Zār Songs for the Spirits

Zār is a rite that arrived in Egypt with migration – partly due to slavery – from sub-Saharan East Africa. Two essays in the CD-booklet explain the differences between the three zār practices of Egypt. They vary based on whether they are used for healing and spiritual practices, mostly involving women, or for festivities, featuring male performers as well.

All tracks were recorded live, splendidly conveying the excitement of zār ceremonies. Several tracks feature the late Hassan Bergamon, who mastered the tamboura, an East African lyre, as well as the rango, a xylophone. This instrument may have gone completely out of use with Bergamon’s passing away. Bergamon was founder of the mixed Egyptian/Sudanese band named after the instrument, which was an international sensation a decade ago, but these recordings are his most recent. Elsewhere on the album, ‘Betel il Habash’, we hear singer Madiha Abu Leila summon habashi spirits (Habash is Abyssinia/Ethiopia).

Although it merged with Islam (much like voodoo and winti in Christianity), zār is frowned upon. In Egypt, officially released records like this are absent. So it’s all the more important that JuJuSounds made these documents available.