Thanks again for joining me to learn about dancing with a shamadan! Please let me know if you have any questions, now or in the future. If you’re on Facebook, find me here. I’m on Instagram, too!
Here are the notes from the workshop itself.
I’ve put together a list of resources for you.
Here’s my article about buying and fitting a shamadan, as well as resources for candles.
Article by Lucy “Scheherezade” Smith and Gamila el Masri about Shamadan
Article by my friend, Leyla, who dances with Yasmina Ramzy in Toronto
Candi of England has great info about shamadan on her site
Princess Farhana’s article about shamadan
Sign up for Sahra’s newsletter to get a copy of her Zeffah research
Zeffa music:
Dokku el Mazaher (originally sung by Farid Atrache, lyrics here, movie clip here)
Dokku el Mazaher (Jalilah)
Dok Al Mazahir
Zeffet Al Arous (album Essential Bellydance)
Zaffa (Fadi El Saadi)
Zaffa (Raffi Avakian)
Zeffa videos:
Note that a modern zeffa does not require a female dancer and if there is a female dancer, she doesn’t have to use a shamadan.
Egyptian zaffa in NJ
Zaffa (1 of 8, check the others to see the variety of performers)
Zeffa in Cairo
Zeffa in the UK
Vintage Zeffa videos (from Egyptian films):
Wedding zeffa
Wedding zeffa with famous singer Farid al Atrache as the groom (note the young women with the tall taper candles in the procession). Dancer Katy does do more of a “performance” while the zeffa music is happening (after the bride and groom are seated), but I would say that wasn’t typical, likely more of a “for the film” situation.
We practiced some combos to “Sharuk”
I regularly use this version from Ya Bahaia Vol. 2, which is just over 3 minutes.
Sharuk (or look for Bahai’s shorter version with “cheeky” in the title)
Na’asa (Sharuk by another name, Georges Lammam version)
Shuruk
Another traditional song for shamadan is “Raks El Hawanem”
Shammadan (Sahra Saeeda) – familiar section starts around 2:58
Raks El Hawanem (Album Dances for a Festive Night)
Raqset El Hawanem (album Orientales)
Rakset El Hawanem (Abdallah Chahine)
Badia-Shamaadan (Sami Nossair Orchestra)
Raqset el-Hawanem (George Dimitri Sawa)
Hawanem (Eddie “The Sheik” Kochak)
Raks el Hawanem + Baladi Accordion (Guy Schalom)
Shawwa raqs el hawanem (remastered)
Other music for shamadan:
Raks El Shamadan (Nesma)
Shammadan (Sahra Saeeda – this medley includes Raks al Hawanem and Sharuk)
Kiky Koko (old song, find a new version from Khaled Mahmoud, also a medley, includes Raks al Hawanem)
Shamadan (non-zeffa) performances:
Video of Nadia Hamdi, 1995 in San Francisco (that heel at 2:10!)
Video of Aida Nour (1:10, uh, I don’t think I know that . . . travel? move)
Video of Camelia, Nile Group 2006 in Cairo
National Folklore Troupe
This clip of Khaled Mahmoud with a large group on stage in the Czech Republic is impressive! So many real candles! “Raks El Hawanem” starts around 3:40.
American dancer Vanessa has danced in Egypt for over 10 years and includes shamadan in her performances
Vintage shamadan (from Egyptian films)
Hind Rostrom dances as Shafika in a movie about the life of Shafika el Koptiyya, known as the first Cairo Raks al Shamadan dancer. Song is “Kiky Koko” which includes “Raks El Hawanem.” (This article gives more factual details about her life.)
Nabaweya Mustafa (baby naming ceremony scene, which is traditional 7 days after birth)
Katy (love her!) starts with shamadan, then has some very quick costume changes
Zouba el Keloubatiya in 1946