Marrakesh Express
Jewish Andalusian soul with Mediterranean groove
Marrakesh Express traces a living line from Andalusia to the Maghreb, reviving and reimagining the music of Moroccan Jewish composers and the wider Sephardic song tradition. The ensemble, established in 2012, performs in Ladino, Haketia, Arabic, and Hebrew, weaving sacred piyyutim, popular classics, and fresh arrangements into a contemporary acoustic sound. Concerts move between intricate rhythms and lyrical harmonies to create an intimate journey of shared memory, North African color, and Mediterranean warmth.
Discography: Marrakesh Express (2016) - a first journey through Andalusian and North African repertoire with original arrangements that spotlight Moroccan Jewish composers. “La Rosa de Sefarad” (2020) - a dedicated album of Sephardic and Moroccan-Jewish song in Ladino and Haketia, celebrating poets, melodies, and aesthetics from Fez, Tetouan, and Tangier to today’s Mediterranean stage.
Members:
Noa Ben Shoshan - vocalist and creator of ethnic music, fluent in French and Moroccan Arabic, singing in seven languages. From her debut album “A Piece of Quiet,” her French cover of “Mon unique à moi” became a radio favorite. Grew up with Andalusian and classical Arabic music alongside French chanson. Has collaborated with Glykeria, Ishay Levi, Javier Limón, and more.
Idan Toledano - multi-disciplinary musician, composer, and arranger with academic training in both Eastern and Western music (BA, University of Haifa & MA, Sapir Collage). Specialized in flamenco performance in Seville, Spain. Artistic director of the Jewish-Arab women’s Rana Choir and an active performer in Israel and abroad.
Ori Dekel - percussionist, pianist, and composer specializing in ethnic percussion and frame drums. Performed with leading artists including Shlomo Gronich, Yair Dalal, Eti Ankri, and Ofer Levi. Music educator in democratic education frameworks, ensemble facilitator, and graduate of Rimon School of Music and group facilitation studies at the Open University.