"History of the Shammadan & Zeffa"
Published in The Papyrus; August 2008
By Talia
A zeffa is a traditional Egyptian wedding precession that originally brought the newly married couple and the wedding party from the bride’s parents home to the bride’s new home at the groom’s house. This moving of the bride occurred at night and was led by a dancer, musicians and singers. The couples friends and family would fallow behind the wedding party as well. The dancer or some young girls would carry three foot tall candles and lanterns when leading the zeffa. They would wind all through the streets of the neighborhood for all to see and know that the couple had just been married.
Since the 1970’s and in more modern times, the newly weds will celebrate at a hotel. In this case, the zeffa is usually led down a main staircase to a reception room. They travel around the room to bring the couple to a decorated set of chairs or a throne. The dancer will use additional zeffa music to get the bride and groom up to dance. A solo will sometimes be performed using the candelabra, which would includes floor work. Finger cymbals or sagot are also played during the celebration. The solo is separate entertainment from the zeffa.
The rhythm that goes with the zeffa is also called el-zeffa. It is mostly likely played on frame drums or on a tabla. It is a 4/4 rhythm and goes Dum/ tek tek tek tek/ Dum/ tek tek. It is counted 1 & a 2 & 3 & 4.
The dance we know today as shammadan has come a long way. I have learned of many different stories depicting where it came from. Shammadan dancing first because used in the zeffa in the early 1920’s. Some accounts have said that Egyptian dancer Zouba el Klobatiyya was the first to use a candle lantern or Klob, balanced on her head during the zeffa. Another says, at the turn of the century, Shafia al Coptia, set herself apart from other dancers by balancing a lantern on her head. Nezla el Adel, then balanced what we know as today’s candelabra, creating a new tradition within the zeffa.
Shafia al Coptia taught candelabra to Nadia Hamdi’s grandmother and aunt. It is said that Nadia had some teaching from Zouba as a child with more formal training later from her grandmother. Nadia is the only Egyptian dancer today who was taught from the original line of Egyptian shammadan dancers.
Shammadan today is also performed more widely in nightclubs, theatrical and folkloric performance settings. It can make for a stunning entrance to a second or third set and is used by many dancers as a specialty.
