Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Genre

:

Vocal

 

Flory Jagoda was a renowned classical music composer and singer who was born on August 23, 1923, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was born into a Sephardic Jewish family, and her parents were both musicians. Her father, Isaac Levi, was a cantor and composer, while her mother, Rosa, was a singer and pianist. Flory grew up in a musical household, and her parents taught her to sing and play the guitar from a young age. Flory's family was deeply rooted in the Sephardic Jewish tradition, and she grew up singing Ladino songs, which are traditional songs sung by Sephardic Jews. Ladino is a language that is a mixture of Hebrew, Spanish, and other languages, and it is spoken by Sephardic Jews all over the world. Flory's parents were both fluent in Ladino, and they passed on their knowledge of the language and the songs to Flory. In 1941, when Flory was 18 years old, World War II broke out, and her family was forced to flee their home in Sarajevo. They traveled to various cities in Yugoslavia, and Flory continued to sing and play the guitar wherever they went. In 1943, Flory's father was captured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp, where he died. Flory and her mother were able to escape to Italy, where they lived for several years before immigrating to the United States in 1949. In the United States, Flory settled in Washington, D.C., where she continued to sing and play the guitar. She became involved in the local Sephardic Jewish community and began to perform Ladino songs at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other events. In the 1960s, Flory began to compose her own music, drawing on the Sephardic Jewish tradition and her own experiences as a refugee and immigrant. Flory's music was deeply rooted in the Sephardic Jewish tradition, but it also incorporated elements of other musical styles, including jazz, blues, and classical music. Her songs were often sung in Ladino, but she also wrote songs in English and Spanish. Flory's music was known for its haunting melodies, intricate guitar work, and powerful lyrics, which often dealt with themes of love, loss, and resilience. One of Flory's most famous songs is "Ocho Kandelikas," which is a Hanukkah song that she wrote in the 1980s. The song has become a holiday classic and is sung by Sephardic Jews all over the world. Another one of Flory's famous songs is "Adio Kerida," which is a traditional Ladino song that she arranged and popularized in the United States. Flory's music was recognized and celebrated by the Sephardic Jewish community and the wider world of classical music. She received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. In 2014, she was inducted into the Sephardic Music Festival Hall of Fame. Flory continued to perform and compose music well into her 90s, and she remained an important figure in the Sephardic Jewish community until her death on January 28, 2021, at the age of 97. Her music continues to be performed and celebrated by musicians and audiences all over the world, and her legacy as a composer and singer of Ladino songs will live on for generations to come.

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