Sami Levi is a Turkish singer known as the soloist of the Sephardic band, which brings Sephardic music together with popular music. He is known as one of the names that brought traditional melodies in the Ladino language to large audiences.
He was born on April 13, 1981, in Istanbul, to a Jewish family. He was introduced to music at the age of five, in kindergarten; In primary school, his teacher noticed the talent in his voice and encouraged his family in this direction. He learned Sephardic songs in the Ladino language, which is less spoken among Turkish Jews, by listening to them from his grandparents in his childhood. He graduated from Gรถztepe High School in 1998.
Sephardic group and beyond
The friendship he established with Cem Stamati in 1996 led him to the Sephardic group formed in the same year. The trio, with Levi on vocals, Stamati on bass guitar, and Ceki Benลuลe on guitar, interpreted Sephardic melodies with contemporary pop arrangements and sang both Ladino and Turkish songs. The band's first album was released on December 22, 2003, and its second album was released on July 14, 2005; The second album remained at the top of the charts for a long time and showed that ethnic music could find a response in popular culture.
The group disbanded after Levi turned to solo work. In addition to music, Levi has also appeared in television programs; He competed in a dance competition and joined the cast of the Survivor competition in 2019.
Sami Levi contributed to the recognition of the Sephardic musical heritage with his interpretations of Ladino songs that brought them to today's listeners.
