Diwon
Encyclopedia
Diwon is a Brooklyn
-based Orthodox Jewish
producer and DJ who performs all over the world. Under his legal name, Erez Safar, he serves as CEO of Shemspeed
, an American independent record label & promotional agency operating in conjunction with its sister label, Modular Moods.
mother, Safar was born May 2, 1979, in San Diego, California. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He spent parts of his youth in Tokyo, Japan
; Charleston, South Carolina
; Naples, Italy; and Skokie, Illinois
, before attending high school at Washington Ethical High School
in Washington, DC. He graduated from the University of Maryland
in 2003, and moved to Brooklyn
that same year.
Safar is married with one child.
In 2005, Safar launched the Sephardic Music Festival, an annual effort to bring Sephardic music
to a greater audience. The seven-day festival takes place annually in December around Hanukkah
at venues across New York
. Shemspeed released the 2010 compilation album Sephardic Music Festival, Vol. 1, featuring Middle Eastern-tinged tracks from a variety of acclaimed Jewish artists, including Matisyahu
, Pharaoh's Daughter
, DeScribe
and Moshav
.
In 2007, Safar was named to The Forward 50, an annual list of the world’s most influential Jews, as chosen by the editors of The Forward
. He was recognized for his work as DJ Handler, for heading Modular Moods, for founding and running the Sephardic Music Festival, and for that year’s formation of Shemspeed. That same year, in a cover story on DJ Handler, Safar’s alter ego at the time, The Jerusalem Post
called him “one of the top visionaries of young Jewish cool’s celebrated vanguard.” The Village Voice
has stated that “as producer and DJ [Safar] is among the most adventurous and banging on the new Jewish music scene.”
and Urdu
. "DJ Handler I started before I became a DJ, and I never felt like it was me — it never really fit," Safar said of the switch. "Making Yemenite music under the name ‘Handler’ sounded kind of absurd… and not in a good way."
Diwon has released a host of mix tapes, mashups
and remix
es, many of which have been made available as free downloads on his website. In 2009, Diwon teamed with Texas guitarist Dugans to form Dreams In Static. The duo released the instrumental LP Serene Poetic on February 2, 2010. The Forward
wrote that the album "occupies an otherworldly, post-rock, electro-instrumental universe."
Diwon is currently at work on his debut solo album, as well as producing Y-Love
’s upcoming album, This is Unity, set to hit shelves in early 2012.
, with modern electro hip-hop. His live sets include a diverse mix of singers and live musicians. He has performed with Lou Reed
, Anthony Coleman
, Matisyahu
, DJ Spooky
, and Idan Raichel
, among others.
Early on, Diwon was looking to "create something with a Jewish type of music which is either original drawing on traditional elements or new arrangements of older, traditional music.", but these days his music leans more toward dancehall, hip hop and pop.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
-based Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
producer and DJ who performs all over the world. Under his legal name, Erez Safar, he serves as CEO of Shemspeed
Shemspeed
Shemspeed is an American independent recording label & promotional agency, working primarily in the genres of hip hop, dancehall, pop and world music.-Company History:...
, an American independent record label & promotional agency operating in conjunction with its sister label, Modular Moods.
Personal life
The son of an American Jewish father and Yemenite JewishYemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
mother, Safar was born May 2, 1979, in San Diego, California. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He spent parts of his youth in Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
; Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
; Naples, Italy; and Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
, before attending high school at Washington Ethical High School
Nora School
The Nora School is a small college preparatory high school in Silver Spring, Maryland. The school currently enrolls 60 students in grades 9-12, and employs 12 teachers...
in Washington, DC. He graduated from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 2003, and moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
that same year.
Safar is married with one child.
Early Career
Safar’s career in music began in 2001. That year, he formed Modular Moods, an independent record label, and began performing under the moniker DJ Handler, spinning a blend of hip hop, Afro beat and Arabic music in venues across the United States. Also that year, as a sophomore at the University of Maryland, Safar founded Juez, a breakbeat klezmer jazz quartet in which he played drums, along with schoolmates Matthew Wetstein (trumpet), Gilad Suberri (saxophone) and Yoshie Fruchter (bass). In 2004, Juez released their lone album, Shemspeed Alt Schule, on Modular Moods. The band officially disbanded in 2007.In 2005, Safar launched the Sephardic Music Festival, an annual effort to bring Sephardic music
Sephardic music
There are three types of Sephardic songs—topical and entertainment songs, romance songs and spiritual or ceremonial songs. Lyrics can be in several languages, including Hebrew for religious songs, and Ladino....
to a greater audience. The seven-day festival takes place annually in December around Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
at venues across New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Shemspeed released the 2010 compilation album Sephardic Music Festival, Vol. 1, featuring Middle Eastern-tinged tracks from a variety of acclaimed Jewish artists, including Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, Pharaoh's Daughter
Pharaoh's Daughter
Pharaoh's Daughter is a world music band from New York City. Their music is a mix of American folk, Jewish klezmer, and Middle Eastern sounds.The bandleader is Basya Schechter...
