WELCOME

Raphael was born in Khartoum, Sudan, to parents of Sephardic origin, who were also Zionists. When Raphael was at an early age, the family decided to immigrate to Palestine/Israel. Raphael, completed his elementary and high school education, he attended simultaneously a Talmud Torah, which was under the auspices of Rishon Lezion, Rabbi Hayim Uziel. There he studied liturgical music under the auspices of the well-known Hazan, and composer, and Choir Master Nissan Cohen Melamed. Mr. Melamed was a foremost composer of many modern Sephardic melodies that combined both Western and Eastern style music. Some of his compositions are currently being sang by the Kol Sephardic Choir. Raphael, joined the choir led by Nissan Cohen Melamed, and performed in a number of Synagogues, in Tel Aviv where Mr. Melamed was the Hazan (Cantor). After completing his high school education, Raphael, volunteered to serve in the Jewish Settlement Police for a year, after which he left for the US to study Aeronautical Engineering. He worked as an aeronautical engineer for various well know companies, and on the most advance aircrafts built by the US. After the six-day war, he was approached by Israel Aircraft Company to come and help build the first Israeli fighter plane the Kfir. Raphael quit his job with Lockheed, and went to Israel with his family for three years. Upon his return, he joined Rockwell International Space Division (now Boeing), where he worked on the Space Shuttle program for 22 years. In 1990, Raphael felt that there was a need to boost the attendance in the Sephardic Hebrew Center Synagogue, where he was a member, and where attendance was dwindling. He approached the then newly hired Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-Blueth, about forming a choir. Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-Blueth was very enthusiastic and receptive to the idea. Shortly thereafter the Sephardic Hebrew Center Choir was formed. Twice a month the choir performed, and during the Friday nights service that the choir performed, the attendance increased extensively. Because of the politics that took place in the Synagogue, Raphael decided to leave the Synagogue Choir and form the independent KOL SEPHARDIC CHOIR. At first the group was only on the West side but later formed another group in the Valley. The Valley group meets on Tuesdays and the West side Group on Thursday. Every six or eight weeks or on special occasions the two groups meet to rehearse together. Raphael was fortunate to learn some of the Romanceros from his parents, and in particular his mother. Every day when he came home from school, he would hear from distance away his mother singing the Romanceros while cooking for a family of nine. These beautiful songs, never left him even when he was working as an aeronautical and later as a Space Engineer. The first chance he had to fulfill his dream he formed a Sephardic Choir with the objective of reviving this beautiful music among the Sephardim in Los Angeles, and to disseminate that culture to the Ashkenazic community as well as to the general community. That is the present goal of Kol Sephardic Choir.

He was born in Amsterdam to Sephardic parents, and grew up there until the age of 5. He received his education in Harlem, Holland, where he started his music learning and career at the age of 5, when he learned to play the accordion, violin, and piano and gradually to other instruments such as: guitar, flute, cello, and vibraphone. As if that was not enough, he got to play every Sunday morning the organ in the local Church. At the age of 6, he made his first public appearance. At the age of 16, he already had his own dance band Orchestra, but was stopped abruptly when World War II broke out in Europe, and Holland was occupied by the Germans. Daud and his family were lucky enough to be able to hide in a chicken coup. He used his time in hiding to teach himself to read music, which enabled him to write several compositions. In 1948 he married Belina his deceased wife, after she survived the concentration camp. She was a strong woman, but a sweetheart of a person. Also of Sephardic parents who lived in Holland. It was Michael Pereira’s grandfather who married Daud and Belina in Amsterdam, Holland. We remember tonight Belina, because she too was a member of Kol Sephardic Choir. May Her Memory Be Blessed. After the war, which Daud and his family survived, he formed a 37-piece orchestra. He toured all over Europe with his Orchestra. In 1950 he expanded his activities in music by forming a jazz combo that played for American troops and for the American Network. Until 1956 he toured with his combo and orchestra, and had many appearances on radio and later television. He wrote many arrangements for his orchestra, as well as for American artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and other contemporary American stars, that appeared with his jazz combo. In 1956 Belina and Daud immigrated to the USA. After vacationing six weeks in New York they proceeded to Los Angeles, California, where they settled. Shortly thereafter, he formed a dance music orchestra, and taught private lesson and continued to write new compositions. In 1994 shortly after Kol Sephardic Choir was formed, he and Belina joined the choir. Being part of the choir, he did not only accompany us with his flute, he is the person responsible for writing most of the arrangements of the Romanceros that we sing in our repertoire. Daud had another career as well. He worked for Hughes Aircraft, and Packard Bell as a Mechanical Design Engineer. At Hughes he also became involved in the design and development of Electronic Laser components.

