Thread: Questions about all things ZEFFA!

As my company is getting more and more into performing at weddings I find myself needing to know more about Zeffa processions. Ok rapid fire questions here we go! :)

From what I can tell, the Zeffa seems to be THE thing to do at any middle eastern wedding, but it seems like a broad generalization to me. Aside from Arabic and Egyptian culture, how far does that branch out? Are there different traditions for Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Greek etc? Are they comparable? And are there other musical nuances for wedding-appropriate music?


Is Zeffa [I]always[I] done with Shamadan, or just a lot? I have always assumed that in a large processional, some dancers would wear Shamadan, but I also see dancers playing zills, tambourines, etc. Can you do a Zeffa without a Shamadan?

I assume that in order to do a REALLY traditional Zeffa one should wear more of a dress type ensemble? Or has it generally been the tradition to wear raks sharqi attire?

So many questions because I see ALL of the above and then some. Is there a wide range for interpretation or do people just assume there is? My company is not super traditional but we at least have to be AWARE of the tradition. The last thing I want to do is put a Shamadan on my head, pop in the first Zeffa piece I find and call it a Zeffa-al-Aroosa if that's not REALLY what it's all about. :P Don't want to miss anything.
Thank you!

The customer wants what the customer wants. Different families may have specific things in mind, so the only way to know for sure is to ask them. It doesn't really matter if one style of zeffa is traditional to their ethnic heritage if they're picturing a different one (within reason, of course).

Here are a couple of older threads about Levantine zeffa, and some general threads on weddings, and there is more discussion in the archives:

Lebanese Zeffa with Cane? Have you heard of this?
Lebanese wedding debke
Regional Differences in the Zeffa
History of the Zeffa
Zaffa question

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

The customer wants what the customer wants. Different families may have specific things in mind, so the only way to know for sure is to ask them. It doesn't really matter if one style of zeffa is traditional to their ethnic heritage if they're picturing a different one (within reason, of course).

Here are a couple of older threads about Levantine zeffa, and some general threads on weddings, and there is more discussion in the archives:

Lebanese Zeffa with Cane? Have you heard of this?
Lebanese wedding debke
Regional Differences in the Zeffa
History of the Zeffa
Zaffa question

Thanks for the reply! I'll go check out those threads :)

It's my understanding that, although there are many kinds of zeffas in the Arab world, the bridal zeffa, or Zeffa al Arousa, is a uniquely Egyptian thing. I'm not 100% sure about that, but I think it's the case.

Having a bellydancer in the zeffa is optional, and falling out of favor with conservative Muslim families.

If there is a dancer, she may or may not have a shamadan. Or there may be multiple dancers with shamadans, and multiple dancers without them, if it's a huge wedding!

I've done a lot of weddings as both a soloist and with my troupe in recent years, for both American and Arab clients. So far NONE have wanted a shamadan or a zeffa. They just want entertainment at the reception. Which is kind of a bummer for me, cuz I love doing them! I've only done mock zeffas for stage shows

So, dancing at a wedding doesn't automatically mean zeffa.

Sahra Saeeda is a great resource for learning about Zeffat, (she studied them for her grad work in Cairo) and she covers them pretty thoroughly in her JTE1 workshop, which I highly recommend taking if you get the chance.

As far as costuming, that's really up to the family. I would offer them options and show them pictures. The brides I've worked with have been more interested in having my costume colors match their wedding colors than in whether I'm wearing a dress or a bedlah. (one did like the dress option, though, as she was a little worried about her more conservative relatives).


There is a rhythm that is specific to zeffa al arrousa. The piece of music that I hear most often for the procession is 'Dokku al Mazaher' there's a really nice version on Jalilah's Raks Sharki 3 cd. In all the old movies, they use a version of that song for the procession, I think of it as the Egyptian version of 'Here Comes the Bride' but I'm sure there are other songs as well, and perhaps songs traditional to specific cultures? I would recommend Dokku for a shamadan procession, just because I think of that as being specifically Egyptian, but I would always give the family the option of choosing something else.

All this meeting with the bride's family, back and forth on music choices, matching costumes to wedding colors (I'm sewing madly right now to get a tangerine orange costume ready in time for a wedding!) means one thing to you as a pro: make sure you charge enough to cover the extra time involved in being part of a wedding!