Sasson is a musical ensemble based in the city of Seattle, Washington. All of its members grew up in this community, although we have each traveled around the world independently in pursuit of diverse experiences. Since forming the group in the fall of 2005, our sound has been slowly transforming into an original approach to an eclectic blend of musical influences that we sometimes term sambaklez. The underlying theme that precipitated the band was to form a Jewish music ensemble, drawing on the rich tradition of klezmer music from Eastern Europe and the mizrachi sounds of the Middle East. Yet this was not to be in isolation from our prior experiences which include years of study in the realms of jazz, folk music from America, Cuba, Brasil, and West Africa, and other contemporary idioms. As native Seattleites, we want the music to be accessible to all people, not just the Jewish community and not just old timers. As we compose our music we strive to tactfully integrate a variety of flavors from around the world into a form of music that illustrates the interconnectedness of people around the globe. In so doing, we create a work of art that shows people how diverse cultures can coexist in harmony. Every sound, each rhythm, brings something beautiful and unique into the world like no other. Our name Sasson incorporates this idea semantically by carrying a dual meaning — it can be translated as spice or flavor in Spanish and in Hebrew as an outpouring of joyfulness.