AUDIOSCAN
The best of Rumi
Sufi Expressions
Times Music

THE frenzied beats of the dancing dervishes in Sufiana qalaam puts even the listeners in a trance. But recorded cassettes allow them to experience only a part of the ecstasy since the gradual increase in tempo is lost in an abridged version.

In this album, however, instead of pouring in several numbers, there are only two Sufi qalaams by Persian philosopher-poet and saint Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. These have been rendered by Ustaad Sabir Khan and his brothers Murtuza Ghulam Mustafa and Kadir Ghulam Mustafa, sons of Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Music direction is by Ustaad Jabbar Hussein Niyazi.

As the dustcover mentions, after Rumi’s death in 1273, the ‘Whirling Dance’ (Sema) was established as part of the Mevlevi Order’s Zikr (divine remembrance) and it has been performed by his disciples ever since, now known as ‘Whirling Dervishes’. Whirling is a method of going into a trance that these ascetics follow. The dances are accompanied by chants like Allah Hu that start softly but gather speed, till the rhythm transports the dancer and the singer to a different state of mind.

In the first qalaam, Rumi tries to convey his own state of being imbued with the love of Allah. He then states his helplessness and inadequacy of words in trying to describe his beloved Allah’s splendour and beauty.

In the second qalaam, Rumi states that in spite of being hit by the arrow of Allah’s love, he, the martyr, is grateful to the hunter. The imagery of this mystical dialogue is mind-altering indeed.

The same cathartic influence is generated in this album by Swami Vishvas through bhajan and discourse. He speaks of universal brotherhood and advises the listener to never give in to despair and be always optimistic about what future holds in store for him.

Nowhere does he ask the devotees to divide themselves according to the religion or cult. For him, the Koran and the Bible are as divine as the Vedas. What matters is the desire to be a better person, whatever path one adopts.

In an attempt to spread the message of Christ, the Bible Society of India has come out with these two albums, in Punjabi and Haryanvi, respectively. The music in both is very well composed and appealing because of the local flavour.

While the Punjabi album comprises Psalms of hope and praise, the Haryanvi one narrates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. — ASC