Siberian Neoshaman Zarina Kopyrina

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Zarina Kopyrina is a Yakutian ethno singer from the Republic of Sakha, in northern Siberia. From her tiny village, she has traveled to several continents, absorbing new perspectives but ever guided by an unfailing passion for her ancestors’ spiritual beliefs. Thus she has created a unique harmony between the old and the new, from the traditional deerskin tambourines and mouth harps to the latest in electronic drums. Drawing from her kaleidoscope of interactions, she blends those that speak to her to create a voice in the world that is truly her own.

Playing an instrument so closely tied to the powerful Shamans carries a daunting amount of responsibility. “At first I was scared to play,” Zarina said. “It’s really sacral. To be a shaman – it’s not work; it’s a way of living. It’s a mission.” A true shaman, in her view, is someone with a finger on the pulse of nature, living in the forest, possessing supernatural abilities such as hypnosis, healing and the ability to fall into trances. The title of shaman is not for her to claim, she said with assurance. Instead, she aligns herself with neoshamanism, a contemporary form of spirituality for people who live in cities, including musicians, painters, writers and more. These people don’t have the full set of qualities of a shaman – yet they possess some of these aspects. “They get some signals from the universe, and they transfer information through themselves,” she explained. Read more.