The Music of Islam, Vol. 9: Mawlawiyah Music of the Whirling Dervishes, Turkey

Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, has long had a tradition of art music, and one of the most celebrated mystical traditions in the world, that of the Mevlevi dervishes, evolved in Turkey. Mevlevi or Mawlawiyah music, developed in the VII/13th century and nurtured by several centuries of sultans, poets, and musicians, remains arguably the greatest Turkish contribution to the music of Islam. Although this music is the focus of this volume its influence is also strongly felt in volume 14.

Tracks 1-6 in this volume represent a complete sema ritual, and other rituals of mystic Mevlevi music are included as well. As a branch of Sufism, the Mevlevis practice the ritual called zikr (Arabic dhikr) - an ecstatic ceremony of invocation and remembrance of God through, among other things, the repeated chanting of his many names. The zikr is practiced by Sufis throughout the Islamic world, and it has been noted that even the Turkish sema is a specific subdivision of this genre of ritual. The Mevlevis also present their mystical music in what might be viewed as a kind of concert suite (tracks 7 and 9). Track 8 is a prelude of sorts that introduces the mode used in the final suite. Each suite is united by a different mode. In every case, the music draws its inspiration from the text, and its structure from a sophisticated set of modes, rhythms, and traditional forms.