YASMIN LEVY, SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE

I am in love with this place, announced the quite stunning Israeli singer, as she amazed the Arts Centre audience with her Sephardic folk songs on love, desperation and hope.

She was, of course, referring to the Arts Centre and she proved to be a warm seductress of a singer, alluring and compassionate, in her intense desire to spread the word of Ladino music. As she introduced each song (every song is beautiful, she said), it didn't matter that she was singing in a relatively unknown language, her body and voice said it all.

Passionately explaining the history of the spiritually based Sephardic songs, following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in the 15th century, this mesmerising singer held the audience in the palm of her hand in a performance lasting just over 90 minutes. And the audience had a participating role with rhythmic clapping and even singing a solo chorus in Ladino, quite a feat.

This is a song for children, she crooned, or more politically, this is a song about peace for Israel and Palestine. Whatever her subject matter, her expressive singing said it all.

Apparently in Israel, Sephardic musicians are not keen on her fusion with flamenco, but it is their loss, as the Spanish influence added to the richness of the music.

Together with her accomplished group of musicians heralding from Armenia, Israel, England, Spain and France, Yasmin Levy left the Arts Centre on Saturday night having made quite an impression.

Anne Morris