At Shake & Bake, Summer 2000 Alburqueque, New Mexico

Jalilah
(Lorraine Zamora Chamas)

Jalilah (Lorraine Zamora Chamas) was lead by her passion for Raks Sharki or Oriental dance to thoroughly investigate the many aspects of this art. By traveling to various Middle Eastern and North African countries and through research, observation and practice, she assimilated the different styles of traditional dance, which are closely related to Raks Sharki.

Her experience, notably with the Ghawazee of Upper Egypt, gained her the honor of performing with the singer Metqal Qenawi and the group The Musicians of the Nile with whom she has toured Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Slovania, Austria , Sweden, Denmark and Germany) regularly since 1990. She also performed regularly, from 1987 to 1995 along with musicians, folklore dancers and other artists from Morocco in various Europian cities (Copenhagen, Madrid, Vienna, Helsinki, Geneva, Berlin, Lisbon, and more) at galas evenings promoting tourism in Morocco which were sponsored by Royal Air Maroc, the Moroccan Airlines. In addition to innumerable performances throughout Europe, Jalilah has had extensive engagements in Egypt in the 5 star Hotel Meridian Heliopolis in Cairo, in The 5 star nightclub Veniza in Alexandria, and in Agadir, Morocco at the Hotel Amadil Atlas. Jalilah was featured in two television documentaries on Oriental dance, which were filmed while she was working in Cairo, Egypt. They were both aired in Germany as well as several television films, which she danced in. She also featured in the Spanish television production "El Dia del Delante" in Madrid, Spain.

Jalilah produced a series of 6 CDs of Oriental Dance Music recorded in Egypt and Lebanon entitled "Jalilahs Raks Sharki" for the company Piranha of Berlin, Germany. She now teaches and conducts workshops on Oriental dance focusing on the rhythms found in Middle Eastern music, music interpretation, as well as the Ghawazee and Balady styles of dance . She has taught in Holland, Germany, France and Italy. She made her debut in The United States August 2000, instructing and performing in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the "Shake and Bake International Festival" sponsored by Amaya and in Austin, Texas at "Bahaia's Heart of Texas Seminar". She currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and son, where she teaches on going dance classes.

Contact Jalilah- jalilahzamora @yahoo.com
Beautiful New Website http://www.piranha.de/jalilah/

Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Jalilah
4-2-07 “In a Beirut Mood”: Jalilah's Raks Sharki 6, A Review by Amina Goodyear
I found the selections included make exciting listening. Each selection is a beautiful arrangement and a good mix. Best of all: each musical selection is useful and conducive for dance.

12-8-02 Oriental Dance: Myth and Reality, The Harem Slaves By Jalilah Lorraine Chamas
To say so would be like saying that playing music, singing, and reciting poetry are also only the occupations of slaves.

3-20-01 Living in Yemen, Part I - Tafruta by Jalilah (Lorraine Zamora Chamas)
A simple question was all they needed to get them into motion!

10-5-01 DANCING IN YEMEN by Jalilah Part 2 - EL AROUS
I had been to many Middle Eastern weddings before, but none were as visually
impressive as the ones I attended in Sanaa, Yemen.
Jalilah's recommend reading list just added-10-24-01