By Robin Denselow - The Guardian - London, U.K.
Wednesday July 5, 2006
If music is a weapon, as Fela Kuti claimed, then this is a subtle and entertaining way for it to be deployed. Billed as "one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of Muslim artists ever assembled outside the Islamic world", the Salaam Music Village is a (mostly) free series of events in London parks, museums or colleges, with the message that "peace is at the very core of Islamic belief".
The result is a varied reminder of the music of the Sufi movement, the most mystical (and at times persecuted) branch of Islam, and this four-hour showcase provided a panorama of devotional Sufi styles presented from the foot of a Christian pulpit. The opening was magnificent, with the massed ranks of Morocco's Aissawa group sitting in their red-striped robes for a stirring barrage of chanting and furious drumming. Then they introduced the North African horn, the raita, and two long, thin trumpets, the n'far, and began parading around the chapel, at times spinning like dervishes, in a thunderous, hypnotic celebration.
They were followed by the Turkish Sufi scholar Latif Bolat, a sturdy singer who played the long-necked lute, the saz, and read English translations of Sufi poetry dating back to the 16th century. Then came an engaging, youthful group from Sarajevo, Bosnia, playing clarinet and acoustic guitar, and the Egyptian sacred singer Sheikh Yaseen El Tuhamy. Backed by oud and fiddle, he embarked on an almost trance-like soulful meditation for 40 minutes before bringing on his drummers for an ecstatic climax.
The final burst of Sufi passion came from Pakistan, and the nine-piece group led by Mehr Ali and Sher Ali. Sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing harmonium and tabla, they sounded like the Islamic answer to a great gospel choir, constantly swapping vocals and driving on the music with furious hand-clapping.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
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Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Salaam Music Showcase
By Robin Denselow - The Guardian - London, U.K.
Wednesday July 5, 2006
If music is a weapon, as Fela Kuti claimed, then this is a subtle and entertaining way for it to be deployed. Billed as "one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of Muslim artists ever assembled outside the Islamic world", the Salaam Music Village is a (mostly) free series of events in London parks, museums or colleges, with the message that "peace is at the very core of Islamic belief".
The result is a varied reminder of the music of the Sufi movement, the most mystical (and at times persecuted) branch of Islam, and this four-hour showcase provided a panorama of devotional Sufi styles presented from the foot of a Christian pulpit. The opening was magnificent, with the massed ranks of Morocco's Aissawa group sitting in their red-striped robes for a stirring barrage of chanting and furious drumming. Then they introduced the North African horn, the raita, and two long, thin trumpets, the n'far, and began parading around the chapel, at times spinning like dervishes, in a thunderous, hypnotic celebration.
They were followed by the Turkish Sufi scholar Latif Bolat, a sturdy singer who played the long-necked lute, the saz, and read English translations of Sufi poetry dating back to the 16th century. Then came an engaging, youthful group from Sarajevo, Bosnia, playing clarinet and acoustic guitar, and the Egyptian sacred singer Sheikh Yaseen El Tuhamy. Backed by oud and fiddle, he embarked on an almost trance-like soulful meditation for 40 minutes before bringing on his drummers for an ecstatic climax.
The final burst of Sufi passion came from Pakistan, and the nine-piece group led by Mehr Ali and Sher Ali. Sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing harmonium and tabla, they sounded like the Islamic answer to a great gospel choir, constantly swapping vocals and driving on the music with furious hand-clapping.
Wednesday July 5, 2006
If music is a weapon, as Fela Kuti claimed, then this is a subtle and entertaining way for it to be deployed. Billed as "one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of Muslim artists ever assembled outside the Islamic world", the Salaam Music Village is a (mostly) free series of events in London parks, museums or colleges, with the message that "peace is at the very core of Islamic belief".
The result is a varied reminder of the music of the Sufi movement, the most mystical (and at times persecuted) branch of Islam, and this four-hour showcase provided a panorama of devotional Sufi styles presented from the foot of a Christian pulpit. The opening was magnificent, with the massed ranks of Morocco's Aissawa group sitting in their red-striped robes for a stirring barrage of chanting and furious drumming. Then they introduced the North African horn, the raita, and two long, thin trumpets, the n'far, and began parading around the chapel, at times spinning like dervishes, in a thunderous, hypnotic celebration.
They were followed by the Turkish Sufi scholar Latif Bolat, a sturdy singer who played the long-necked lute, the saz, and read English translations of Sufi poetry dating back to the 16th century. Then came an engaging, youthful group from Sarajevo, Bosnia, playing clarinet and acoustic guitar, and the Egyptian sacred singer Sheikh Yaseen El Tuhamy. Backed by oud and fiddle, he embarked on an almost trance-like soulful meditation for 40 minutes before bringing on his drummers for an ecstatic climax.
The final burst of Sufi passion came from Pakistan, and the nine-piece group led by Mehr Ali and Sher Ali. Sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing harmonium and tabla, they sounded like the Islamic answer to a great gospel choir, constantly swapping vocals and driving on the music with furious hand-clapping.
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