Zikrayat, led by violinist, composer and vocalist Sami Abu Shumays, and dancer Dameshe Shumays, and featuring lead vocalist Salah Rajab and a talented lineup of acoustic instrumentalists and Egyptian-style dancers, is a New York City-based Arabic music and dance group unique in presenting the classical and dance repertories of the Arab World side-by-side. Zikrayat places a special emphasis on repertory from the "Golden Age" of Egyptian cinema, especially from the 1940's 50's and 60's, and has developed a multi-media show featuring film clips from the period synchronized with live music and dance performances.

Vocalist Salma Khshaiboon Marjieh began her musical career at the age of seven, singing and dancing on stage. As an adult she hosted a television show for children in Palestine for nine years and a daily radio show for seven years while also singing, dancing, and acting for adult and children's audiences. Since coming to the United States, she has performed with Simon Shaheen and his ensemble in numerous concerts across theUnited States, and recently made her debut with Bassam Saba and the New York Arabic Orchestra in a concert produced by the World Music Institute at Symphony Space. Salma hosts a television show for Arab-Americans on ART America entitled “Min America.”

San Francisco-based percussionist Faisal Zedan, born in 1972 in oum D'Baib, Syria, grew up impassioned with the derbakki. At the age of 15, after intensive study with a local drummer, Faisal embarked on a journey of learning through exposure to a wide repertoire of Arabic classical and contemporary music, and since then has become a master of the derbakki as well as the riqq and tar (frame drum). Upon arriving in California in 1992, he met UCLA's noted professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, and was then invited to join the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble. In 1993, Faisal co-founded the Near East music group, Kan Zaman. Along with Donovan Lerman, Faisal is also a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Youm It Talaata percussion group. Since 1996 Faisal has taught at the Middle East Music Camp in Mendocino,California, and he also conducts workshops annually at the Kosmos Camp. Currently Faisal is a member of Eliyahu & Qadim, Stellamara, Kan Zaman and ASWAT, and in 2009 founded and directs a new group, Ajyal.