AVLI is a Music Producer, Songwriter and Composer. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, he started studying music at the age of 6with Sharon Farber who is a music composer for the film industry. At the age of 13 he trained with the orchestra leader and conductor Sarah Feigin, and later continued his education at the “Rimon School of Jazz and contemporary music” with a dual major of MP&E (music production and engineering) and film scoring. Avli’s productions range from dramatic, action-adventure, oriental and Arabic music to modern, electronic rock and pop. He specializes in the use of synthesizers, midi programming, and audio processing. By the age of 25 AVLI produced over 40 live concerts and over 30 records, including two for Israeli artists who were award winners in 2003 and 2006. At the age of 27, he moved to Los Angeles and started working with young talents in “artist’s development. “In addition, he currently works with several choirs, among them the Kol Sephardic Choir where he holds the position of Music Director and Conductor. Because of his multiple talents in the fields of music and recording, AVLI made a dream come true by producing the first CD in Ladino of the Kol Sephardic Choir and Ensemble. Awards: Through the years AVLI received many awards for his musical work, too many to enumerate here. For more details, visit his website atwww.avlimusic.com

Inna was born in Odessa, USSR, today Ukraine, where she attended public schools and music schools. She later transferred to the Music College in Chisinau (Kishinev), Moldova. After graduation, Inna was employed at the Odessa State University as a piano accompanist. Upon arriving to the United States in 1990, Inna worked for various ballet companies while at the same time teaching in music schools as well as privately. She was invited to play at many national ballet festivals in Washington D.C., Texas, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. She was also a guest accompanist with Matthew Bourne’s production company, Adventures in Motion Pictures, and with the International Summer Program of the Susan Robinson School of Ballet, both of England, as well as with the Universal Ballet of South Korea. Currently she is working with many well-known individuals from the world of ballet, such as Marat Daukaev of the Kirov Ballet, Yvonne Mounsey of the New York City Ballet, Roberto Almaguer of the Cuban Ballet and the Los Angeles Ballet. These professionals are associated with well-established Ballet Schools like the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica, the Marat Daukaev school of Ballet in Los Angeles and the Peninsula School of Performing Arts in Palos Verdes, California. Inna continued her music studies in the US with concert pianist Kirill Giadkorsky of USC. She tried her hand at composing music for the video, “California Shores: A Quiet Journey for the Soul.” Inna has been the accompanist for the Kol Sephardic Choir for the past 20 years. She quickly and almost magically mastered the flow of the Spanish/Oriental musical nuances of our Sephardic repertoire.

Hubert Pralitz studied the art of violin playing with Stefan Herman, Jean Fournier, Henryk Szeryng, Zino Francescatti,Sбndor Vйgh, Gйrard Poulet, Herman Kienzl, Szymsia Bajour and Diane Kitzman. He attended the StanislawMoniuszko Music School of Sopot (Poland), the Fryderyk Chopin Music College in Wrzeszcz (Poland), theNational Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris (France), the Academy of Music and Performing Arts“Mozarteum,” Salzburg (Austria) and the Southern Methodist University, Dallas (Texas, USA) Hubert Pralitzperformed extensively throughout Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. Besides the wonderful music he plays, Hubert is a great photographer with a deep appreciation for the visual arts.We are fortunate to have Hubert as an active member of the Kol Sephardic Choir and Ensemble.

