World music shakes its thing at Barking Legs and Zanzibar
 Chattanooga is about to be overrun by a gaggle of gypsies! The Mezmer Society is coming to town—specifically, to Barking Legs and Zanzibar this weekend.
The Mezmer Society is a high-energy world-music ensemble that bounces to the beat of its own handmade drum. Consisting of Balkan music made by an accordion and a classic guitar, these musicians will have you dancing in your seat…or on the table, which they encourage. They put on a show reminiscent of cabaret. Onca O’Leary and August Hoerr are the two constant members, and they travel with an auxiliary band. Chattanooga will have the benefit of having all four members for their weekend performance. Onca says that the show’s feel is, “kinda like the feeling you find at the bottom of a bottle of absinthe.”
Onca and August started the Society a year ago. Onca is a professional bellydancer; August is the accordion player for the troupe, who met Onca playing Arabic music. But Onca wanted more. She wanted it to be a full-contact sport. Thus, the Mezmer Society was born, and it is no ordinary or traditional group. Members will jump into the audience to get your attention, and run through the crowd to make sure you are alert. Onca describes it as “fast bellydancing with a vintage quality and a touch of vaudeville.”
The Mezmer Society has been busy this year, traveling to Chicago, Boston, California, Pittsburg, and Atlanta. After they play here in Chattanooga, half the band is going on a European tour.
“The experience has been incredible! I had no idea of the intense interest in traditional gypsy music,” says Onca. She assures me that “gypsy” is a politically correct term since the gypsy people refer to themselves as such.
I asked what Onca and her gypsies planned on offering the Scenic City, to which she responded, “badass gypsy music with a theatrical flare.” The Society is performing at Barking Legs Theater on Saturday, and will be offering workshops on Sunday at Zanzibar. There will be two workshops on theatrical bellydance, one using a cane and one using a fan. Onca says that the dance workshops are kind of like learning “martial arts, bellydance, and a little bit of Charlie Chaplin.” The music workshop is called “Sing Gadjo Sing,” which teaches both musicians and singers the strains of Romany music.
Andrea Perkins, local bellydance instructor and owner of Zanzibar dance studio, is hosting the workshop, and her advanced students will put on a recital. The show will begin with a performance by anito rao, a classical Indian dancer new to Chattanooga. After the show, the floor will be open, so wear your dance gear, and feel free to show everyone what you are working with!
I was curious as to how an act like Mezmer Society stumbled upon Chattanooga, as they seem to be quite the sensation. Andrea explains, “Onca is an old friend of mine I met just from being involved in the Southeastern bellydance community. I performed with Mezmer Society in Knoxville this spring, and really loved what they do. It is a very refreshing approach to bellydance entertainment because it incorporates humor, live music, dance, and a real vaudevillian aesthetic. I just thought it would be a great act to bring to Chattanooga.” I agree.
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