About Buenos
Buenos Klezmer debuted in 2019 at The Jazz Room, London, to sold out audiences.
The quartet met while playing for Shabbat Shira (a participatory musical Friday night song service to mark the start of the Jewish Sabbath at West London Synagogue). Being all of Jewish background, both Sephardi and Ashkenazi, they decided to form an ensemble to play specifically secular Jewish songs and Klezmer instrumental music. They perform Yiddish & Ladino songs and Klezmer, spanning the breadth of Jewish secular music.
ABOUT
Maya Levy
Singer, songwriter, actor, writer
Maya Levy was born in New York City. She is a professional singer, songwriter, actor and theatre deviser/writer, with a Bachelor of Music from the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio, (in piano and voice), a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre from Oberlin College as well as an MA from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Acting and Devised Theatre.
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Maya’s grandparents were Sephardi Jews from Bulgaria who spoke Ladino (Judeo Espagnol) at home. She grew up around Yiddish speakers in New York City and loves the traditions of both the Sephardi and Ashkenazi world.
Livia Frankish
Clarinettist, flautist, teacher
Livia Frankish is a clarinettist and educator who gained her Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under the tutelage of Michael Whight. Livia has performed with a number of orchestras and chamber groups but found her love of Klezmer whilst studying and discovering her identity, spirituality and connection with Judaism. She has since been performing with the band Buenos Klezmer and working full time as a music teacher in East London.
Eyal Pik
Guitarist, singer & songwriter
A multi-talented guitarist and singer-songwriter with an MA in commercial music production, Eyal was trained by and has worked with top artists and producers such as Jon Kelly (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush), Sister Bliss (Faithless), Aviv Geffen (Blackfield), ELK (Rita, Mosaic Project) and many more.
Being an active professional musician since the age of 14, he has played countless recording sessions, radio and television shows in many countries as well as numerous shows in top venues including the Royal Albert Hall (playing for members of the Royal family) and City Hall (for the Mayor of London), Camden Assembly, and Tel Aviv’s famous Barby Club.
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Mayda Narvey
Cellist & writer
After some years performing and touring with the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, Mayda Narvey relocated to the UK where she established Ismena Collective, a group of musicians and wordsmiths who create performances that integrate words with music.
She has composed and arranged for Ismena and performed with them in venues across London and beyond, including King’s Place, St. Martin in the Fields, The Forge Camden, and many others
Over the years she has enjoyed playing her cello in many contexts including solo and chamber recitals, spoken word events, cabarets in the West End of London, and of course, as the string member of Buenos Klezmer.
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“What a breath of artistic fresh air! I was completely bowled over by the standard of musicianship, the elegance of the programming and the relaxed joyously friendly atmosphere.” – Audience reviews, Ismena Collective
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The daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants to Canada, Mayda grew up in a Yiddish-speaking home.
