Piyut is a poem sung to God or about God. Piyut is also a prayer that expresses emotions in relationship to God, including praise, glory, joy, sorryow, anger, gratitude, lamentation, celebration, respect, fear, fury, loneliness, and longing. Piyutim are a crying out for connection with God.
Yasmin Levy (b. 1975) is a singer of Sephardic music born in Jerusalem. She has brought a new interpretation to the international Ladino song scene by returning to original instruments like the Persian oud, violin, cello, percussion, and piano.
Do NOT watch this video if you're depressed and alone. But if you can take it, and you don't mind crying over your computer screen, watch this YouTube video.
Aish Talmud (California), Anthology of Jewish Music (Vancouver), Arutz Sheva (Israel), Israeli Music Online (New Jersey), Israel Radion International (non-Hebrew), Jewish Internet TV (North Carolina)...
"In Turkey and Greece, as far back as the 16th century, groups of cantors and religious figures used to gather in the early morning, before prayer services, to sing devotional poetry in Hebrew. This gave rise to a distinct and complex form of music called maftirim, which only the most talented men could master.
These small gatherings were part of a broader musical exchange under the Ottoman empire: Muslim Sufi mystics would come to synagogue on the Sabbath to listen to the maftirim. And the Jewish maftirim singers would visit Sufi lodges for musical inspiration."