Yasmin Levy is of Sephardic descent from the city of İzmir, Turkey. Her late father, Yitzhak (Isaac) Levy (1919–1977), was a composer and hazzan (cantor), as well as a pioneer researcher into the long and rich history of the Ladino music and culture of Spanish Jewry and its diaspora, being the editor of the Ladino language magazine Aki Yerushalayim.
With her distinctive and emotive style, Yasmin has brought a new interpretation to the medieval Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) song by incorporating more "modern" sounds of Andalusian flamenco and Persian music, as well as combining instruments like the darbuka, oud, violin, cello, and piano.
Her debut album was Romance & Yasmin in 2000, which earned her a nomination as "Best Newcomer" for the fRoots / BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards 2005, followed in 2005 with her second album La Judería (Spanish: The Jewish Quarter). In 2006, she was nominated again, then in the category "Culture Crossing".
On her second album, La Judería, she also covered the popular songs "Gracias a la Vida" by Violeta Parra and "Nací en Alamó" from the film Vengo, directed by Tony Gatlif, which in its original version won the 2001 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (itself being a cover of "The Song of the Gypsies" (Greek: "Το Τραγούδι των Γύφτων"), written by Greek songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis in 1990).
Yasmin's work earned her the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Award for promoting cross-cultural dialogue between musicians from three cultures. In her own words:
I am proud to combine the two cultures of Ladino and flamenco, while mixing in Middle Eastern influences. I am embarking on a 500 years old musical journey, taking Ladino to Andalusia and mixing it with flamenco, the style that still bears the musical memories of the old Moorish and Jewish-Spanish world with the sound of the Arab world. In a way it is a ‘musical reconciliation’ of history.
Yasmin is a goodwill ambassador for the charity Children of Peace.
La alegria
Yasmin Levy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo duermo y duermo y duermo para no pensar
Maldito mundo
Vivir para pagar por el pecado de amarte
Maldita tú
Suéltame
Te digo que vida no tengo
Las noches igual que los días
De soledad
Oh Dios mío
Ayúdame para matar este amor
Que está en mi corazón
Bendito Dios
Sálvame
Solo caminando en el camino de este mundo
Y no tengo más fuerza para luchar
Yo pensaba que amarte fue el remedio del dolor
Pero el dolor se hizo grande más y más
Te dejo para siempre, vida mía, no te olvides
Que soy hombre que existe para ti
Y el cante de mi vida te regalo para siempre
Hasta que llegue el día del morir
In Yasmin Levy's song "La Alegría," the lyrics describe the agony of a broken heart and the pain of constantly drinking and sleeping to forget the one who caused the heartbreak. The singer curses the world and confesses that she feels as though she has no life left to live, all because of the person who hurt her. She begs God to help her kill the love that is still in her heart and cries out for salvation. The song speaks to the intense emotions that come with heartbreak and the desperation to move on from a relationship that has been lost.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are filled with religious imagery, including references to God and references to sin. The singer is clearly struggling with guilt and confusion, feeling as though the pain she is experiencing is punishment for loving someone who didn't love her back. The religious imagery suggests that she is also questioning her faith and whether or not she deserves to be redeemed. Overall, "La Alegría" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the search for hope in times of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo bebo y bebo y bebo para olvidarte
I drink and drink and drink to forget about you
Yo duermo y duermo y duermo para no pensar
I sleep and sleep and sleep to avoid thinking
Maldito mundo
Cursed world
Vivir para pagar por el pecado de amarte
To live and pay for the sin of loving you
