Zerzura

A creation by Mazalda with Hend Elrawy.

Like a flock of starlings tracing fleeting calligraphic patterns across the sky, Zerzura creates music in motion, somewhere between heritage and reinvention. Led by Hend Elrawy’s voice, its sound follows the invisible paths of migration, memory and transmission.

Each track is a fragment of a journey between Egypt and France. Together, they form a shifting landscape in constant transformation, where languages, rhythms and memories come together. Zerzura, the legendary oasis of the little birds, becomes an imaginary territory where women’s stories, the paths of exile, patience and love intersect. The maqams of the past enter into dialogue with the sounds of today, giving rise to the music of the Wadi and the Asphalt.

The quintet blends hybrid instrumentation, from banjo and drums to synthesizers, all anchored by Hend’s warm and spellbinding voice. The result is a set of original Arabic songs, a contemporary sound that challenges clichés, carried by an irresistible energy and sensitivity.

In co-production with Mazalda, Airfono and Musiques Traditionnelles du Futur.
With the support of the DGCA / CNM / the Drac AURA / the ADAMI / and the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes / Les Abattoirs SMAC / Malraux Scène nationale Chambéry Savoie / Africolor - La Maison de la Musique à Nanterre / Les Détours de Babel / Théâtre Durance