Deadly Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza as Doha talks raise hopes for ceasefire    Egypt accelerates coastal protection projects amid rising climate threats    Egypt's PM calls Israeli war on Gaza 'most dangerous crisis' at BRICS summit    Egypt's FinMin urges BRICS to support debt sustainability    Egypt's gold prices up on July 6th    Venezuela vows to uphold sovereignty on 214th independence anniversary    ADIB Egypt publishes second sustainability report for 2024    Egypt, Saudi FMs discuss Gaza truce, Iran-Israel tensions    Over 215,000 projects funded under Mashrouak, exceeding EGP 33bn in May: Minister    Egypt, Norway hold informal talks ahead of global plastic treaty negotiations    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    UN conference cites Egypt's 'NWFE' programme as model for development finance    Global tour for Korean 'K-Comics' launches in Cairo with 'Hellbound' exhibition    China's factory output expands in June '25    Philip Morris Misr announces new price list effective 1 July    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt's FM, China's Wang discuss Iran-Israel escalation    Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's EDA joins high-level Africa-Europe medicines regulatory talks    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Folk: Sufi Music Fills the Ramadan Air
On the fourth night of Samaa International Sufi Festival, members of the Pakistani Rafi Peer band create musical magic for an eager crowd
Published in Ahram Online on 20 - 08 - 2011

Poignant entertainment graces the audience at the charming 16th century Qubbat Al-Ghouri (Al-Ghouri Dome) located in the wholly authentic, utterly crowded Khan El-Khalili district as Sufi chanters from Pakistan and Algeria create currents of spiritual tunes that strike your heartstrings. This is the Samaa International Sufi Festival.
On the fourth night of the Samaa Festival, members of the Pakistani Rafi Peer band cross their legs on stage in their turquoise and cream-colored tunics, facing the eager crowds. The vocalists fervently belt out melodic chants that the audience may not understand, but that certainly infiltrate their being. One chanter extends both arms spiritually as he shouts, “Allah, Allah, Allah.” Screams of “bravo” meet the songs, as members of the varied audience smile gleefully.
The festival seeks to merge different cultural interpretations of Sufi music and chanting by inviting Sufi bands from multiple countries. The result is a unique amalgamation of culture, spirituality and art. Religious heritage is brought to the fore at the Ghouri Complex in El-Hussein with a spontaneous flair as Sufi musicians celebrate their cultural differences and their shared spirituality.
Sufi chanting entails reaching a euphoric state of spirituality through singing and whirling to music. Sufi music and Samaa branches out from Islam's mystical dimension.As a practice, Inshad, or religious chanting, springs from Islamic heritage. It is often traced back to the first caller for prayer in Islam, Belal Moazen El-Rasoul.
In Egypt, Sufi chanting first appeared in Islamic schools or kuttabs. Chanting then proliferated with the spread of Sufi sects. Today, Sufi music fills traditional moulids,while other folkloric celebrations breed many more chanters in the mystic art. Celebrated folkloric Munshidien today include Sheikh Yassin El-Tohamy and Sheikh Ahmed El-Touny.
Festival director Intessar Abdel Fattah presents the Algerian group. The Algerian Issawi Sufi Musical Band of Constantine is 30 years old and remains at the forefront of Sufi chanting in the country. Dressed in black and white and embracing traditional instruments. They praise the Prophet Muhammed in smooth voices decorated with the sounds of the tambourine and tabla (drum).
Abdel Fattah is keen on creating a dynamic experience that engages the audience and provides a vigorous atmosphere for the chanters, which ultimately results in innovative and invigorating performances.His journey started a few years ago. In an effort to create a web of divine voices weaved with innovative compositions, Abdel Fattah established a workshop and named it "Al-Ghouri Monshed" (the Ghouri chanter) in 2007, and later decided to proceed with his endeavor for reviving Sufi music. Abdel Fattah jumped from one governorate to the other and combined the finest Egyptian munshedeen for his Samaa troupe.
The annual Samaa International Festival is one of the composer's projects, and it continues to deliver culturally diverse musical infusions. International workshops bring together groups from different cultures in an effort to unify an artistic vision, as various cultures fuse in a moment of collective spirituality.
While the Pakistani and Algerian bands separately gave the audience a poignantly musical night, it is a completely different experience when various groups collectively take the stage and spontaneously create heartrending and exciting harmonies.
This year's festival also features bands from India, Morocco, Syria, Sudan, Spain, Norway, Indonesia, the United States and Turkey,
Programme:
Daily until 25 August at Al-Ghoury Dome, Al-Hussein District, at 9:00pm


Clic here to read the story from its source.