FIELD RESEARCH

The main goal of my field research in Egypt is to discover the roots of Oriental dance. In addition, I also want to find out the latest news and happenings in the Oriental dance scene there.
On this page, I will share some short stories, videoclips and travel reflections. To conclude, I will spice up my stories with some theory and historical facts.

KHAIRIYA AND RAJA MAZIN

The most famous Gahawazee group of the second half of the 20th century was Banat Mazin. Two of them, Khairiya and Raja, are still living in Luxor, and Khairiya is still performing. This was one of those rare moments in my field research, where we could see both sisters dancing together again. We were lucky to have them with us on our boat in March 2019, on our journey from Luxor to Esna.

Seeing the two Mazin sisters dancing together again was a real blessing, due to the fact that Raja is not active as a dancer anymore. They treated us with their famous Banat Mazin routine. However, you can read more about Khairiya Mazin (my first meeting with Khairiya and interview with her) here.

VIDEO – TAHTIB

Tahtib is one of the oldest martial arts in this world. They assume that its beginnings go far back in history, to the time of Pharaohs.
Tahtib is a thick bamboo stick. The two men, who use it to fighting each other, are performing their fight to live music. The traditional music for Tahtib is played on a mizmar and a tabl beledi. This is a big circular drum, that the drummer carries around his neck.
You can read more about Tahtib in my next article here.