DeLeon is an indie rock band from New York that plays Sephardic folk songs in a modern context.
The band is named for 12th century Kabalistic philosopher Moses de León and the great-grandfather of front man Daniel Saks, Giorgio DeLeon.
DeLeon has toured with Os Mutantes,[2] Gogol Bordello, Ozomatli, Mike Gordon and Balkan Beat Box.
[3] Saks (vocals, guitar, banjo), along with band mates Kevin Snider (bass), Justin Riddle (drums), Amy Crawford (keyboard, melodica, glockenspiel) and Andrew Oom (trumpet, synth), wrote the songs that combine ancient Sephardic melodies sung in Ladino, Hebrew and English with modern rock, using guitars, horns and drums.
A second version of the band was assembled in Mexico City consisting of Dan Saks and as Mexico City natives Marina de Ita and Cynthia Martinez of Polka Madre, Rodrigo Barbosa of Paté de Fuá and Los Dorados, Fausto Palma of Petra and Strictly Personal and Dante Pimentel .