History, Technologies, and Circulation of Zâr Recordings in Cairo and the Nile Delta
Technology has transformed zâr, a cultic ritual of possession from northeastern Africa. It has affected the reproduction of the ritual, its execution, the sacred space, the economy of the ritual, and its diffusion and circulation. These changes were driven in tandem by changes in the control of publ...
Wedi'i Gadw mewn:
| Cyhoeddwyd yn: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/esma, |
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| Prif Awdur: | |
| Fformat: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Iaith: | Anglais |
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Égypte Soudan mondes arabes
2025
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| Pynciau: | |
| Mynediad Ar-lein: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Crynodeb: | Technology has transformed zâr, a cultic ritual of possession from northeastern Africa. It has affected the reproduction of the ritual, its execution, the sacred space, the economy of the ritual, and its diffusion and circulation. These changes were driven in tandem by changes in the control of public space, the physical dislocation of zâr communities, and the urgent need to adapt the ritual to private spaces. As a result of these challenges, devotees redirected their worship toward more easily accessible and sustainable forms. This Research Note provides a historical overview of zâr recording practices and sound materials. First, it analyzes zâr recordings made for the 1932 Arab Music Congress. Second, it looks at recordings made by zâr practitioners from Abû l-Ghayt village between the 1970s and 1990s. Third, it discusses the contemporary circulation of zâr on smartphones. The article shows the importance of researching audio and visual archives, which are a rich source of ethnographic material for ethnomusicologists. |
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