Stambali: the last dance with the spirits

 

“Stombali, stambali or stambeli… The origin of the word is multiple and imprecise. Some suggest a reference to ‘Istanbul’ – in Arabic, stambali means ‘who comes from Istanbul’ – while others think that the term derives from ‘stambeli’, which describes an ensemble of possession rituals among certain Nilo-Saharan peoples, such as the Songhai: ‘we can safely say that the stambeli is a cult, or more precisely a type of African rite, modified yet embraced by Islam,’ explains Amine Metani. A musician and founder of the electronic trance label Shouka, Amine – much like Tunisian producer Ghoula and artists of the Arabstazy collective – draws largely on influences within this sound shrouded by secrecy. ...”

PAM 

 Nefta, in the Tunisian Djerid. Mohamed, a guardian of the sanctuary of Saint Sidi Merzoug, devoted to the spirits of the Banga, wears the clothes of Bou Saadiya, a mythological character within the stambali community. He holds a pair of chkacheks – a metallic percussion instrument that forms an essential part of the ceremony.