, DeScribe
DeScribe
Shneur Hasofer , better known by his stage name DeScribe , is a Hasidic Jewish musician. His music combines elements of dancehall, reggae, hip hop and R&B...
and Moshav
Moshav Band
The Moshav Band is now simply known as "Moshav."The Israel-born Moshav Band grew up on Moshav Mevo Modiim, a musical village located in the hills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Their home, founded by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, was and continues to be the birthplace of many Jewish songs...
.
In 2007, Safar was named to The Forward 50, an annual list of the world’s most influential Jews, as chosen by the editors of The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
. He was recognized for his work as DJ Handler, for heading Modular Moods, for founding and running the Sephardic Music Festival, and for that year’s formation of Shemspeed. That same year, in a cover story on DJ Handler, Safar’s alter ego at the time, The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
called him “one of the top visionaries of young Jewish cool’s celebrated vanguard.” The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
has stated that “as producer and DJ [Safar] is among the most adventurous and banging on the new Jewish music scene.”
Introduction of Diwon
2008 saw Safar shed the DJ Handler handle in favor of Diwon, a name that would usher in a more Middle Eastern sound to his beats, signifying a return to his Yemenite roots. Diwon has meaning as a book of songs in PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. "DJ Handler I started before I became a DJ, and I never felt like it was me — it never really fit," Safar said of the switch. "Making Yemenite music under the name ‘Handler’ sounded kind of absurd… and not in a good way."
Diwon has released a host of mix tapes, mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es, many of which have been made available as free downloads on his website. In 2009, Diwon teamed with Texas guitarist Dugans to form Dreams In Static. The duo released the instrumental LP Serene Poetic on February 2, 2010. The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
wrote that the album "occupies an otherworldly, post-rock, electro-instrumental universe."
Diwon is currently at work on his debut solo album, as well as producing Y-Love
Y-Love
Yitz Jordan , better known by his stage name Y-Love, is a Brooklyn-based African-American Hasidic Jewish hip hop artist...
’s upcoming album, This is Unity, set to hit shelves in early 2012.
Artistic style
Diwon’s beats blend the musical traditions of his mother’s family, whose roots lie in YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, with modern electro hip-hop. His live sets include a diverse mix of singers and live musicians. He has performed with Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Anthony Coleman
Anthony Coleman
Anthony Coleman is an American musician. Coleman is a piano and keys player, trombonist and vocalist mainly working within the free improvised and avant-garde jazz scenes in downtown New York during the late 1970s through to the present day.His greatest impact was during the 80s and 90s when he...
, Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
, and Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel is an Israeli singer-songwriter and a musician, known for his Idan Raichel Project , distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, Middle Eastern and Ethiopian music. Prior to the Project, Raichel was a keyboardist, collaborating with artists such as Ivri Lider...
, among others.
Early on, Diwon was looking to "create something with a Jewish type of music which is either original drawing on traditional elements or new arrangements of older, traditional music.", but these days his music leans more toward dancehall, hip hop and pop.
Albums
- Juez - Shemspeed Alt Schule (2004) (as Erez, playing drums)
- Benyamin Brody, Diwon & Dugans - Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) (2009)
- Dreams In Static (Diwon and Dugans) - Serene Poetic (2010)
Producer
- Y-LoveY-LoveYitz Jordan , better known by his stage name Y-Love, is a Brooklyn-based African-American Hasidic Jewish hip hop artist...
- This Is Babylon (2008) (Executive Producer) - Y-Love & Yuri LaneYuri LaneYuri Lane is a beatboxer especially known for beatboxing through a harmonica. He has made a movie, Compulsory Breathing, in which he plays a beatboxer. He has also done some other acting, including in the movies The Principal, Farmer & Chase and Playing Mona Lisa...
- Count It (Sefira) (2009) - DeScribeDeScribeShneur Hasofer , better known by his stage name DeScribe , is a Hasidic Jewish musician. His music combines elements of dancehall, reggae, hip hop and R&B...
& Y-Love - The Change EP (2009) - Shemspeed MCs (DeScribe, Y-Love, Kosha Dillz & Eprhyme) vs. Electro Morocco - "Boom Selecta" (single) (2010)
- Y-Love - See Me - EP (2011)
- Lipa SchmeltzerLipa SchmeltzerElazar Lipa Schmeltzer is an American Hasidic singer and composer. He is a headliner within Hasidic and Haredi communities worldwide and has been called "the Jewish Elvis". Schmeltzer has released 10 solo albums as of 2011...
& DeScribe - "Acharon Acharon, Chaviv (Diwon Remix)" (single) (2011) - Y-Love & Tj Di Hitmaker featuring Andy MilonakisAndy MilonakisAndrew Michael "Andy" Milonakis is an American actor, writer, rapper, and comedian of Greek descent best known for creating and starring in The Andy Milonakis Show on MTV and MTV2.-Life and career:...
- "The Takeover" (single) (2011)
Mixtapes
- Rarities & Remixes
- The Beat Guide to Yiddish
- Sabra Sessions Volume 1
- I Heart Mixtape
- Psychadeliciwon
- Chulo