Image: dalbera from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
Mizmar
مزمار
| Category | Wind |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Egypt and the Arab world |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q1179086 |
Overview
The mizmar is a loud double-reed wind instrument played across Egypt and much of the Arab world. With a conical wooden body and a small flaring bell, it produces a powerful, penetrating sound well suited to outdoor music — weddings, processions, dance music, and celebratory gatherings. The mizmar is closely related to the family of shawms found across the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond.
Origin & History
The mizmar belongs to a wide family of conical double-reed instruments that includes the Turkish , the Indian , the Chinese , the European shawm (the medieval ancestor of the modern oboe), and many others. These instruments share a common acoustic principle and probably a common origin in the ancient Middle East, although the precise historical lineage is much debated.
In Arab usage the word mizmar (plural mazāmīr) is sometimes used as a general term for wind instruments, but it most commonly refers to the loud double-reed shawm of Egyptian and Levantine folk music. The instrument has been continuously in use for many centuries and remains a defining sound of outdoor festive music in much of the Arab world.
How It’s Played
The mizmar is built from a single piece of hardwood with a conical bore, a small flared bell, and a brass or wooden mouthpiece (disc) that supports the small double reed. The reed itself is made from a flattened length of cane.
The player takes the reed entirely into the mouth and rests the lips against the disc. With this configuration, lip pressure plays a smaller role than in oboe-style playing, and the player relies on the reed’s natural flexibility and on a continuous airstream — often sustained by circular breathing — to produce a powerful, sustained tone. Finger holes along the body allow a diatonic scale, with various ornaments and microtonal inflections produced by partial covering and by lip and air control.
A typical performance ensemble pairs two or three mizmars with one or more tabl baladi (large bass drums) and sometimes a sāgāt (finger cymbals), forming the loud outdoor ensemble called the mizmar baladi group.
Cultural Significance
The mizmar is the iconic sound of Egyptian wedding music and many outdoor celebrations across the Arab world. It accompanies the raqs sharqi (oriental dance) and the raqs assaya (cane dance) and signals the start of processions and parties. In Saudi Arabia and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, related shawms accompany sword and stick dances.
In each region the instrument is tied to specific local repertoires and ensembles, including the mizmar baladi tradition of the Egyptian countryside and the Saudi and Gulf wedding bands. Players are typically community-based professionals who learn the instrument through apprenticeship within families or extended musical lineages.
Related Instruments
- – the Turkish double-reed shawm
- – the Indian double-reed shawm used in classical and ceremonial music
- – the Chinese double-reed shawm
- Nai (Ney) – the end-blown reed flute of Arab and Persian music
- Davul – the large bass drum often paired with the mizmar and zurna
Where to Hear It
Recordings of Egyptian mizmar baladi groups, of Saudi Arabian wedding ensembles, and of pan-Arab ensembles such as the Egyptian National Folkloric Troupe demonstrate the mizmar in its traditional outdoor and festive contexts. Field recordings on archives such as Smithsonian Folkways also capture local variants from across the Arab world.
Learning Resources
The mizmar is most commonly learned through apprenticeship within professional musician families and communities in Egypt and across the Arab world. Conservatories in the region — such as the Cairo Conservatory and the Higher Institute for Arabic Music — increasingly include traditional wind instruments in their curriculum. Internationally, the instrument is rarely taught in formal programs; learners typically rely on direct contact with players and on online video lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the mizmar the same as the zurna?
They belong to the same family of conical double-reed shawms and sound similar. The mizmar is the Egyptian and Levantine member of the family, while the zurna is the Turkish member.
Does it use circular breathing?
Yes. Skilled players use circular breathing to sustain long, continuous tones, which is one of the instrument’s defining features in dance and procession contexts.
Is it loud?
Very. The mizmar is designed for outdoor music; it carries easily over crowds, drumming, and other ensemble instruments.
What is a “mizmar baladi” ensemble?
A traditional Egyptian outdoor ensemble combining one or more mizmars with large bass drums (tabl baladi) and sometimes finger cymbals.
