DBYB Fest Promotional Poster

The Don’t Block Your Blessings Festival

Out of loss and adversity emerges an uplifting global project and festival, led by Erez Safar (who produces under the name h2the), in honor of his late mother, “Frida Levona bat Shalom”.

“I lost my mom to cancer two months ago,” Safar shared, “and the pain was so intense, I knew I had to do something with it. My mom had an incredible light inside her and navigated the world with hope and positivity. I realized the best way to honor her memory would be to turn that pain and darkness I was feeling into a light that I could share with others. So I put together this project called ‘Don’t Block Your Blessings’ (DBYB), and I hope it can become a space for people to share wisdom for leading better, happier lives.”  

Safar comes off as warm, playful, and relaxed as he speaks with me over video chat, from his LA apartment. He tells me he looks at the DBYB platform as a form of “Cheat Codes To Happiness,” where people can trade stories as they navigate the ups and downs of life, and share how they have been able to bring more blessings into their lives via perspective, faith and gratitude. In addition to live-stream festivals (the next of which will take place this month), the project also lives on the site here, as well as an active discussion and healing space on the new and wildly popular mobile app, Clubhouse. 

Don’t Block Your Blessings (DBYB) first launched two months ago, with a one of a kind live-stream festival by the same name, featuring musicians, artists, and some of the most innovative minds in self-growth and healing. The DBYB Festival is hosted on an exclusive virtual platform, which boasts three interactive rooms and allows festival-goers to easily move from room to room, as then explore various talks, musical performances, and the creation of visual art, live in real-time.

This is not the first time Safar has wowed with his creative approach to online events. His first live-stream festival, Lo-Freq Fest, was featured in Billboard and shared around the globe. The debut DBYB festival featured over 40+ world-wide presenters with 25,774 viewers.

The next festival will be free to attend virtually and is set to take place on Valentine’s (Sunday, February 14th), between 6-9 pm PST.

The festival will feature contemporary artists, musicians, and teachers in the fields of self-growth and healing. Presenters include: 

Alicia Dunams

The founder of Bestseller in a Weekend, Dunams has helped more than 1500 leaders write books. She is also a leadership trainer, executive coach and certified peacemaker. She will be presenting in the healing room “The Slippery Slope vs. The Conscious Climb – Managing Our Unconscious Bias.”

Dr. Aparajita (AJ)

A social psychologist, a diversity and inclusion consultant, a certified life and executive coach, an author, a speaker, an immigrant, and a two-time traumatic brain injury survivor. She will be presenting in the healing room “Making Your Invisible Visible for Happiness.”

The Boom Bap Kids

Purveyors of funk and hip hop, founders Woes Martin, Silent John, and Mike Steel will be bringing their fabric puppetry and beats to the festival.

Shantala

Founders Benjy and Heather Wertheimer have been leading kirtan (sacred chanting) worldwide since 2001. They are known for their special gift of bringing audiences into a vast and loving experience through their unique blend of exquisite voices accompanied by instruments of India and the west. In 2020 alone, their music has garnered over 14 million streams.

Bomani X

The face of Clubhouse and the host of its #CottonClub, Bomani X is an artist in every sense of the word, a guitarist, singer songwriter, and a celebrity digital strategist who has worked with Jill Scott, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Wyclef, and more.

B Hill

A lifelong passionate artist and designer. Native to Harlem-New York City, Hill now exhibits and paints live, showcasing her nine-year figurative subject matter: “A Woman’s perspective.” In conjunction with her exhibitions, she directs an international art education foundation, “Art Education with B. Hill”, which brings art curriculum to underserved schools and communities. She will be joining the festival’s Live Art room. 

See below for the full list of presenters at the multi-room DBYB festival:

Featured Musicians:

Ada Pasternak, Adam Cola, Caitlin Jemma, Deborah Stokol, DJ Beatific, Drew Angus, Eko Zu, Eli Lev, Gattison, Gentleman Brawlers, Gerle, h2the, Kevin Daniel, Kindred Melodies, Kirsten Collins, Klezmer Juice, Latch Key Kid, Louii King, Lucinda Belle, Luke Kohen, Mikey Pauker, My Silent Bravery, Nina Grae, Psychic Twin, R E L, Ray Bean, RYNO, Shantala, Talia Dalton, Willow Stephens

Featured Healers:

Alexis Ware, Alicia Dunams, Casilda Zackhariyas, Danielle Grozavu, David Sacks, Dr. Aparajita Jeedigunta, Emi Ollin, Hard Charlie, Jen The Rainmaker, Kimberly Ariella, Krystal Aranyani, Lisa Stuart, Melissa Drake, Mendi Baron, Rhyanna Watson, Robyn Stern, Sara Mandel, Sarah BL, Sovereign University, The Breathe Center, Yoni Temple School

Featured Painters:

Abreesha*, B Hill, Domogee, Meira Batya, Sey x Yes, Shlome

In a time where so many of us have been confined to our homes and have lost our outlets for social connection and engagement, the DBYB festival promises to lift us up and create a community where we can come together, feel inspired and discover our own cheat codes to happiness.
Festival Producer: Erez Safar
Healer: Alicia Dunams
Musician: Bomani X

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