Whirling dervishes from Egypt to perform at 9th edition of Sufi festival

There are some unusual treats in store at this year’s Sama’a festival at the NCPA.

Sama’a: The Mystic Ecstacy

WHEN: February 22 to 24

WHERE: National Centre for Performing Arts

Ticket prices start at ₹250; tickets are available online

Whirling dervishes in multi-coloured robes will be performing the Tannoura, twirling, throwing props in the air, and catching them in synchronised movements; and the musical duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, will be performing Sufi music to the accompaniment of a piano.

“The piano has helped us reach out as it is one of the most widely accepted instruments in the Western world, 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.

Sourendro and Soumyojit from Kolkata will perform Sufi music to the accompaniment of a piano, on Friday.

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 tranquility. The philosophy behind the Egyptian Mawlawiyah is to reflect and meditate through whirling and creating a state of peace and tranquility,” 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 qawwals with his group and the Sourendro-Soumyojit 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.