle Eastern fusion artist Pharaoh's Daughter, and sultry Latin-Arabic music star Nuriya.

The next evening showcases talented Sephardic and Flamenco musicians and dancers at the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. December 22nd brings together L.A. based group of expatriate Israeli musicians — Moshav with rising hasidic pop sensation, DeScribe. The 22nd is also the worldwide CD Release of "Shalom Haters,” the newest record by Israeli hip-hop superstar and newest Shemspeed artist, Shi 360 which will be fully streamable at www.sephardicfest.com during the 8 days of Chanukah.

The Mega Event, co-produced by Sivan Hadari of ISRAMERICA, will be the highlight of the festival, importing an Israeli legend, Miki Gavrielov, to one of the hottest venues in New York. Hadari says that "the audience will get a chance to truly indulge in one of the greatest Israeli artists that established the Israeli music scene from the ground up. Miki Gavrielov's music is a fusion of creative elements that is drawn from his own Turkish background and incorporated with Israeli Rock, Bulgarian as well as Gypsy music. It's what makes his sound unique.” The concert will be followed by the infamous HEEBONISM party hosted by New York-based Heeb Magazine and Shemspeed Records. Touted as “one of the largest, glitziest, rowdiest and most untamed shindigs in the world,” by the Travel Channel, Heeb’s Xmas Eve “Heebonism” event is back thisyear with a World Music and Electronica spin.

The festival wraps up with Gerard Edery, Asefa and philly based Sephardic fusion group, Oudblues at the Sixth St. Synagogue on December 26th, followed by the debut of the Sephardic Story Slam featuring celebrity judge Vanessa Hidary aka The Hebrew Mamita and hosted by Comedy Central's Ophira Eisenberg on December 27th featuring stories presented by the Israeli-American artists of ISRAMERICA at The Triad Theatre.

The Sephardic Music Festival aims to increase understanding and appreciation of Sephardic culture, which has been given scant attention among popular perceptions of Judaism dominated by Ashkenazi images and symbols -- bagels, gefilte fish, and klezmer. Such references do not accurately reflect the totality of the Jewish experience.

The Sephardic Music Festival showcases the remarkable diversity that exists within the Jewish community. It presents a colorful tapestry of music and culture as rich, vibrant, and diverse as the Jewish world itself.

All times and venue information can be found at www.sephardicfest.com. The website features a tantalizing taste of the music on Sephardic Music Fest Radio and a sneak peak of the festival on the promo video.

* click here to see the event schedule


ABOUT THE SEPHARDIC MUSIC FESTIVAL COMPILATION VOL. 1:

The Sephardic Music Festival’s first compilation album is set for release on November 30. It is an eclectic mix of Sephardic folk songs, as well as electro, hip hop, and dance music inspired by traditional Sephardic tunes, themes, and beats. The compilation features artists from around the Jewish world. Grammy Nominated artist Matisyahu combines a suite of Middle Eastern inspired hip hop riffs with a time-honored Yemenite chorus sung by Yehuda Solomon. Yasmin Levy's impassioned song "Mi Korasón" (My Heart) emphasizes the underappreciated romantic side of the Ladino language. Moshav -- an L.A. based group of expatriate Israeli musicians -- contributes a powerful rendition of the Yemenite wedding song "Abba Shimon" in Judeo-Arabic. In addition, world renowned Sephardic performer Yair Dalal -- who appeared at the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize Gala in Oslo -- offers a memorable interpretation of the classic Shabbat song "Ya Ribon."  

Like the Sephardic Music Festival itself, this compilation offers a taste of the amazing depth and breadth of Mizrahi and Sephardi inspiration, culture, and creativity. Album tracks incorporate Jewish liturgical and ceremonial texts, Shabbat songs, and classic love poems, as well as original compositions inspired by traditional themes. The album presents a tapestry of harmonies, rhythms, and motifs as rich, vibrant, and diverse as the Jewish world itself.

more info at http://sephardicmusicfestival.com/cd


PAST PERFORMERS:
The SMF highlights a diverse range of performers which in the past have included, Yair Dalal, Hadag Nachash, members of Shotey Hanevua, Piamenta, Soulico, Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, DJ Shotnez of Balkan Beat Box, Michal Cohen, and Matisyahu to name a few.
(click here for past event schedules).


MORE ABOUT SMF:
The Sephardic Music Festival (SMF) aims to increase interest in and awareness of Sephardic cultures, including Mizrahi, Yemenite, and Ladino traditions. The festival showcases the latest Sephardic musical talents from all over the world. Artists at the forefront of the Sephardic music scene as well as artists inspired by Sephardic music, perform at numerous venues around New York City during the eight nights of Chanukah. The SMF highlights the diversity that exists within the Sephardic branch of Jewish culture and history by showcasing today's Sephardic musical talents in the United States. Part of the festival is the Sephardic Scholar Series which assembles a panel of ethnomusicologists and performers to discuss the roots of sounds being presented. Other Jewish music festivals have mostly been dominated by Ashkenazic (Eastern European) beats and melodies, whereas the SMF is the first to exclusively focus on Sephardic tunes and culture. The festival attracts a diverse audience of hipsters, professionals, and music lovers of all ages, denominations, and ethnicities. It also serves as a platform for the preservation and continuation of Sephardic heritage by promoting a variety of music styles, such as Ladino which is nearly extinct as a spoken language. The goal of the Sephardic Music Festival is to give people the opportunity to learn and enjoy this rich, sensual tradition that has the power to make hips shake and souls soar.


ABOUT SHEMSPEED:
Shemspeed is an independent recording label and artists' promotional agency devoted to world Jewish music. Shemspeed works with cross-over artists with strong positive and unifying messages.  Shemspeed promotes over 15 dynamic Jewish artists, representing a wide range of music genres including Hip-Hop, Reggae, and Rock. These artists include, but are not limited to, Y-Love (revolutionary Jewish Hip-Hop), Diwon (Yemenite / Sephardic Hip-Hop, Israeli Music, and more), DeScribe (Soul Awakening Hip-Hop, R & B, Soul), Electro Morocco (Israeli Rock, Dance Music), and Eprhyme (Kabbalistic Hip-Hop, Party Music).  Shemspeed is the brainchild of the Founder/Director Erez Safar, an American-Israeli DJ/Producer extraordinaire (his musical persona is Diwon).  His vision of an entrepreneurial venture devoted to Jewish music with a strong educational and social message has evolved into Shemspeed, a company becoming synonymous with unifying people through culture and education, celebrating diversity and common ground.