Baladino at Foster City

Mediterranean folk band Baladino embraces rock and electronic influences to bring authentic interpretations of Jewish Sephardic and Ladino melodies into fresh dialogue with their trans-Mediterranean past. With stunning vocals, unexpected instrumentation, and pitch-perfect arrangements, this Israeli group melds sounds spanning in origin from Egypt to Armenia to Spain.

During Baladino’s live performances, songs often form a jumping-off point for instrumental improvisations driven by traditional Mediterranean grooves. These soulful explorations evoke the harmonies and timbres that often lived side by side with Ladino music in Israel, be they the mournful ripples of an Armenian duduk or the disciplined strains of Turkish and Arabic classical music. The results renew the energy of tried and true Ladino classics, while maintaining a keen sense of their spirit.