Hear, hear! Whirling dervishes, qawwalis at Sufi festival
through which we have interpreted the nuances of traditional Indian music,” says Sourendro. “Bringing the piano and Sufism together is a very special integration of progressive ideas inside traditional norms,” Soumyojit adds.
The dervishes, meanwhile, are from Egyptian Mawlawiyah Group.
“Dervishes believe that they can be in balance with the universe only in movement. In this state, one can be in union with the divine and attain spiritual tranquillity. The philosophy behind the Egyptian Mawlawiyah is to
reflect and meditate through whirling and creating a state of peace and tranquillity,” says Amer Eltony, vocalist for the group.
The ninth edition of the Sama’a music and dance festival will also feature a performance by Kathak exponent Sanjukta Wagh to the works of the 16th century Punjabi Sufi poet Shah Hussain, and will conclude with a bouquet of Sufiana songs by Bollywood duo Salim-sulaiman performing with Rajasthani folk singers.
“Sufism, as the mystical dimension of Islam, uses music as a way of deepening one’s relationship with the Creator. There is an intense longing to dissolve the physical realm and transcend into the spiritual universe,” says Saleem Chishti, who will perform qawwalis with his group and the SourendroSoumyojit duo from Kolkata.
“Over the years, Sama’a has become a popular mystical festival that has cut across all age groups through the cultural experience it offers to audiences,” says Suvarnalata Rao, programming head for Indian music at the NCPA.