Divahn's Middle Eastern/Sephardic grooves were home-grown in Austin, Texas. Today, this intrepid all-lady ensemble has engendered a national following, infusing traditional Jewish songs with sophisticated harmonies, entrancing improvisations, and funky arrangements.  Their riveting live shows include instruments such as tabla, cello, violin, didgeridoo, and doumbek, as well as glowing vocals spanning Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Persian, Arabic, and Aramaic.  Front - woman, lead singer, and anthropologist Galeet Dardashti, follows a family tradition of distinguished musicianship dating back to 19th-century Persia .

Attesting to the wide appeal of their music, Divahn is equally at home performing at clubs, concert halls, and synagogues. The group has appeared at several national music festivals including South by Southwest and Spoleto, and has performed live on several TV and radio shows including "Sound Check" in New York , "Folk Music and Beyond" in San Francisco and "Eklektikos" in Austin , TX . Divahn has also performed with some of the world's most renowned master musicians, including Glen Velez and Anindo Chatterjee.

Divahn, a word common to Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic, means a collection of songs or poetry. Through their music, the group underscores common ground shared between diverse Middle Eastern cultures and religions - capturing the breadth and diversity of Mizrahi and Sephardi music throughout the centuries, while simultaneously creating and redefining innovative directions for the music in the present.

Galeet Dardashti (vocals, guitar) pursues her artistic and academic passion for Mizrahi music as both accomplished singer and anthropologist. Galeet has performed as a soloist both in the US and Israel, and has served as a High Holiday Hazzan for the last five years. Galeet's grandfather Yona Dardashti was one of the most highly acclaimed singers of Persian classical music in Iran. Together with her father, Hazzan Farid Dardashti, and The Dardashti Family, Galeet performed international Jewish music throughout the US and Canada for 19 years. Galeet is currently writing her dissertation on contemporary Mizrahi and Arab music in Israel and offers interactive musical workshops and academic lectures on this topic. She recently returned from conducting her dissertation research in Israel, which was funded by fellowships from Fulbright-Hays, The National Foundation for Jewish Culture, and The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. During her fieldwork, Galeet studied and performed Arab and Persian music with some of Israel 's most renowned musicians, including Yair Dalal, Yitzchak Refuah, and Kobi HaGoel.

Lauren DeAlbert (doumbek, tabla, zills, riq, didgeridoo) has been playing percussion for 10 years. She attended the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, and has studied with some of the best percussionists in the world, including Swapan Chaudhuri, Zakir Hussain, Anindo Chatterjee, Glen Velez, and Ty Burhoe. Lauren traveled to the Middle East to study the art of the doumbek, and to Hawaii, to study tabla under Daniel Paul, one of the world's few tabla tarang players. On Maui, she learned the art of the Aboriginal didgeridoo, using the sounds of whales, dolphins, and birds as her inspiration. She has played and recorded with 1001 Nights Orchestra, Oliver Rajamani, The Gypsies, Teye & Viva Flamenco, Govinda, Anita Jung, Ojala - among others - in Austin, TX. Lauren is also in demand as a teacher of percussion, giving both private and group workshops.

Praised as "passionate and elegant" by the New York Times, Amy Sue Barston (cello) performed solo on stages all over the world, including Carnegie Hall, Haan Hall (Jerusalem), The Power House (Australia), and IMF (England). She recently toured the US and Australia, playing new and traditional music from South and Central America. She performed in twenty cities, receiving twenty consecutive standing ovations. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "The deep, rich tones of Barston's cello haunted the vocal line like a sorrowing vision." At seventeen she appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony on live television. The same year she won Grand Prize in the Society of American Musicians' Competition. Amy began playing cello when she was three. She studied at Juilliard, where she earned her Masters degree, and is now assistant faculty there. She is also a devoted teacher; students come from as far away as Alaska and Japan to have lessons with her. Amy's upcoming schedule includes solo performances.

Lila Sklar (violin) specializes in Balkan and Middle-Eastern styles though she has roots in Western classical and improvised musics as well. Lila began playing the violin at age four and studied for many years with Sherry Kloss, assistant to Jascha Heifetz. She has toured and performed extensively throughout the US , Japan, Europe, and the Middle East, playing with such groups as The Quarta Dolce Quartet, Gypsy Caravan, Sherefe, The Toids, and members of Cirque Du Soleil. Lila also participated in a nationwide tour playing Turkish Sufi music with vocalist Latif Bolat. She has performed in many venues and festivals, including The Bumpershoot Festival in Seattle, Britt Festivals, Artquake, The Carmel World Music Festival, The Great American Music Hall, Knitting Factory New York , Knitting Factory Los Angeles, and Yoshis Jazz Club. Lila lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and earns her living teaching, recording, touring, and performing with numerous bands including Divahn, The Toids, Za'atar, Rosin Coven, and 3Spell.

"In combining the old and new, drawing from across the globe, and mixing their respective musical gifts, Divahn have not only a fine debut on their hands, but a new musical statement - one of craft, originality, and spirit. four stars" - Austin Chronicle on Divahn's first CD

"Together they weave an energetic, full-of-heart, acoustically driven voyage through the history of Jewish music, earning them a standing-room-only crowd at this year's South by Southwest [international music festival]." - Austin Chronicle

"This intrepid all-lady ensemble has engendered a loyal following with their riveting live shows and stunning eponymous debut.  Not afraid to add didgeridoo to songs of the Jewish diaspora, the Austin quartet features glowing vocals, cello, percussion, guitar, and violin." - Austin Chronicle

A stunning debut! ... Darting, stabbing rhythms, throaty, urgent vocals and intricate and intelligent arrangements, this is a flat-out thrilling record." - The Jewish Week-5 Stars