Toronto-born Tamar Ilana is a Canadian Folk Music Award–nominated singer, flamenco dancer, improviser, and arts leader of Ashkenazi Jewish and Indigenous (Pasqua First Nation) heritage. The daughter of renowned ethnomusicologist Dr. Judith Cohen, Tamar grew up travelling through Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and the Balkans, learning traditional songs directly from elders and culture bearers. She sings in more than twenty languages and has immersed herself in a remarkable range of musical traditions, from performing Ukrainian winter carols (Koliada) for over a decade to playing Afro-Brazilian maracatu for over twenty years.
Known for her powerful voice and fearless artistry, Tamar blends Sephardic, flamenco, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Indigenous influences into a sound that is both deeply rooted and strikingly contemporary. She has released four acclaimed albums as the bandleader of Ventanas and has toured throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Colombia, and the Balkans. In 2020, Tamar co-founded FabCollab, where she serves as Executive and Artistic Director, championing BIPOC women and non-binary artists through innovative concerts, festivals, and cross-cultural collaborations that celebrate connection, curiosity, and cultural exchange.
Photo: Ori Dagan
