Hypnotic musical performance has always been central to Sufism, the ‘mystical dimension of Islam’. Sufi music has been spreading around the world for centuries, mixing with whatever creative cultures it may come across and spawning countless stylistic offspring. Here are three modern snapshots from global Sufi music… Dhafer Youssef – oud & vocals Dhafer Youssef, an extraordinary,Continue reading “Joyful experiments: three snapshots of global Sufi music”
Category Archives: Hidden Histories
What is Sufism? Why is music so important to the Sufis?
Sufism is often described as the ‘mystical dimension of Islam’. In the West, mention of the word may conjure up a disconnected jumble of associations – whirling dervishes, headlines about persecution by the Taliban, and links to various modern spiritual practices. But while the tradition itself is subject to much unnecessary mystification, its core tenetsContinue reading “What is Sufism? Why is music so important to the Sufis?”
Qawwali: how euphoric Sufi chanting captured the world
Qawwali – a famous form of Sufi spiritual song – can sound oddly familiar even to those who haven’t heard it before. Indeed, the style’s strident chanting and relentless tabla loops have always been designed to captivate in anyone in attendance, aimed at inspiring shared experiences of the divine, and states of ego-loss and extreme spiritual focus.Continue reading “Qawwali: how euphoric Sufi chanting captured the world”