Nani Vazana Revitalizes Endangered Ladino Language Through Modern Music
In November 2024, Amsterdam-based musician Nani Vazana achieved a significant milestone by winning the top prize at the prestigious Liet International competition in Corsica. This event, often described as the Eurovision for minority languages, celebrated Vazana's performance of Una Segunda Piel (A Second Skin), a song written and sung entirely in Ladino.
A Language Rooted in Family and Heritage
Ladino is an endangered language that Vazana first encountered through songs sung by her Moroccan grandmother during her childhood. Dating back to the 15th century when Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain, Ladino is a rich linguistic blend of Castilian Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Turkish, French, and Balkan languages. Traditionally passed down matrilineally from mothers to daughters, it holds deep cultural significance.
Vazana's connection to Ladino is deeply personal yet complicated by family dynamics. Her parents, of Sephardic Jewish ancestry, were born in Morocco but moved to Israel when they were young. Her father, seeking assimilation, forbade her from speaking Ladino while growing up, limiting her use of the language to private moments with her grandmother. This prohibition extended into her adult life, with her father refusing to attend her Ladino performances.
A Bittersweet Victory and Emotional Reconciliation
Vazana's triumph at Liet International was overshadowed by personal tragedy. Hours before her performance, she learned of her father's death in Israel. Faced with this devastating news, she made the difficult decision to proceed with her performance, driven by the song's theme of the soul's passage to the afterlife.
During her emotional rendition of Una Segunda Piel, Vazana experienced a profound sense of connection with her father. "I felt like he came to be with me," she recalled in an interview from Los Angeles. "This was the first time I felt like he approved of me doing something in Ladino. It felt like the closing of a circle." This moment of reconciliation provided a brief respite from her grief, marking a significant turning point in her artistic journey.
Reviving a Fading Tradition Through Modern Composition
Today, Vazana performs almost exclusively in Ladino, dedicating her career to revitalizing this endangered language through contemporary music. Her approach has not been without controversy, as some Ladino academics and scholars question her modern interpretations. However, Vazana's work is grounded in authentic family traditions and emotional connections.
Her musical journey began with classical piano training in childhood, followed by playing trombone in an orchestra during her teenage years. Initially writing songs in English or Hebrew, her artistic direction shifted in 2016 when she was invited to perform at the Tangier Jazz Festival in Morocco. A subsequent visit to Fez, her grandmother's hometown, reignited her passion for Ladino and inspired her current musical path.
Vazana's performances, including an upcoming show at the Attic in Calgary on March 5, represent more than just entertainment. They serve as living preservation of a linguistic heritage that risks disappearing. Through her modern compositions, she breathes new life into Ladino, ensuring its melodies and meanings continue to resonate with contemporary audiences while honoring the matriarchal traditions that sustained it for centuries.