Jaime is experienced in the Middle Eastern and Far Eastern, African and Eastern Europeanstyles of percussion. He studied under the master drummers Souhail Kaspar and Mehrdad Arabifard.Since 1995 Jamie has played oriental drums and percussion with multi- ethnic orchestras and chamberensembles as well as in his own “Ensemble of Eastern Fusion Jam,” blending ancient and contemporary sounds. ​ With a number of recording credits to his name, he is sought after for his uniquely sensitivestyle and sound as well as for his passion for music. He joined the Kol Sephardic Choirand Ensemble severals years ago.

Originally from Honduras, Fredy Schiftan is an outstanding classical and Flamenco guitar player whohas received rave reviews for his inspiring performances. He is the winner of the prestigious Kinor David(The Violin of David) Award in Israel. He comes to Kol Sephardic Choir with a rich heritage of Flamencomusic upon to which he added Middle Eastern musical influences from his years of living in Israel.

A Los Angeles native, Elizabeth Ipiña has been dancing since she can remember. Her training began with ballet, jazz and modern, which she studied at a young age, along with artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. As a teen, Elizabeth achieved the honor of becoming a three-time member of the U.S. National Rhythmic Gymnastics team, and represented the United States in several international competitions including two World Championships, and the Goodwill Games. During this time, she trained, performed and competed in Japan, Taiwan, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Russia, Hungary, Monaco, and Germany. She participated in the first Olympic Trials for Rhythmic Gymnastics in 1984, and later went on to coach and choreograph for other national level gymnasts. As a college student at UCLA, Elizabeth majored in World Arts and Cultures with a Dance concentration. There she explored dance styles from other cultures including India, Africa, and Brazil. She also spent a summer in Cuba studying Afro-Cuban folkloric and social dance. Upon return, she became a member of Umbalaye, an Afro-Cuban music and dance group that performed in parades and festivals in and around the Los Angeles area. Although she had always been drawn to the soulful movement of flamenco, it was until a year abroad studying in Spain that Elizabeth fell in love with the art form. She began her studies in 2010 with Celina Zambon, and soon became a member of the CZ Flamenco Dance Company. As a member of this company, she performed in both festivals and theaters, including the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara as part of the original production of Flamenco Loves Tango, as well as Los Angeles del Flamenco at the Morgan Wixson in Santa Monica. Over the years she has studied and collaborated with a variety of flamenco dancers and musicians such as Briseyda Zarate, Katerina Tomás, Linda Vega, Kai Narezco, Gerardo Morales, and Alexandra Rozo. Being a part of Pasión Flamenca de Los Angeles brings Elizabeth great joy, vitality, and a place to express her inner spirit. She most enjoys dancing with mantón (the shawl) because it gives her a sense of having the wings of a dove. A mother of two, and a full time teacher of 20 years, Elizabeth brings a variety of life experience and style to her dance, and is grateful for the opportunity to share the joy of movement with those around her.

