ALBUM RELEASE: Zār: Songs for the spirits

Details

Description

Recordings of live rituals and studio sessions. This album presents all three varieties of zār practised in Egypt today. Double LP gatefold with extensive liner notes to bring you right into zār gathering.
https://jujusounds.bandcamp.com/album/zar-songs-for-the-spirits

Zār is a possession cult practised on the outskirts of the rapidly modernising societies of North Africa and the Middle East. It’s a phenomenon that crosses not only geographical boundaries but also those determined by the rational mind. The boundaries here are not clearly defined; multiple worlds intertwine. Zār cant be enclosed in a single frame. If needed it could be perceived as a healing practice. However, the first stage of dealing with illness is always diagnosis, which in zār is made using music...

JuJu Sounds travelled to Egypt to experience, record and share with you this well hidden culture. This album presents all three varieties of zār still practised today. Hypnotic rhythms and mesmerising melodies were recorded not only in studio but also live during hadra - weekly zār ceremonies. Sound recordings and in depth liner notes offer absolutely unique insight into zār micro-communities in the Nile Delta and Cairo. Each of them is slightly different, but they all function as self-sufficient systems, remaining practically invisible in mainstream culture.
The album is complemented with recorded videos and a full story providing an in depth insight into zār culture.

Vinyl and CD available via bandcamp (shipping from the EU and USA) and only a handful of shops worldwide.

JuJu Sounds collates field recordings and stories about music from all corners of the globe. The peripheral music genres, rhythms and melodies accompanying everyday life, and the practices related to transcendental experiences, initiation and ritual. Joyful dance or deep trance in which the transfer of knowledge takes place through the body, not through mental images. Music as an experience. he musical cultures inspiring a sense of dignity and belonging.

JuJu Sounds focuses on building bridges between musicians from marginalised communities and niche audiences from around the world. The mission here is to revive valuable musical ecosystems, not just to sell exotic products.

www.jujusounds.com