The Score Magazine - Archive April 2009 issue! | Page 29

Recently a team from The Score Magazine had an opportunity to talk to the latest rage in the local Sufi music scene; a trio from Nagore per- forming under the stage name ‘Nagore Ses- sions’, Their soul stirring Sufi music in Tamil is first of its kind, and has recently got the much deserved recognition not only within our bor- ders, but even beyond Indian shores. Chennai based world music label EarthSync launched an album of unique musical collabo- ration featuring the three dargah singers from Nagapattinam; the first ever such adaptation of Sufi form of singing in Tamil. It’s success is a testimony to their sincerity. The dargah singers, Abdul Ghani (57), Ajah Maideen (42) and Saburmaideen Babha Sa- beer (65), had earlier worked with EarthSync on the Laya Project. Soon after that EarthSync took the trio abroad to stage their sufi music shows in Bombay, Israel and Australia. The families of the trio have been into this form of music since their formative years. They have been composing and setting them music in a form with only a Dayereh (Tambourine like instrument) as an accompanying percussion. Until they were discovered they were confined to the stage offered by the darga. Their simple straight appeal to the soul of a common man, brought them to Chennai. While making the album for the first time with other instruments and artists of other musical forms, they felt it opened up a world of pos- sibilities to learn and incorporate different forms of music including Carnatic music. They agree that this venture and effort have brought a religious harmony and a feeling that all religions lead to the same God. Their album is a successful collaboration of several popular and well known artists, includ- ing Zohar Fresco on Middle Eastern percus- sion, horns by Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, sarangi by maestro Murad Ali Khan, rhodes and programming by Patrick Sebag, harmonium by Palakkad Sreeram and bass by David Saban. The songs in the album are mostly on the early Sufi saints from Iraq (Baghdad), Ajmer Haja, Nagore Andavar and the miracles they performed. Their songs typically depict bhakti (devotion), gyana (knowledge seeking), and philosophical pondering. For Sufi mystics, each experience is different and no one session is similar to the other. Whether it’s singing, listening or whirling, Sufi music reaches the soul of the mystic Muslim and awakens the soul’s consciousness. Sufi music is not only based on God’s remembrance and on the prophet. Certain schools use the vi- brations emanating from this purpose to tran- scend the physical realm into the spiritual one. A deep spiritual connection is established and the Sufi releases all the worldly attachments, to be able to dissolve into God’s light and pow- er. Sufi music is easily qualified as “soul music” for Muslim mystics. The Nagore trio has lead the way with this new genre of music and we owe it to them for bringing this lilting, musical form into the spot light. The SCORE Magazine | April 2009 29 Alternate Tune