Flory Jagoda
Encyclopedia
Flory Jagoda is a Jewish American
and Bosnian
guitarist
, composer
and singer. She is known for her interpretation of Ladino
songs.
The Sephardic community of Sarajevo and its surrounding communities were nearly obliterated during World War II
. During the war Jagoda was interned on the island of Korčula on the Dalmatian Coast. Her family escaped to Italy where she met and soon married Harry Jagoda, then in the U.S. military after which she immigrated to the United States.
Jagoda's recording Kantikas Di Mi Nona (Songs of My Grandmother) consists of songs her grandmother, a Sephardic folksinger, taught her as a young girl. Following the release of her second recording, Memories of Sarajevo, she recorded La Nona Kanta (The Grandmother Sings), songs she herself wrote for her grandchildren.
Now in her 80’s Flory has stated that Arvoliko: The Little Tree, released in 2006, will be her final solo recording. The tree, located in Bosnia, is said to be the only marker of the mass grave of 42 massacred members of the Altaras family. She refers to her four recordings as representing the four musical stages of her life. In 2006 she also released a series of duets with Ramón Tasat, Kantikas de amor i vida: Sephardic Duets.
Ladino is in serious danger of extinction but it is experiencing a minor revival among Sephardic communities, especially in music. Jagoda is a leader in this revival.
In 2002 she received a Lifetime Honor by the National Heritage Fellowship
and the National Endowment for the Arts
for her efforts in passing on the tradition of Ladino music. In 2002, Ankica Petrovic produced a documentary film about Flory and her story. Despite being in her 80's, Flory Jagoda continues to teach, write, and perform concerts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and singer. She is known for her interpretation of Ladino
Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish , in Israel commonly referred to as Ladino, and known locally as Judezmo, Djudeo-Espanyol, Djudezmo, Djudeo-Kasteyano, Spaniolit and other names, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish...
songs.
Biography
Flory Jagoda arrived in America as a war bride in 1946. She grew up in the Bosnian village of Vlasenica and in Sarajevo. She grew up in the Sephardic tradition in the musical Altaras family.The Sephardic community of Sarajevo and its surrounding communities were nearly obliterated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war Jagoda was interned on the island of Korčula on the Dalmatian Coast. Her family escaped to Italy where she met and soon married Harry Jagoda, then in the U.S. military after which she immigrated to the United States.
Jagoda's recording Kantikas Di Mi Nona (Songs of My Grandmother) consists of songs her grandmother, a Sephardic folksinger, taught her as a young girl. Following the release of her second recording, Memories of Sarajevo, she recorded La Nona Kanta (The Grandmother Sings), songs she herself wrote for her grandchildren.
Now in her 80’s Flory has stated that Arvoliko: The Little Tree, released in 2006, will be her final solo recording. The tree, located in Bosnia, is said to be the only marker of the mass grave of 42 massacred members of the Altaras family. She refers to her four recordings as representing the four musical stages of her life. In 2006 she also released a series of duets with Ramón Tasat, Kantikas de amor i vida: Sephardic Duets.
Ladino is in serious danger of extinction but it is experiencing a minor revival among Sephardic communities, especially in music. Jagoda is a leader in this revival.
In 2002 she received a Lifetime Honor by the National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
for her efforts in passing on the tradition of Ladino music. In 2002, Ankica Petrovic produced a documentary film about Flory and her story. Despite being in her 80's, Flory Jagoda continues to teach, write, and perform concerts.
Albums
- Kantikas Di Mi Nona
- Memories of Sarajevo
- La Nona Kanta (1992)
- Arvoliko (2006)
- Kantikas de amor i vida: Sephardic Duets (2006) Duets with Ramón Tasat
Video
- The Key From Spain: The Songs and Stories of Flory Jagoda (2002) A documentary film by Ankica Petrovic