SHIRA U'TFILA

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SHIRA U'TFILA (Serbia) Sephardic music from the Balkans

Founded by a vocalist and oud player - Stefan Sablic, the group Shira U'Tfila (song and prayer) takes its inspiration from the variety and richness of Ottoman-Turkish, Spanish, Arabic and Balkan musical traditions. This multicultural band which consists of, apart from Sablic, Indian tabla and percussion master - Akash Bhatt, German violinist - Filip Krumes, Serbian double bass player Srdian Djordjevic, as well as many other musicians appearing occasionally, specialises in performing Sephardic music revealing its diversity and beauty. Since its foundation, the group has been involved in many projects connected with liturgical music and paraliturgical forms. Yet they have decided to focus on Sephardic musical tradition of the Balkans in this way trying to save it from oblivion. The newest band's album contains songs in Ladino, Hebrew and even one in those two languages alternately with Turkish and Serbian. One can find here wedding, religious, and love songs as well as one lullaby. Musiacians: Stefan Sablic - founder, musician, arranger and composer of Shira u'tfila, which preserves and promotes the Sephardic musical heritage of the Balkans, Mediterranean and North Africa. As an acclaimed theatre director, Stefan has also directed numerous theatrical productions and participated in various international festivals and performances. He is the cantor of the Belgrade synagogue Filip Krumes developed his unique style and improvisational sense while playing with leading jazz and ethno musicians in Serbia and Belgium. He has been a member of the Balkan Music Club and Turn Around Band and presently plays with Belo Platno and Shira u'tfila. He has composed music for theater and film and is deeply involved with the repair and restoration of string instruments. Akash Bhatt - a qualified and experienced architect, is a percussionist born and raised in Ahmedabad, India. As a child, he trained for four years to play tabla in the Banaras Gharana tradition. Through performing with musicians and artists from various backgrounds, he has developed a language that is more contemporary and free than purely traditional. Since joining Shira u'tfila as a percussionist in 2004, Akash has added the intricacies of Middle Eastern music to his already wide repertoire. Srdjan Djordjevic - double bass player and member of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra Srdjan Djordjevic discovered a great passion and interest in Sephardic music when he recently started playing with Shira u'tfila. He previously performed jazz and toured through Europe with the bands Jazzfiction and the Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra. regular guest artists: Elad Gabbay - qanun Drita Tutunovic - vocal Dejan Zaric - riq, zarb Milena Miletin - guitar, vocal Vlada Savic - vocal, saz