Music that is simply divine never fails to impress. And audiences who had gathered for Ruhaniyat, The All India Sufi and Mystic Music festival, that was held recently, were more than impressed. The event, conceived and produced by the Banyan Tree, was held at the open grounds of the Madras Race Club. A few were even seen standing and applauding the traditional music. Onstage were musicians and singers, who played centuries-old Sufi music. Mohammed Farghaly and his son Hamda Farghaly from Egypt performed first, their devotional music being a fine dedication to God. Their wholistic understanding of Sufi enabled Mohammed on his Oud and Hamda on Kanun to impress the audiences who had gathered for the show. The whirling saints were not missed during this musical journey! Abdul Rashid Hafiz from Kashmir was the next to perform. He gave an experience of the divine essence of mystic songs. An ardent preacher of Sufism from a small village in Kashmir, Abdul made his presence felt in Chennai with his short, clear melodious lines commemorating Sufi saints. As the show went on, Rizmat-Barkat Khan from Rajasthan along with his group delivered mystical Sufi songs, praising love and God, with a driving beat, pepping up the concert.This year, Ruhaniyat featured more than eight artistes not just from India. The event had Latif Bolat from Turkey, the Bektashi singer, who recited mystical poetry of Yunus Emre and mesmerised audiences with his Turkish folk music.Having visited India several times, Latif pointed out that Turkey was nothing like how it was decades ago. The European influence had been vast on Turkey and such performances were fast disappearing. “However, in India, the tradition and culture is so rich that even after so many years, nothing has changed. Whenever I come to India, it’s more like coming home.”The chilly evening was incomplete without the performance of well-known Parvathi Baul. Her rendition was a treat. Tannoura – the Whirling dervishes truly created magic on stage. Their costumes and the mystical dance brought alive the Sufi spirit. Making the finale more special were the Qawwali singers – Ateeq Hussain Bandanawazi from Hyderabad. Ateeq was accompanied by musicians on the tabla, harmonium and singers. His songs, praising love and god, gave one a clear idea of traditional Sufism was all about. His effortless rendition of the numbers delighted the audience and took them to another completely different realm
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