The world’s first millennial Ladino singer-songwriter is coming to Manchester.
Nani Vazana has been playing the traditional music of her ancestral language for many years but recently felt a desire to do something no one has done for decades – write new music in Ladino.
Described by Vazana as the Spanish Yiddish, Ladino is an endangered language which has its roots in the Jewish communities of Medieval Spain and Portugal.
Now, Vazana is reconnecting with the language she remembers hearing in pockets of her childhood in the hope of protecting it.
Vazana said: “You have to be secure in your own identity to do anything with art.
“You have to reflect on where you came from.
“It feels like I’m finding my way back to my roots.”
As a matriarchal language, Ladino was developed by women who used it to trade everything from groceries to gossip.
And much of the music reflects this nature as it explores mother-daughter relationships and the longing and loneliness of love.
But the unique dialect is close to becoming extinct – a fate determined in the 20th Century as the use of the language was banned across much of Europe.
Even in Vazana’s household, Ladino was forbidden by her father.
Fortunately, Vazana had a mischievous grandmother who was eager to preserve tradition with the passage of information.
She said: “My grandmother was stubborn, in a good way, insisting on showing me things even though she wasn’t allowed – that kind of attitude comes from the tradition.
“I’m grateful that my grandmother inspired me to be tougher than I wanted to be.”
Vazana values the lessons of history but feels she must use the knowledge she gleans as she steps forward.
She said: “We can’t ignore the past when we look forward – it’s never separate, it’s always a part of you.
“It’s a catalyst for something that creates the future.”
Catch Nani Vazana on Sunday 27 October at Manchester Jewish Museum – grab your tickets here.
And if you want to support Vazana in getting a new trombone – check out more here.
Feature image credit: Nani Vazana
