Womad

Mor Karbasi

Drop-dead immaculate Ladino singer

What a difference 12 months makes. Exactly a year ago and on these very pages, we were busy handling the introductions to a seriously stunning new singer. During the intervening months, that singer, Mor Karbasi, has been described by The Guardian as "one of the great young divas if the global music scene". No pressure there then! Not that you could ever accuse Mor of being the flustered type. Instead, singing primarily in the endangered Ladino language, she serenely performs 15th-century songs that date back to the time when Spain's Ladino-speaking Jewish population were forced overseas by the Inquisition. Mor renews these songs to striking effect, drawing from across the Jewish diaspora, as well as showing her keenness for the flamenco that adds a little fire to her otherwise controlled set. In the company of Joe Taylor (guitarist with indie rockers Blackbud), lately Mor has also released her debut record - the shockingly immaculate The Beauty And The Sea. To understand just why she's destined for higher things, we have to return to that gushing Guardian review: "Her voice is remarkable, mixing delicacy, power and control as she moves between rousing, hard-edged songs and the spine-tingling subtlety of quieter pieces." No further questions, m'lud...

Biog by Nige Tassell