East of the River, Nina Stern & Daphna Mor - Ija Mia: Soundscape of the Sephardic Diaspora (2024)

The spirited New York City-based ensemble East of the River debuts on AVIE with Ija Mia: Music of the Sephardic Diaspora.

Directed by the dynamic duo of internationally renowned "recorder virtuosos" (The New York Times) Daphna Mor (regular collaborator with Apollo's Fire) and Nina Stern, the album is inspired by love and commemoration of the musicians' collective cultural backgrounds - Nina's Venetian Jewish ancestry, and Daphna's Ladino heritage.

Spanning a vast range of Sephardic folk and traditional musics - stories and dances, prayers and anthems - Ija Mia is by turns haunting, soulful and exuberant. Daphna and Nina's cosmopolitan collaborators include an astonishing assortment of musicians including renowned Armenian-American oud player Ara Dinkjian, Silk Road percussionist Shane Shanahan, the phenomenal Israeli bassist Tal Mashiach, and Palestinian multi-instrumentalist Zafer Tawil on qanun, violin, and percussion.

Nina Stern, recorders
Daphna Mor, voice, recorders
Ara Dinkjian, oud, cümbüş
Tal Mashiach, bass
Shane Shanahan, percussion
Zafer Tawil, violin, qanun, percussion
John Hadfield, percussion (1, 12)

Tracklist
01. Ija Mia
02. Adio Kerida
03. Porke Yorach
04. Ein Keloheinu
05. Anzi dice la nuestra novia
06. Oud Taksim
07. Achot Ketana
08. Yigdal
09. Kürdi Taksim
10. Kürdi Peşrev
11. Shir Hashirim
12. Hicaz Sirto