Sefarad

Sefarad was a Turkish folk music band, founded in Turkey. The group consisted of Sami Levi, born in 1981 in Istanbul; Cem Stamati, born in 1981 in Istanbul; and Ceki Benşuşe, born in 1980 in Istanbul. The band's name derives from the historical term used by Jews to refer to Spain, reflecting their Sephardic heritage. Sefarad gained prominence with their self-titled debut album Sefarad, released in 2003, which topped the charts in 2004. Their music blended traditional Turkish instruments like the kanun and darbuka with Sephardic melodies, often sung in Ladino and Turkish. Notable songs include "Osman Ağa" and "Istanbul'dan Üsküdar'a Yol Gider". The band's second album, Sefarad II, was released in 2005, followed by Evvel Zaman in 2007.