Divahn

Anyone who thinks Jewish music equals klezmer needs to hear Divahn's nouveau Sephardic/Middle Eastern groove. The all-female quartet infuses traditional songs with creative sophistication and harmonies, using tabla, cello, rabel, and other acoustics, plus vocals in Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Persian and Aramaic.<p>The group made its debut one year ago and has made several radio appearances on KUT?s 'Eklektikos' in Austin, and has begun touring throughout the United States. David Lynch of the Austin Chronicle chose Divahn as the 'Best New Band of 2001.'<p>Galeet Dardashti, the group's leader, comes from a long line of distinguished singers. She is a classically trained vocalist and has performed international Jewish folk songs throughout the United States and Canada for the past fifteen years together with The Dardashti Family and as a soloist. Galeet has also served as a High Holiday hazzan for the past two years. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Anthropology at the University of Texas, where she studies Middle Eastern music and culture in Israel.<p>Lauren DeAlbert has performed and recorded throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, and Israel for the past ten years. She has studied tabla at the prestigious Ali Akbar College of Music and with some of the world's most renowned tabla masters, including Zakir Hussain, Swapan Chaudhuri and Ty Burhoe, and with master Turkish musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek. <p>Michal Raizen is a classically trained Israeli-born cellist. She is currently a music performance student at the University of Texas, where she studies with Professor Paul Olefsky. She has performed with numerous classical chamber groups and orchestras and at international festivals in Israel, Europe, and the US.<p>Emily Pinkerton earned a BA in Music, French and Spanish from Butler University in Indianapolis. She is currently a Master's candidate in Ethnomusicology at UT Austin, studying Latin American music. Her travels and diverse musical interests have given her the opportunity to perform a wide variety of music, including Andean, American folk, Old-Time country, and Brazilian. Besides fiddle, Emily plays piano, guitar, banjo and other string instruments.