incredible time at @womex_theworldmusicexpo in Lisbon. abundance of conversations with beautiful people from all over the world. many seeds planted for future cooperations. see you next year! Thank you @culture_pl and Instytut Adama Mickiewicza for invitation #womex #womex22 #culturepl #AMInstitute
Al bilali Soudan de Tombouctou in action on the video
night sounds of Amazon rainforest
While previous projects are in the making life threw us into the Amazon rainforest. Warming up the microphones during rather loud nights en la selva..
"The recording session took place in the shade of a mango tree in a rural setting next to an old Nubian house. The air-piercing sounds of the mizmar and the rhythms of the tabla, fast as an avalanche, create an incredibly charged atmosphere in which one can hear distant echoes of the Master Musicians of Jajouka from the other side of the Sahara."
This is Mahmoud Abdel Karim mizmar group as described in liner notes https://jujusounds.com/2020/01/09/mono-egypt-album-liner-notes/?lang=en
One of the songs from Upper Egypt featured on MONO EGYPT cassette we have just reissued. https://jujusounds.bandcamp.com/album/mono-egypt
This was the only and final reissue and ALL PROFITS went (already) directly TO THE ARTISTS
Gheitaniya Zar is the last of the three forms of zar practised in Egypt today. Having only evolved in the second half of the 20th century, it is now the only live and expanding zar tradition in the country.
Gheitaniya musicians form male-only groups that are historically related to the independent, marginalised Sufi brotherhood. Hassan Abul Gheit is still a prominent saint in their contemporary zar pantheon. Musicians are contracted by zar sheikhas and sheikhs to help cure both women and men. They also play regularly at the weekly hadra. For the safety of the participants, the gatherings are strictly private and usually take place in a small room packed with people. The live recordings of these sessions made for the “Zar: Songs for the spirits” album – although rougher and less pure in sound than the studio recordings – provide a glimpse of the real zar culture and an understanding of the function of music in the cult. It is one of those unique cultures in the modern-day world where the transfer of knowledge occurs not through mental images but through bodily experience.
“Zār: Songs for the spirits” is a compilation of recordings presenting all three varieties of zar practised today in Egypt. Double LP gatefold and CD digisleeve with extensive liner notes will be available from 4th of October via bandcamp.
https://jujusounds.bandcamp.com/album/zar-songs-for-the-spirits
Read more about zar: https://jujusounds.com/2019/02/13/zar-cairo/?lang=en
In the last post we have touched on Zar Sa’idi and now lets focus on the second variety of zar practised today in Egypt.
Zar Tamboura, also known as African Zar, came to Egypt during the period of Anglo-Egyptian rule along with slaves from Sudan. This variation is based mainly on rhythm. It sounds quite different from the emotional Arab tarab style, and closer to Sudanese music. The recordings feature instruments that are far from common in Egypt. The keria is a piece of railway track that produces a high frequency sound when hit with a metal rod. The mangour is a belt lined with rattling goat hooves hung from the dancer’s hips. The sound is filled out with the rapid shaking of rattles made from spray cans. The rhythm section comprises not only percussion instruments – such as Sudanese nogara drums - but also plucking on the six-string lyre called the tamboura.
Hassan Bergamon was a living legend and one of the last musicians in Egypt to play the tamboura. Sadly Hassan passed away last year and our session in November 2019 was probably the last one he ever recorded. Just as Madiha Abu Laila, Hassan was a prominent figure in zar culture. Raised among the Sudanese diaspora living in Ismailia, north-eastern Egypt, he heard his first zar songs from his mother as a child. He grew up to become one of the key figures of African Zar in and around Cairo. Hassan Bergamon was also the last person in Egypt to play the rango – a xylophone that his Sudanese ancestors brought with them when they migrated north to Egypt. He has helped to save the instrument from fading into oblivion by performing until recently with a group called Rango and owning the last few specimens of the xylophone, which are almost 200 years old.
Again we do not have many good quality pictures and videos here and perhaps that's even better. We invite you to experience zar simply by sounds and words. Listen to Hassan Bergamon singing and playing for Rakousha the daughter of Yawra Bey - one of the
Premiere of our second release is set for the 4th October and its time to unveil more details. It is quite important work we would like to share with you. A well hidden culture challenging both – modern society and institutional religion - relegated to the margins of social life as a result. A culture that can still be experienced anywhere from North Africa, through Middle East to west parts of Asia. “Zār: Songs for the spirits” is a compilation of recordings presenting all three varieties of zar practised today in Egypt.
The recordings of Madiha Abu Laila demonstrate the Zar Sa’idi variety, its name suggesting origins in Upper Egypt. These beautiful songs dedicated to the spirits are enhanced with an intense rhythm and have incredible hypnotic potential. This is the most iconic variety of zar, still very much a female domain, and is increasingly rare in Cairo and the Nile Delta nowadays. Madiha is a true zar legend and it was a privilege to record her mesmerising voice. This time we do not have many good quality pictures and videos to back up the album and perhaps that's even better. We invite you to experience zar simply by sounds and words. Stop over for few minutes, get immersed and let us know how you like it.
