Whirling Dervishes from Turkey

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1992 07
• Total Time: 52:05
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: World

Review

Here, the great Kudsi Erguner performs (in tandem with a number of other musicians) a sema ceremony in the Bayati mode. The compositions on this album were penned by Kochek Dervish Mustafa Dede, a Sufist from the 16th century. It stands as the oldest composition of Mevlevi Sufi music with a known composer. Not only that, but it's a relatively lively composition that's executed wonderfully on this album. The ney playing by Erguner is outstanding, as one would expect, and the vocals from the accompanying group work well within the framework set out by the ney and bendir. For someone looking to delve into the music of the dervishes, this album from a relatively small French label wouldn't be a bad place to start. There are countless other worthwhile albums available, but this one falls into the group of better ones. For a look into the breadth of Islamic music, of which this is only one part, one might wish to look into the Music of Islam series on Celestial Harmonies (which also includes an album from the Aissaoua sect of Sufism), but for sheer Mevlevi goodness, this album would be a good way to go. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Na'at-I-Mevlânâ /Taksîm [Improvisation on The [Praise to the Prophet]		Kudsi Erguner, Hafiz Kemâl Ozmutlu	(13:15)
Pesrev /Birinci Selâm [Instrumental]		Kudsi Erguner	(12:29)
Ikinci Selâm [Second Salutation]		Kudsi Erguner	(5:27)
Uçunci Selâm /Dorduncu Selâm [Third Salutation]			(11:48)
Niyâz Ayini /Taksîm [Improvisation on the Ney]	Kudsi Erguner	Kudsi Erguner	(4:19)
La Récitation du Coran [Reciting the Koran]		Hafiz Kemâl Ozmutlu	(4:47)

Credits

Hafiz Kemâl Ozmutlu (Vocals), Kemal Evren (Vocals), Mahmud Tabrîzîzade (Vielle), Ariane Segal (Compilation), Aram Kerovpyan (Cithare), Kudsi Erguner (Art Direction), Clare Perkins (Translation), Kudsi Erguner (Performer), Tugrul Inancer (Tamboura), Pierre-Marie Goulet (Photography), Hafiz Kemâl Ozmutlu (Performer), Kudsi Erguner (Flute), Aram Kerovpyan (?), Kudsi Erguner (Liner Notes), Mahmud Tabrîzîzade (?), Claude Morel (Balance Engineer), Muzzffereddîn Ozak (Vocals)