Sufi Splendor

Manish Vyas

The dervish’s whirling is a meditation—communion and contemplation—set to music; the calm center of a spiritual cyclone. Sufi Splendor: Music for Whirling Meditation captures the music that drives this resplendent and timeless practice.

Serpentine ney (flute), melodic santoor, impassioned singing and ancient frame drum form a hypnotic rhythmic engine, building in intensity and carrying the listener to whirling ecstasy. Recorded in India’s Ishvani Kendra monastery, Sufi Splendor: Music for Whirling Meditation features seasoned musicians, masters of the sema’a (Sufi ceremony), performing this irresistible music that propelled the original trance dancers.

The Persian mystic poet Rumi, founder of the Mevlana Dervish brotherhood, wrote, “…Music uplifts the soul to realms above. The ashes glow, the latent fires increase. We listen and are fed with joy and peace.”

Immensely enjoyable for straight listening, truly indispensable for inner exploration, Sufi Splendor: Music for Whirling Meditation places the listener at the tranquil heart of that latent fire.