Cairo, the 4th July, 2010

Zaar with friends


This time we went away from Cairo to a rural zone related to Sufism (will not name the zone in order not to promote tourism there, sorry folks!).

Our little group was all I could wait for: good people with the same love for learning that keeps me on my feet, running and running always searching for the TRUTH and for JOY through ART.

I had gone to other soft zaar sessions (the real ones can get really scary, so I heard...animal sacrifices, possessed people who speak with other people's voices and so on! Not the type of program one searches for when he wants to relax and enjoy unless you're some kind of sadic, well...) but this was had a peasant's flavour to it so I was in my natural environment.

As I see it, the ZAAR has the same function for the low classes as psychologists have for higher classes: people go there (mostly women who are considered closer to the spirits)to feel better, to release tensions, frustrations, hunger and, eventually, bad energies that reside inside them and bothering their normal way of living.

I do my own zaar while I perform because I am aware I forget about myself and all that is ordinary and enter a spiritual zone that is pure PEACE. In some way, all is healed when I am dancing. No problems or wounds - no matter how deep they may be - can survive to a heartfelt dancing session/show.

Musicians (some of them knew my name or knew me personally so they came to me directly), strong women with gold, fat rings and hands of the size of a well fed rabbit yelling improper stuff at each other and smoking sheesha dressed in their heavy gallabeyas.

Each woman requested a song and paied her favourite musician to concentrate on her. Other women covered her head with a scarf and surrounded her with their arms while she danced and went into a kind of trance. The sisterhood feeling in the place was palpable as well as the competition (I didn't quite understand for what!?).

We drank our teas and Coka-Colas (America has arrived REALLY everywhere), tried a little of the zaar experience by dancing along with some women and returned to Cairo at sunset in a toc-toc (motorcycle that takes passengers similar to the indian rikshaw), public bus and, finally, subway.

I confess I am at home between the simple people and the experiences that most connect you with life. I was born from the earth and to the earth I will return. I can never forget that truth and this keeps me humble.