Full story: https://jujusounds.com/2019/02/13/zar-cairo/?lang=en
Vinyl / CD / digital release: https://jujusounds.bandcamp.com/album/zar-songs-for-the-spirits
Jonathan & Johan Camillot / St Louis Reunion / 2021
What is maloya? Is it an exotic „heritage” videoclip from the southern islands? Kind of pure, traditional experience for those who prefer idealistic visions over reality? Perhaps it is a vehicle for creole social and political excuses? What kind of filter do you intend to apply?
There are so many different maloyas. The one presented today is very simple and straight forward. Its current. Its relevant. Its servis kabare maloya – music that facilitate sacred ceremonies all over Reunion island. Once you are in you quickly understand why one has to master all of the maloya intruments – not just one. It is not possible for average human being to sing or play one instrument from dusk till dawn. The music doesnt stop for a second. It has a certain function that has not much to do with entertainment. Sacred ceremonies, myriad of religious and magic practices are in fact a day to day reality on the island. You do not notice it straight away. If you stay here longer perhaps you start to wonder why locals keep wide berth of the bulky plastic bag left on the crossroads or you become slightly worried when a tourist friend gets excited about finding a skull of a bull wrapped in clothes on the spotless, sandy beach.
Servis kabare is a family secret. There is so many beliefs and religions - it all has to happen in small scale. Although you see the same charismatic tradition bearers quite often – each one of servis is unique. Malgache, Mayotte, Comore, Indian and African influences in astonishing blend – kreol speciality. Most of the songs are not for publishing. Should I publish it or not? What will be a good reason to justify it, is it really needed ? Subject of many conversations with my reunionese friends. I do not have clear answers but for some reason I receive tons of support from this people.
Jonathan and Johan Camillot – two brothers dedicated to carry on a cultural mission inherited from their grandfather Gramoun Bebe who was a true maloya legend. They
A spiritual adventurer, one of the first women to sing maloya, accomplished artist recognized worldwide. Another improvised session with Christine Salem was recorded under the shade of a big camphor tree - a fact important to mention considering artists vast knowledge of local medicinal flora. The tree provided protection not only from the sun but also from strong gusts of wind. Another tropical cyclone this season was passing not far to the north and you could see the dark clouds on the horizon contrasting with clear blue skies around the island.
We work with many important maloya artists from Reunion to share with you the real meaning and sounds of this unique music culture. To get updates on the project please go to https://jujusounds.com and click subscribe (pop up window recommended to get free samples of our past recordings).
Christine Salem 'Veluma no'
Composer: Christine Salem
Christine Salem - voc
Jean Amemoutou - kayamb, voc
Jacky Malbrouck - rouler, voc
Zène't Panon @ Îlet Coco / Reunion 2021
A refreshing day by the river with Zène't Panon team. Jamming, chilling, eating, smoking, swimming - essence of reunionese socially oriented lifestyle. Maloya music is a big part of it throughout the island. I grabbed the mobile and took some videos to share with you.
"Kayman" - the song recorded - has not been released yet so if you are not on Reunion island this is the first opportunity to hear it. We are working on the vinyl album at the moment. More details soon.
Jacqueliene “Maryanne” Allas with family. Sega Tambour. Rodrigues island.
Another video recorded during one of the sessions with Jacqueline "Maryanne" Allas on Rodrigues island. You can see the session setup and feel the atmosphere of it. All musicians belong to one family - Jacquelines daughter is a backing vocal and her grandchildren enjoy the sandy dancefloor. Jacqueline is actively involved in passing sega tambour to the next generations, teaching her grandchildren songs, rhythm and dances. There is a short interview with Jacqueline as well mainly thanks to one of her granddaughters learning english at school. Im not a journalist by no means but it was great fun to talk in our new - freshly invented rodrig-english-french-polish creol language :)
More about the music culture Jacqueline represent can be read here:
https://bit.ly/2K0npPd
"The art of vocal improvisation was open to everyone, regardless of age, gender or status. Often, these performances revealed outstanding talents to whom others would entrust their joys and sorrows to be sung. They were usually women, known as marechal, and their specialty was (and still is) to encapsulate complex topics in short poetic forms. Over time, the marechal began to compose songs and play concerts with their groups all over the island.
The ecstatic rhythms provoked people to dance and became a vehicle for something completely unique. The local variety of sega is characterised by improvised word duels that help resolve personal conflicts. In a manner akin to rap battles, these duels enable people to face their adversary and sing their grievances to them, transforming conflict into art. The events also served as an uncensored medium – the excited crowd came to hear a review of the week’s events transmitted in the form of songs. The bal was a space of freedom and respite, a break from the stratification and elitism of the colonial social structure, a place where human dignity could be regained."
