The Music of Rumi: a concert performance

A multi-art, multi-media event...

8:00 PM, Saturday November 24, in Convocation Hall, on the University of Alberta campus

Admission is free

Presented by the [http:\\www.fwalive.ualberta.ca Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology]

Rumi by Haydar Hatemi

       Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,
       How it sings of separation...

Mawlana Jalal-ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

Born 800 years ago, September 30, 1207, in Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan)
Died December 17, 1273, in Konya (in present-day Turkey)

The music of Rumi is...

• the song of the reed flute, nay
• music in the sound of Rumi's poetry
• music as metaphor in Rumi's poetry
• Rumi's poetry as musical performance
• the performance of all mystical love poetry
• the ritual experience of Rumi's poetry, of Rumi himself
• the harmonious spinning of the universe, the mutual whirling of human being and cosmos...

The concert is...

• Dance-recitations, performed by Geha Gonthier: the poetry of Rumi, and other mystical poets...with musical accompaniment on tar, nay, violin, and tabla by Steven Byrne, Michael Frishkopf, Niyati Dhokai, and Ojas Joshi

• Rumi recitations, performed by Saleem Qureshi, with musical accompaniment on sarangi and nay, by Regula Qureshi and Michael Frishkopf

• The Indian Music Ensemble, directed by Sharmila Mathur

• Performances by Kreisha Oro

• Songs of love, from The Middle Eastern and North African Music Ensemble, directed by Michael Frishkopf

• The poetry of Rumi, sung by Mehdi Samadi, Persian classical musician

• The poetry of Rumi, performed by Najva Persian music ensemble

• Ecstatic music and dance from the West African Music Esemble, directed by Robert Kpogo