For centuries in Egypt, Zar was a music and dance ritual believed to heal women from unwanted spirits that possessed their bodies.  But as time went on and ideologies changed, the practice became controversial and deeply feared. And now, it’s mostly gone. Today on Kerning Cultures, join producer Zeina Dowidar on a journey of music, spirits, and trance. 

This episode was produced by Zeina Dowidar with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, Nadeen Shaker, Alex Atack, and Hebah Fisher.

Sound design by Tamara Rasamny and Mohamed Khreizat, and fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar.

Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.

Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.