Constantinople, Françoise Atlan - Ay!! Amor... (2008)

Constantinople’s ninth album for ATMA Classique marks the return of French-Sephardic singer Françoise Atlan (who first appeared on the best-selling Terres Turquoise in 2004).

Françoise Atlan credits her Judeo-Berber roots for her passion for traditional music, especially from the Mediterranean region. In addition to exploring Turkish, Greek and Armenian singing styles with the group Aksak from 1990 to 1998, she has explored the Andalusian Arabic repertoire with Mahmoud Guettat and Toufik Bestandij and the Judeo-Arabic repertoire with Cheikh Zekri.

Constantinople draws its inspiration from the music of the Mediterranean, from Medieval and Renaissance Europe, and from Middle-Eastern musical traditions. Like its namesake city, the ensemble provides a forum for cross-fertilization of musical cultures.