Born in the city of São Paulo in Brazil, Raquel has been performing on stage since age 6 and has over 20 years of dance training. Raquel has performed among hundreds of choreographies, classical ballet and modern pieces like: Gisele, Corsario, Paquitas, Rapsodia in Blue, Bolero de Ravel, Ariedacnirb and Impact, being the two last mentioned pieces choreographed by Armando Aurich, a São Paulo Municipal Theater Dancer. After many years of ballet, jazz and modern training in Brazil and the U.S.A. (Regional Center for the Arts in Connecticut), she was introduced to flamenco by one of the top Brazilian flamenco artists at the time, Maestro Paulo Santos with whom she performed several choreographies as part of the Paulo Santos Flamenco Dance Company. Still in Brazil, she had the honor to share the stage with flamenco master Fabio Rodrigues in an Alegrias duo choreographed by Rafaela Carrasco from Spain and rehearsed and thought by Paulo Santos. The passion for flamenco had stayed with Raquel, and in the U.S.A. she was able to study the art form at Fazils and Ballet Hispanico in New York City. In Los Angeles, she received additional training from Briseyda Zarate, Katerina Tomas, Celina Zambon, Richard Chavez, and Alexandra Rozo. She was chosen to be part of the CZ Flamenco Dance Company, directed by the flamenco master Celina Zambon. Raquel’s work with the company included the opera Flamenco Loves Tango performed at Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, Andalucia and Los Angeles Del Flamenco, both performed at Morgan Wixon Theatre in Santa Monica, in June 0f 2010. Raquel is currently training with Maestra Briseyda Zarate in Los Angeles and teaching contemporary flamenco to adult beginners and children in Los Angeles and Agoura Hills. The proud mother of her daughter Lara, with whom she also performs flamenco occasionally, is grateful for the opportunity to embrace dance, friendship and passion through Pasion Flamenca de Los Angeles and other given life opportunities.

A multitalented dancer, cardio dance instructor and comedienne who has appeared in multiple music videos, short films, news segments and on live stages across the country. She has tickled audiences at the famous “Comedy Store” in Hollywood, co-starred in a comedy film short for “Def Comedy Jam” on HBO, performed Flamenco with the CZ Flamenco Dance Company for the production of “Flamenco Loves Tango” in Santa Barbara, achieved first place as the Top L.A. Female Salsa Dancer in 2011, and more recently performed as a principal Flamenco dancer in a music video for pop singer, Anjeza. She was one of several instructors chosen to demonstrate a cardio dance Plyojam, hot, edgy Los Angeles-based dance fitness format created by Jason Layden, on the KTLA and KTTV morning news segments. Originating from the state of Maryland, Kelly began ballet and tap lessons at age 4. After moving to Los Angeles at age 10, she continued formal dance lessons while honing her skills as an equestrienne in Jumping, Dressage and Polo after her father purchased her first horse, a former racehorse that was a chestnut, Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mix. Due to her parents commitment to her evolvement through education, the arts and learning new crafts, she was active in tennis, ice skating, piano playing, and writing. Although she was mesmerized by Flamenco earlier in her life, she was inspired to begin training in that genre after attending performances of the “Riverdance” show, which featured a segment with a Flamenco dancer. Kelly began her flamenco training in 2002 with Carolyn Berger (director of “Ritmo Flamenco”,) and she continued her training with Celina Zambon in 2006, where she met Raquel and Elizabeth. Celina asked her to join the CZ Flamenco Dance Company that performed all over Southern California for several years. In addition, she received additional training from Briseyda Zarate, Katerina Tomas, Cihtli Ocampo, Richard Chavez, and Alexandra Rozo. While honing her flamenco skills on stage , Kelly also received intensive training in Salsa (primarily with Champion Charlene Rose), and minor training in Belly Dance (including zills and doumbek drumming), Irish Dance, American Ballroom, Brazilian Samba, and West Coast Swing. She competed and won first, second, and third places in various competitions for East Coast Swing, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, and Salsa. Her most notable was first place in the Top L.A. Female Salsa Solo Dancer competition in 2011. Kelly currently teaches Salsa, Bachata and Flamenco at the historic 3rd Street Dance in West Hollywood. She teaches at the L.A. Bachata Festivals held twice-a-year, and she has performed Cabaret-style dance for two years at the Townhouse & Del Monte in Venice, California, that merged her comedic and dance skills. In addition to performing and teaching salsa and flamenco on a regular basis throughout Southern California, Kelly is creating her unique one-woman show that will include comedy and dance that she aspires to debut in 2017.