|
|
SUFI
MUSIC
"The
heart of man has been so constituted by the Almighty that, like
a flint, it contains a hidden fire which is evoked by music
and harmony, and renders man beside himself with ecstasy. These
harmonies are echoes of that higher world of beauty which we
call the world of spirits; they remind man of his relationship
to that world, and produce in him an emotion so deep and strange
that he himself is powerless to explain it. The effect of music
and dancing is deeper in proportion as the natures on which
they act are simple and prone to motion; they fan into a flame
whatever love is already dormant in the heart, whether It be
earthly and sensual, or divine and spiritual." - Al-Ghazali
(1058 - 1111)
The sufis
are the mystics, primarily of Islam, but the essence of 'the
way' is the same throughout all levels of life and our countless
religions: deep inward enquiry and full submission to the 'other'
leading to union with the higher realm of existence. There are
various styles of sufi music but it is all devotional. On one
hand there is the haunting and plaintiff 'reed' or 'ney' which
is the key instrument of Rumi's well known 'whirling dervishes',
or more correctly the 'Mevlevi' order, (which, technically banned
in Turkey by Attaturk in 1922, has become so popularised in
the West leading to thousands of watered down new-age 'sufi
dancing' groups). Sounding entirely different from Rumi's ney
is the 'war zikr' of the Chechen sufi brotherhood. The sound
of thousands of men ferociously and fervently chanting 'Allah!
Allah!' with others doing overtones and background recital is
famed to have sent whole Russian armies fleeing before the battle
had even started. Have a listen to the clip, due to the continuing
plight of the Chechens you could actually debate whether it's
literally 'from the battlefield'. If this sound (with their
unnecessary added reverb!) doesn't stir something, you're already
past it.
The general
picture of a 'zikr' (lit. remembrance of the divine) is a group
ceremony (which is equally done individually, silently or aloud)
that takes place all the time across the world in countless
homes, mosques, church halls, new-age centres etc. Not unlike
group chanting in various religions, sufi zikr can be done sitting
or standing, in mixed or single sex, with or without instruments
(usually drums). In fact some go so far as to say that as long
as the intention is to move closer to the divine presence, the
ritual can be called a zikr. More genuine zikrs are authorised
by a 'sheikh' (master). Many sufi orders have a standing group
zikr with swaying movements and chants designed to produce 'hal'
or 'state of trance'. The film Hideous Kinky has a scene where
people are fainting during a zikr in Marrakech. There are probably
video clips of zikrs on the internet nowadays. If it takes your
fancy I have seen photos of guys skewering themselves with swords
after a 'zikr' - a strange phenomenon!
I had the
pleasure of visiting Marrakech recently and although we didn't
come across any zikrs (there are plenty in Yorkshire anyway!)
we did see and hear lots of devotional music right in the main
square 'Jamma Fna' every night. Because the square becomes a
frenzy of stimulating sights and sounds at night, beggars and
crooks on the hassle, it's difficult at first to distinguish
the 'folk music' of the North Africans (which is still often
devotional) from the genuine stuff. Groups of musicians are
everywhere, each with their own crowd, often mingling in and
joining in, often dancing. We did see a fantastic bunch, possibly
Berber tribes people. A couple were drumming while a line of
chanters / singers together created a mystical and highly energised
sound. A marked difference was that, unlike the other groups,
they weren't making people pay to watch, so entrenched in their
devotional music; these guys I actually wanted to give money
to, Trouble is due to my enjoyment I forgot to hit record but
there's 13 minutes caught wandering round the square, feel free
to use it for whatever should you wish. There
are many recordings of sufi music and zikr available. The Master
Musicians of Jajouka's record is also worth checking out if
you haven't already, Brian Jones popularised it by recording
and releasing their music which is available still.
- Moodi
28.12.06
Coming soon:
Pt.2: The Nature and Effects of Sound on Humans
|