Read full story here https://bit.ly/2K0npPd
Amin Shahin, Ibrahim Shazly & Naim Farouk / Music of the fellahin culture from the Nile Delta
Time for the last video releted to Mono Egypt compilation. We are sailing into new waters working on few following projects at the moment. Despite the covid situation its been a super busy and EXCITING time for us. There is so much to share! Stay tuned.
THE CIRCULAR BREATHING FELLAHI JAZZ MASTERS 😍
The recording happened in a guest room of a brick house situated in one of the side lanes, in the town with the interesting-sounding name Shatanouf. It is the house we spend a lot of time in talking , eating smoking and drinking countless cups of tea. Several befriended local musicians discussed without hurry the choice of material. Ultimately, we recorded some completely new compositions consisting of many themes well known in the agricultural culture of the fellahin. The melancholic motifs present in the recording have been passed down from generation to generation; they tell the story of hardships and the joy of life of simple people who have always been associated with working on farmlands. The word fellah in Arabic literally means ‘a ploughman’. In the past, the fellahin used to work for landowners; nowadays they mainly cultivate their own small farms or work for cooperatives. The entire desert country is supplied in agricultural products by them. Their largest population has for thousands of years inhabited the fertile areas of the Nile Delta, irrigated by an ancient system of canals. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many of them, hoping for an easier life, moved to Alexandria, Tanta, Cairo and other cities, and created a popular culture that has later evolved into sha’bi culture.
The leading instrument during the Shatanouf session was a double reed-clarinet called an arghoul. Amin Shahin (@Amin Arghoul) learned how to play and make the instrument from his father, Ibrahim Shahin, an artist respected throughout Egypt. One part of the clarinet is used to play the melodies, while the other produces a fixed drone in different tones, depending on the lengt
Hamdi Rabiyya & Refat Sayed / Sounds from the Nubia
Recorded just outside of Aswan for the compilation of field recordings titled Mono Egypt. Read, watch and listen more at http://bit.ly/monoegyptliner
I met Hamdi Rabiyya and Refat Sayed on the west bank of the Nile, not far north from Aswan. The blue clay house in which we recorded the material now serves as a centre of revival of the Nubian culture. We arrived there at night so the place was empty; the croaking of frogs and the hum of distant Aswan-Cairo night express trains were the only background sounds in the headphones during the listening session. Hamid and Refat are members of the Kunuz tribe, one subgroup of the present day Nubian population (the other two are the Faddika and Mahass tribes). The only instrument that can be heard in the recording – besides hands and vocal cords – is the beautifully decorated lyre called a kissir in the Kunuz language. The form of this instrument preserved in Upper Egypt originates from the period of the ancient Middle State, so is not less than 4,000 years old.
This session would not happen without help of our dear friend Adel „Araab” Mohamed Abdo Saleh Obaid who also joined here as backing vocal.
Buy Mono Egypt compilation here: http://bit.ly/monoegyptline
Rashida Sayed Ibrahim & Sayed Salah / Sonic heritage of Dom - invisible Gypsy community from Egypt
Another story and video from one of the sessions registered for Mono Egypt compilation...
"We met in Shibin El Qanater, a small town near Cairo. A near sixty year old woman named Um Sayed and a young man named Sayed, both dressed very modestly, carried their instruments in worn sports bags. The house in which we were supposed to record was situated on a narrow sand-covered lane that I would never have found without the help of my companions. Colourful lights and fabrics adorned the narrow passage between the building – a wedding party was about to begin just below the windows of our room. Every few minutes the DJ tested the capacity of the sound system with strong beats of sha’bi hits. We had to leave, as a recording session could not have succeeded in this place. After a while, we were sitting on boxes full of mandarins in a minibus driving fast through the towns of the Nile Delta. Um Sayed and Sayed held onto their instruments. I, indecently stuffed with citrous fruits they had offered me, stuck my head out of the window into the wind and felt as if entering another dimension. I felt love permeating everything . . . This drive however, had to finish, and after some time, hard to estimate, we arrived at friends house. The small bedroom at the back of the house offered the best acoustic conditions. The musicians sat on the floor next to the wardrobe, and a gang of curious kids settled down on beds. The cheerful mess of this picture calmed down with the first sound of the rababa, which sounded like a beautiful complaint about a difficult lot, or as the sweetest love failure.
Um Sayed is a unique artist. Although she is an experienced musician and an heiress to the culture of the invisible Dom community, she shows no pose of a stage star and leads a modest life. Immediately I heard her recording, I was fascinated with her personality and phenomenal voice, and decided to find her. The recorded song is her original interpretation of a traditional motif popular among f