Maldita tú
Cursed you
Suéltame
Let me go
Te digo que vida no tengo
I tell you that I have no life
Y es por tu culpa
And it's your fault
Las noches igual que los días
Nights are the same as days
De soledad
Of loneliness
Oh Dios mío
Oh my God
Ayúdame para matar este amor
Help me to kill this love
Que está en mi corazón
That's in my heart
Bendito Dios
Blessed God
Sálvame
Save me
Solo caminando en el camino de este mundo
Walking alone on this world's path
Y no tengo más fuerza para luchar
And I have no more strength to fight
Yo pensaba que amarte fue el remedio del dolor
I thought loving you was the cure for the pain
Pero el dolor se hizo grande más y más
But the pain grew bigger and bigger
Te dejo para siempre, vida mía, no te olvides
I leave you forever, my love, don't forget it
Que soy hombre que existe para ti
That I am a man who exists for you
Y el cante de mi vida te regalo para siempre
And the song of my life I give to you forever
Hasta que llegue el día del morir
Until the day of death arrives
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jgsgamer2010oficial
Yo bebo y bebo y bebo para olvidarte
Yo duermo y duermo y duermo para no pensar
Maldito mundo
Vivir para pagar por el pecado de amarte
Maldita tu
Sueltame
Te digo que vida no tengo
Y es por tu culpa
Las noches igual que los días
De soledad
Oh Dio mio
Ayúdame para matar este amor
Que está en mi corazón
Bendito Dio sálvame
Solo caminando en el camino de este mundo
Y no tengo más fuerza para luchar
Pensaba que amarte fue el remedio del dolor
Pero el dolor se hizo grande más y más
Te dejo para siempre vida mia no te olvides
Que soy hombre que existe para ti
Y el cante de mi vida te regalo para siempre
Hasta que llegue el día del morir
@apolloniasakae4551
I drink and drink and drink in order to forget you
I sleep and sleep and sleep so that I don't think of you
Damn world
To live to pay for the sin of loving you
Damn you
Let go of me
I'm telling you, I have no life
And it's all because of you
My nights are just like my days
Full of loneliness
Oh, My God
Help me kill this love
That's in my heart
You, Holy God, save me
Alone, walking on the roads of this world
I have no more strength to fight
I thought loving you was the cure of pain
But the pain grew bigger and bigger
I'm leaving you for good, my life, but don't ever forget
That I'm a man who existed in your life
I'll offer you the song of my life, forever
Until the day I'll die
@Michael-hv2cj
Happiness - Yasmin Levy
I drink and drink and drink in order to forget you
I sleep and sleep and sleep so that I don't think of you
Damn world
To live to pay for the sin of loving you
Damn you
Let go of me
I'm telling you, I have no life
And it's all because of you
My nights are just like my days
Full of loneliness
Oh, My God
Help me kill this love
That's in my heart
You, Holy God, save me
Alone, walking on the roads of this world
I have no more strength to fight
I thought loving you was the cure of pain
But the pain grew bigger and bigger
I'm leaving you for good, my life, but don't ever forget
That I'm a woman who existed in your life
I'll offer you the song of my life, forever
Until the day I'll die
@worldsideconnection4834
Amo esa canción..te deseo toda la Alegria del mundo Cacica..desde mi corazón 💘💓💖💞💕
@ncedolwethubuswana6570
The South African version of this song sent me to this artist and to say the least my expectations were more than fulfilled 😢❤❤❤❤
@gulserakkun2910
Muhteşem ❤
Acı ve mutluluğu aynı zamanda yaşadığımı hatırlatan başka bir müzik yok...
@user-sh2nt9wc1y
tabiiki
@kanadaliefekizi
Büyüleyici bir müzik
@berivansertkal3469
Öylee ayy denir mi ya ciğer kalmadı
@sudeunver202
A powerful voice full of emotion that makes one's heart skip a beat... perfect
@skyejacques
Since I lost all my music on my SD card, forgot about this beautiful voice until randomly came across it in a video on Instagram.... I need my playlists back!!! Xxx
@withluna3251
I don't understand what she's saying but music has no language ❤I'm in love with this masterpiece
@leechilds5254
I cannot think of a beautiful comment to leave Yasmin's voice is sent straight to earth from heaven.