The Qadim Ensemble Preserves Ladino Music
The Qadim Ensemble invites listeners into the heart of the Sephardic musical tradition with Entre Las Huertas, a vibrant new collection of Ottoman Ladino songs led by vocalist and oud player Rachel Valfer and multi-instrumentalist Eliyahu Sills. Rooted in centuries of history yet full of present-day energy, the album honors the voices, stories, and musical language carried by Sephardic communities across generations.
Ladino emerged from the Spanish spoken by the Jewish people expelled from Andalucía in 1492. As Sephardic families established new lives throughout the Ottoman Empire, the language evolved alongside the cultures surrounding it. Music became one of its most enduring vessels, particularly through kantigas: secular songs passed down through the oral traditions of Sephardic women.
Many of these songs were preserved in homes rather than concert halls, carried through the voices of mothers, grandmothers, and children. They capture romance, longing, humor, heartbreak, family conflict, and the intimate dramas of everyday life. On Entre Las Huertas, The Qadim Ensemble approaches that repertoire with deep respect for its Eastern Mediterranean character, preserving the ornaments, rhythms, improvisation, and poetic intimacy that give the music its identity.
The album’s title track follows a man walking among gardens filled with jasmine when he discovers a beautiful young woman crying. Captivated by her beauty and the pearl-like tears in her eyes, he approaches her and asks who has caused her pain. It is a simple but evocative scene, unfolding through vivid imagery and an enduring curiosity about love and loss.
One of the collection’s best-known songs, “En La Mar,” also called “La Sirena,” tells the story of a maiden looking out from a tower in the middle of the sea and calling to passing sailors. Its imagery expresses a longing for love, freedom, and adventure. Rachel Valfer has sung the song since high school, but the ensemble gives it a distinct character through a playful, Andalusian-influenced arrangement featuring David McLean on flamenco guitar.
“La Komida” brings humor and familial tension into a driving Turkish dance rhythm in 7/8 time. In the song, a determined young woman argues that she is ready to marry, reminding her mother that she was the same age when she married. Her mother concedes the point but warns that the men of the present day cannot be trusted to stay. The exchange is centuries old, yet its sharp dialogue and generational conflict feel immediately recognizable.
Elsewhere, “Nani Nani” initially appears to be a tender lullaby before revealing a much more painful story. As a mother sings her baby to sleep, she wrestles with the betrayal of an unfaithful husband. “Cama de Miriam,” meanwhile, draws from the Judeo-Balkan tradition of protective household incantations, setting its words against a haunting traditional Macedonian melody.
The celebratory “Ranas, Concinas y Gallinas” moves through an energetic 9/8 dance rhythm while incorporating a tribute to Berta Aguado, one of the great interpreters of Turkish Ladino song. The medley combines lively party music with traditional lyrics about newlyweds impatiently awaiting the privacy of the bedroom, capturing the playfulness that runs throughout much of the repertoire.
The richness of Entre Las Huertas comes not only from its storytelling but also from the ensemble’s remarkable instrumentation. Valfer’s expressive lead vocals and oud are joined by Sills on ney, upright bass, bansuri, and flute. Dan Cantrell contributes accordion and piano, while renowned percussionist Faisal Zedan provides the album’s rhythmic foundation through instruments including darbukkah, riqq, daf, and bendir.
The ensemble is further joined by Ali Paris on qanun, David McLean on flamenco guitar, Nariman Assadi on Persian percussion, Morgan Nilsen on clarinet, Sean Tergis on tappan drum, and Shimshai on backing vocals. Together, the musicians create a sound that is detailed and expansive without losing the closeness of a traditional gathering.
That balance is central to the album’s purpose. As Ladino music reaches a wider international audience, The Qadim Ensemble hopes its original character will not be smoothed away by oversized production or Westernized performance styles. Instead, Entre Las Huertas foregrounds the traditional instruments, asymmetrical rhythms, vocal ornaments, and improvisatory spirit of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The result is an album that does more than preserve the past. Entre Las Huertas allows these songs to breathe, move, and speak to listeners in the present. Through outstanding musicianship and a genuine connection to the repertoire, The Qadim Ensemble offers a radiant tribute to the generations who carried Ladino music across borders—and ensures that their voices continue to be heard.