DUMA LEVANTINA: PESMI ŠPANSKIH ŽIDOV
(SONGS OD SPANISH JEWS)

Arrangements of traditional Sephardic songs performed by: Klarisa M. Jovanović (vocals), Veno Dolenc (vocals, acoustic guitar, brač), Zvonka Homan (tamburaško čelo, bisernica), Pavel Rakar (cello), Tomaž Rauch (clarinet, flutes) and Marjan Stanič (percussion). The scores for the cello were composed by Teo Bard. Sound engineer: Artour Azarkevitsch. Producers: Teo Bard and Klarisa M. Jovanović.

"... the instrumental accompaniment, featuring four guest musicians expertly intertwining with Dolenc's brač and guitar work, remains largely in the background leaving the limelight to Klarisa M. Jovanović, whose masterful and authentic vocal technique and flawless Spanish transports us into the fragile beauty of the medieval world, that for Duma Levantina never came to an end ..."

Mario Batelić, Vikend

"Klarisa M. Jovanović creates the basic intimacy of the performances and with an exceptional sensitivity for the content and vocal techniques that precisely suit the songs she interprets these joyous and mournful, passionate and merry commentaries on the everyday life of the Sephardic community ... Despite some lively Levantine rhythms this is not a CD of sumptuous resonance so much as an intimate musical confessional ..."

Jure Potokar, Razgledi

"DUMA LEVANTINA is the fruit of a homegrown creative enterprise, a project by the singer and interpreter of musical traditions Klarisa M. Jovanović ... Songs of Spanish Jews is an album featuring 12 superb performances of traditional songs; for its consistency of selection, its approach, and the quality of the performances it easily ranks alongside international offerings in this field ... This was undoubtedly helped by the excellent instrumental backing of the five member group, adding confident instrumental support to the refined vocal performance of these traditional songs..."

Zoran Pistotnik, Muska

"... With her reinterpretation of Jewish songs, Klarisa M. Jovanović has gone beyond the normal level of this kind of work, even in the wider sense. Her extremely cultivated voice is immediately apparent, faultlessly mastering a range of vocal techniques, enriched by a suggestive power that effortlessly moves the listener through a sensuous lyrical landscape. In addition, you can hear a metronomically precise vibrato, a clear sonorous and rich voice, melodies loaded with just the right level of emotion, and of course a superbly executed performance that confidently seeks to balance the simplicity of the folk expression and the creativity of the singer's vocal culture. In short, a fusion that has an inviting and intoxicating effect on the listener, as the vocal world of an ancient lyricism bursts before us in a noble and fragrant flowering, full of freshness and the optimism of youth ..."

Jožek Štucin, Dnevnik

"... This exceptional collection of performances of traditional Sephardic melodies effortlessly crosses the borders of time, country and culture. The crystal voice of Klarisa M. Jovanović, accompanied by guitar and the other guest musicians, fluently masters the compositions that unite medieval musical tradition, Spanish folk influences and an ethno-musicological blend, characterised by the musical heritage of the Sephardic Jews. The project follows a similar musical heritage direction to Santiago by the acclaimed Chieftains ..."

Feral Tribune

"... The tamburas and the individual wind and stringed instruments accompany the ascetic intonation of Klarisa M. Jovanović's vocals which, backed by Veno Dolenc's guitar work, reach the highest interpretative standards, on the Songs of Spanish Jews album, while fitting into a recognisable performance genre: songs based on medieval musical forms, largely performed by ensembles that cultivate the medieval musical vernacular."

Hrvoje Horvat, Vjesnik