Zikrayat

Zikrayat is an Arab music and dance ensemble dedicated to presenting together the classical music and the dance traditions of Egypt, Lebanon, and the greater Arab World, in vibrant stage productions evoking the theatrical atmosphere and dramatic depth of classic Egyptian musical cinema. Alternating vocal and instrumental numbers with solo and group dance numbers, Zikrayat’s mission is to highlight the diversity of Arab culture for mainstream Western audiences in an authentic, yet entertaining contemporary representation.

Inspired by the “golden age” of Egyptian musical cinema (the 1940’s-60’s), a period during which most of the major figures in music and dance in the Arab world worked in film, Zikrayat (meaning “memories” in Arabic) researches films from this period, searching for forgotten gems not performed since this era. Zikrayat’s repertory also includes traditional and standard numbers, as well as original compositions in the style of this period, classical as well as folkloric music.