Françoise Atlan

Born in France in 1964, Françoise Atlan started singing with a professor in 1985. Her Eastern Jewish roots led her to study Mediterranean music, and especially the Sephardic songs, traditionals from the Jewish communities which were in Spain before 1492 and the reconquista.

She won the Villa Medicis in 1998 and worked three years on the Arabo-Andalousian repertoire from Fes (Maroc). Since then, she has played in numerous countries and collaborated with various artists, include flamenco guitarist Juan Carmona and the Chemiranis Brothers. —Courtesy Calabash Music