Mazaher Ensemble

The Mazaher Ensemble is one of the most original groups on the Cairo scene. They carry on their shoulders the tradition of Zaar, a pagan religious custom that originated in Ethiopia during the eighteenth century and spread to North Africa and as far as Iran to the east. The musicians of Mazaher are among the last practitioners of this tradition in Egypt.

Zaar is a community healing ritual of drumming and dancing whose tradition is carried on mainly by women (men have the secondary roles) and whose main participants are women. This is reflected in the composition of the Mazaher Ensemble where three women are playing the leading roles. The music is played mostly on percussion instruments accompanied by the tanbura, a six-string lyre.

In Egypt Zaar is seen by many with suspicion because of its perceived meddling with magic and mystery that makes it un-Islamic. The practiced ritual has became limited in content and many of the poly-rhythmic songs and chants, distinctively different from other Egyptian music traditions, have been forgotten. Sadly, the practice of Zaar in Egypt has nearly vanished. According to the ECCA, few musicians now make or play the tanbura and not more than a dozen persons within greater Cairo still have knowledge of the musical legacy of the Zaar. In the whole of Egypt only around 25 people continue to practice this knowledge and this tradition. It is part of an underground culture and its music and songs have survived with little interference from outside influences, but at the same time, the ritual has become limited in its form and many of the songs have been lost.

The Mazaher Ensemble has participated in several festivals abroad, in Belgium ("Voix de Femmes"), France and Russia. Their Cairo performances take place on most Wednesdays at the Makan Center, 1 Saad Zaghloul Street, El Dawaween. Tel.: 02 27920878

More information, at the website of the Egyptian Center for Culture and Art (ECCA) http://www.egyptmusic.org/index.html 

Articles:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/spirit-music
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/types-zar
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/32/98/33452/Folk/Folk-Arts/Egyptian-Zar-Supernatural-Tunes.aspx