JORDAN: Sufi band and whirling dervish dancers enthral audience in Amman

Record ID: 405329

  • Title: JORDAN: Sufi band and whirling dervish dancers enthral audience in Amman
  • Date: 11th July 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN AUDIENCE MEMBER, MOHAMMAD HAMDAN, SAYING: "We saw something new today and we enjoyed it. We felt the spirit of Sufi music. There was a blend between ancient Sufi music and modern Taarab music."
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan, Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7ZAC0QPN7150QKZO881ASAQ5
  • Story Text: International Sufi band 'Ateeq' and whirling dervishes enthralled a Jordanian audience on Friday (July 8) in a combined performance at the King Hussein Cultural Centre in the capital Amman.
    The concert entitled "Itrab Wa dour" brought together Taarab music and song with devotional Sufi dance movements.
    "We saw something new today and we enjoyed it. We felt the spirit of Sufi music. There was a blend between ancient Sufi music and modern Taarab music," said Mohammad Hamdan, audience member from Syria.
    The band consists of artists from Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt. Band member Tafeq Mekhan played the kanun - a zither like string instrument that dates back to the 10th century.
    Clad in a flowing white gown and brown cap, a dervish spun anti clockwise with his skirt billowing out as band members Zaina Asfour performed on a piano and Nasser Salameh on percussion.
    Whirling dervish dance is a form of physically active meditation practised by Sufis who seek to come closer to God through mystical rites.
    Inspired by the songs and poetry of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi - a 13th century Persian poet, dervishes spin in circles that gradually increase in speed.
    Sufi practices have in recent years come under attack by extremist groups which see the veneration of shrines, music and dance as heresy. But the practice has gained strong footing among millions of Muslims across the Arab world; who perform chants, Koranic recitation, poetry and music in a move to connect with God.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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