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Sephardic songs accompanied life from beginning to end—love and courtship, pregnancy, childbirth, weddings, and mourning. They also marked the yearly cycle with songs rooted in Jewish traditions and historical events.
Ladino, originating from 15th-century  Spanish, was the language of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. As they dispersed across the Mediterranean, Ladino song absorbed local linguistic and musical influences.
There are two main dialects:
Ladino (Español) – Spoken in Turkey, Greece, Sarajevo, Bulgaria, Rhodes, and beyond.
Haketia – The dialect of northern Morocco.

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From Ventanas Altas de Saloniki, 2013. Spoken in first person by the bride to the groom, these are the wedding gifts the groom will give to the bride if he loves her.
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: NSA Yc 2326/21 Referenced and notated in: Judeo-Spanish Moroccan Songs for the Life Cycle, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1989 Susana Weich-Shahak This beautiful lullaby with Spanish roots, is unusual...
From Merendjenas, Orit Perlman, 2023 This beautiful lullaby with Spanish roots, is unusual since very few true lullabies exist in the Judeo-Sephardic repertoire since typically Romansero function as lullabies.
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y6128/1 Referenced and notated in: El ciclo de la vida, pg. 249, Editorial Alpuerto, 2013 Susana Weich-Shahak. In this song the mother of the bride asks forgiveness from the guests...
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: YCD2979/2 A humorous copla about animals acting like humans.
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: YCD2980/2 This songs announces that understanding the world can be explained immediately in thirty verses, in this version we have five focusing on the topic of love. Currently only the...
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5812c/2 Referenced and notated in: En Buen Siman, Panorama del repertoorio Musical Sefardi, pg. 137, Pardes Publishing House, 2006 One of the few songs in Ladino composed during the Holocost....
From Ventanas Altas de Saloniki, 2013. One of the few Ladino songs composed during the Holocaust, this text was written by David Haim, a survivor who created the poem while working in the crematorium at...
From Merendjenas, Orit Perlman, 2023 This special copla is from Rhodes. This version describes seven ways to prepare eggplants: Elena’s grandmother chops them before serving, while the wife of the shamash makes dolma by filling...
From Arboleras - De las altas mares, Ecos Sefardies de la isle de Rodas, cd1, 2009 This special copla is from Rhodes. This version describes seven ways to prepare eggplants: Elena’s grandmother chops them before...
From Arboleras - De las altas mares, Ecos Sefardies de la isle de Rodas, cd 2, 2009
From Arboleras - De las altas mares, Ecos Sefardies de la isle de Rodas, 2009 Lyrics: -  Sube arriba, pastor lindo,    comerás de los mis bienes Comerás y beberás    y harás  todo lo que tú...
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5982a/35 Referenced and notated in: El ciclo de la vida, pg. 157, Editorial Alpuerto, 2013 Susana Weich-Shahak. A singsong performed by the Sephardic children in Turkey on the last day...
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y2994/21     Lyrics:    - Tardates, escolero,    d'arodear las viñas d'adónde me la trujistes    a esta blanca niña?                           Tardates, escolero,    d'arodear la plaza de dónde me la trujites    a esta blanca dama?...