EMU Today

YPSILANTI - As part of the fifth year anniversary celebration for Jewish Studies at Eastern Michigan University, the EMU Center for Jewish Studies has invited Galeet Dardashti and her musical troupe, Divahn, to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.

Dardashti will offer a presentation/performance entitled, “Sacred Music Hits the Israeli Pop Charts: Money, Music and Mizrahiyut (ethnic identity)” at the Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center, located at 2935 Birch Hollow Drive, Ann Arbor, on Sunday April 2, at 7 pm.

Dardashti will also lead her all-female, Middle Eastern Jewish band, Divahn, in a concert at The Ark Monday, April 3, at 7:30 pm, at 316 S. Main Street, Ann Arbor.

“Divahn,” a word common to Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic, means a collection of songs or poetry. Divahn, originally from New York City, has gained a worldwide fan-base with its breath-taking performances of classic and original Sephardi/Mizrahi Jewish music including: eclectic Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin percussion; and vocals ranging from Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Persian, Arabic, and Aramaic.  

As one of the few groups performing Mizrahi and Judeo-Arabic music in the US, Divahn presents to its audiences the beauty of shared Jewish and Muslim culture. Divahn emphasises common ground between diverse Middle Eastern cultures and religions through its music.

Galeet Dardashti’s presentation at the JCC is free. Tickets for the concert at The Ark are: $50 Gold Circle, $36 Reserved, $18 General Admission, $10 Student (with valid student identification).

The presentation and concert are brought to the public through grants from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor and the Academic Engagement Network.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased in person at the University of Michigan Union Ticket Office, by phone at 734-763-8587, or at The Ark’s website.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.