Ladino is a term used to describe both the language and the culture of Sephardic Jews. Ladino language uniquely fuses ancient Spanish and Hebrew. Ladino culture contains a rich collection of ancient folk songs representing a singular historical moment. For a few centuries prior to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, religious tolerance and cultural exchange flourished in Spain. As a result, Ladino music bridges Eastern and Western sounds, modern and ancient instruments, and secular and devotional texts.

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In 2021 I founded Convivencia (co-existence in Spanish) - a modern Ladino ensemble, featuring an international group of outstanding Boston-based folk performers. My aspiration with this group is to revive, celebrate, and expand the Ladino tradition.

 

Hailing from Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Iran, and the US, Convivencia's musicians weave a rich tapestry of diverse musical influences, representing the multi-cultural vision that is the heart of Ladino culture. 

 

Convivencia has been a recipient of grants from the Cambridge Cultural Council and Club Passim.

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Ira Klein & Convivencia are:

Ira Klein: Musical Director, Guitar (Israel)

Eleni Moniodi - Vocals (Greece)

Neil Leonard - Clarinet (U.S.)

Bahar Badieitabar - Oud (Iran)

Noam Tanzer - Bass (Israel)

George Lernis - Percussion (Cyprus)

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