Diafrix are an Australian hip hop duo, Azmarino (Khaled Abdulwahab) and Momo (Mohammed Komba), which formed in 2001. Their music mixes

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The R ...

. At the

EG Awards of 2009 The EG Awards of 2009 are the fourth Annual The Age EG (Entertainment Guide) Awards and took place at the Prince of Wales on Friday 20 November 2009. Hall of Fame inductees Painters and Dockers *The Painters and Dockers formed in 1982 for a ...

, the won Best New Talent.

Biography

Azmarino (Khaled Abdulwahab) met Momo (Mohammed Komba) in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray in 2001 at a hip-hop clinic for school students held at a community art centre, hosted by

Joelistics Joelistics (born Joel Ma) is an Australian MC, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who is a member of the Melbourne-based Australian hip hop group TZU and a solo artist on the Elefant Traks music label. Early life Ma was raised in Sydney, Aus ...

from

TZU TZU (pronounced "Tee Zed Yoo") were an Australian hip hop group, formed in 1999 by Joelistics, Yeroc, Seed MC and Paso Bionic. They used instruments in live performances, giving their shows a rock-infused feeling. Duzy What joined in 2005. TZ ...

. Azmarino was born in

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...

and Momo was born in the

Comoros Islands The Comoro Islands or Comoros (Shikomori ''Komori''; ar, جزر القمر , ''Juzur al-qamar''; french: Les Comores) form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northwe ...

. Joelistics suggested the pair work together, so they formed Diafrix. Diafrix has opened for such acts as

Bliss n Eso Bliss n Eso (formerly known as Bliss n' Esoterikizm) are an Australian hip hop trio based in Sydney. They are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are managed and booked by label co-founders Adam Jankie and Matt Gud ...

, as well as international acts such as

Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewi ...

and

Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American record producer, DJ, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, music video director, rapper, and songwriter. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the alb ...

. Their song "Running It" was adopted as the official theme tune for the

Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...

for 2013. Their music has been referred to as "anthemic" for the multicultural area they grew up in. Specific influences on their music are diverse, ranging from

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements ...

to Fat Freddy’s Drop.

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

* ''The First Sample'' (2005) * ''Second Sample'' (2015)

Singles

* "Let's Go" (2009) * "Simple Man" featuring Daniel Merriweather (2011) –

Illusive Sounds Illusive Group is an Australian independent record label and management and touring company that represents acts including Bliss n Eso, Lowrider, Stonefield, Owl Eyes, Clubfeet, Diafrix, Lurch & Chief and Lila Gold. History Founded in 2003 by ...

Universal Music Australia Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd. (UMA) is the largest Australian music corporation. It is a division of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Australia's corporate headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia. Labels Universal Musi ...

(ILL048CD) AUS Hitseekers: No. 7 * "Running It" (2012) * "Easy Come, Easy Go" (2012) * "I'm a Dreamer" featuring

360 360 may refer to: * 360 (number) * 360 AD, a year * 360 BC, a year * 360 degrees, a circle Businesses and organizations * 360 Architecture, an American architectural design firm * Ngong Ping 360, a tourism project in Lantau Island, Hong Kong ...

(2012) – Illusive Sounds/Universal Music Australia (AU-LI0-12-84120) AUS Urban: No. 31 * "Radio" (2013) – Illusive Sounds/Universal Music Australia (AU-LI0-12-84150) AUS Urban: No. 13, AUS Hitseekers: No. 13 * "Rest Assured" (2013) * "The Sign" (2014)

Awards

EG Awards / Music Victoria Awards

The EG Awards (known as ''Music Victoria Awards'' since 2013) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006. , - ,

, Diafrix , Best New Talent , , -

References

{{authority control Australian hip hop groups