Yochai Barak (Saz/Baglama, Musical Director)
Yochai is the founder and creator of Diwan Saz.
Studying and traveling throughout Europe, Israel, Turkey and India, Yochai has learned from and performed with noted musicians like Ross Daly, Kelly Thoma, Kutla Khan and Mehmed Erenler. He is one of the leading Saz masters In the region and the Producer of the Saz festival .
Amir Shahsar (Nay and Persian Vocals)
Amir was born in Rashet, Iran .
He was born into a musical family.
Amir studied the classical flute called ney. In spite of his family's disapproval of him becoming a musician Amir went on to study traditional,classical Persian singing.
During the last 17 years he has played live and recorded with the best artists in the world. He has accompanied Omar Faruk, Ross Dally, Micaelis Nicoladis, Jivan Gasparyen and Yasmin Levy.
Tzipporah El-Rei (Vocalist)
Tzipporah studied several singing styles at the “Academy of Eastern Music”. Now focusing on Turkish singing of the Sufi-Baktashi stream.
Tzipporah sings several styles and languages: Hebrew Piyut, Ladino, Greek Rembetiko, and Traditional Turkish Music.
Udi Ben Knaan (Lira)
A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and musical explorer.
Udi was well-educated in Classical Western Music and Eastern Music, He began playing guitar at the age of 15 and was part of the legendary world music group, “Sheva.”
Udi studied the Varnasi Sitar Tradition in India with Govinda Go Swami. In Greece, he studied saz, lira, and Afghan Rabbab with Ross Daly.
His special love of Turkish and Greek Music is uniquely combined with his ability to fuse traditional and modern music together.
Rani Lorentz (Bass)
Rani grew up in a musical family and began performing as a bass player at the age of fifteen in his father’s band.
He spent a year in South Africa studying the music of the continent and recorded an album dedicated to African Music.
Rani toured the World with the Successful world music group “Sheva” and with Kamanche Master Mark Eliyahu.
Eyal Luman (Percussion, Qanun)
Eyal received his first musical inspiration from his grandfather who was a famous pianist in the Czech Republic. After starting his formal musical studies at the age of six , he began performing with local musicians as a jazz and rock drummer.
He began his journey into the world of Middle Eastern Music and Percussion and started playing the darbuka, daf, and rik. In 1998, he studied Indian Tabla and also studied for many years with the legendary percussionist Zohar Fresco.
In 2000, Eyal began his qanun studies with Munir Basharat and was a founding member of the world music ensemble, “Dahara.”