Mumbai
Updated : Nov 21, 2014, 07:46 AM IST
One of the biggest and most awaited Sufi and mystic music festivals, Ruhaniyat is all set to spread peace, harmony and positivity through its 10 city caravan. In its 14th edition this year, the festival will be presented in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Raipur, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar and Pune. Earlier this year, Ruhaniyat was presented in Istanbul, Turkey in the month of May to much critical acclaim. The festival was inaugurated by the honorable Ambassador of India to Turkey.
Mahesh Babu of Banyan Tree, informed about the power and purity of Sufi music, saying: "Better described as call of the soul, Sufi music gives you a feeling of inner peace and content. Ruhaniyat is an effort by Banyan Tree Events to spread this joy to as many people as possible throughout the nation and beyond."
About the performers of Ruhaniyat, Babu said: "They are the true carriers of living traditions; simple, unheard of, but immensely talented people from across the country, who live the teachings through their dedication to their art. They don't just spread joy and peace in each city for all of us, but some of them are also great teachers of how simplicity, detachment and total surrender holds the key to ever lasting peace and joy."
Conceived by Mahesh Babu in 2001 in Mumbai; the last 14 years of Ruhaniyat have been special for both, artistes and audiences. "It has been an amazing mystic journey, extremely demanding and deeply satisfying at the same time. In these 14 years, we have received so much love, appreciation and enthusiasm from the audience, performers and corporate partners! What is even more satisfying is the fact that the performers have now become well-known faces and are being invited for various festivals, not just in India but in other countries as well. Through the journey of 14 years, 10 cities each year, the festival has touched the lives of over 2,000 artists and ensured that the near-extinct art forms continue for some more time. We look forward to continuing the journey for many more years to come."
This year, Ruhaniyat will feature the best of talent from different corners of the country, including Uttarakhand, Kutchh, West Bengal, Telangana, Punjab, and Qawwals from various Dargahs and Tibetan monks.
Keeping in tune with last year, Ruhaniyat will also present interesting international productions. These include Mystic Pathways, an Indo-Bulgarian production which will trace the musical journey connecting Bulgaria and the gypsies of India. It will feature all Vaya Quartet Group from Bulgaria and Gypsy Kalbeliya women from Rajasthan. The second international act will feature ancient mystic songs from Africa along with haunting strings of 'Kora'.
In the second leg of Ruhaniyat, there will be yet another production, Rumi-Emre meets Khusrau-Kabir, featuring Madan Gopal Singh & Chaar Yaar with Whirling Dervishes and Famous Turkish Scholar – Singer Latif Bolat.
The schedule :
Mumbai: November 21 & 22, 2014
Venue: Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Whales Museum)
Pune: February 8, 2015
Venue: Empress Botanical Garden
Mumbai lap of the Ruhaniyat will feature :
Day 1:
Jagar – Rakesh Bhatt & Group (Uttarakhand)
African Kora strings & Mystic songs – Buba Badjie kuyateh (Africa)
Dhadi Jattha – Pasle Waliyan Bibiyan (Punjab)
Kabirpanthi Songs – Prahlad Singh Tipanya & Group (Madhya Pradesh)
Sufi Qawwali – Ghulam Waris - Ghulam Sabir & Group (Delhi)
Day 2:
Zikr-e- Rifayi – Fakirs (Telangana)
African Kora strings & Mystic songs – Buba Badjie Kuyateh (Africa)
Gorakhnath to Meera – Voices from Kutch - Bijalbhai & Vesabhai Bhopa (Gujarat)
Baul songs – Parvathy Baul (West Bengal)
Mystic Pathways – An Indo-Bulgarian production featuring enchanting voices from Bulgaria (Vaya Group) and Kalbeliya women (Rajasthan)
Sufi Qawwali – Qadir Niyazi-Nizami & Group (Delhi)