"From Kabir to Mira to Guru Gobind Singh's shabd and Bulle Shah's poetry, we will present everything," he says, explaining that a Sufi is one who walks the divine path keeping worldly vices at bay. This is also the genesis of Sama'a, now in its 10th year, a celebration of the mystical in myriad forms and languages, and across regions. "Sufis didn't want to wait till the end to connect withthe divine and it is their longing to connect with it that forms the essence of Sufism. Music here is a vehicle that brings them closer to this ecstasy. Though branching out from Islam, it resonates in other forms and movements like Bhakti," explains Suvarnalata Rao, programming head, Indian music at NCPA. This timeless ideology thus finds representation in the festival through diverse performances that both, spread the mystics' message and push the envelope in the musical context. So, while on the one hand Moroccan all-women's group Hadarrattes Souiriyattes will present Sufi music from the region with a hint of trance and the use of multiple instruments, on the other, Parvathy Baul will enthrall audiences with her interpretation of it through the folk form from West Bengal.

Kabir Cafe

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There will also be a film screening, ChaloHamara Des: Journeys with Kabir and Friends, directed by Shabnam Virmani, which juxtaposes the journeys of home-grown Kabir artistse Prahlad Singh Tipanya with academician Linda Hess. The festival will also see the contemporary representation of Sufi thought through a performance by Neeraj Arya's Kabir Cafe. "Like its earlier editions, the festival has traditional, overseas and contemporary representation," says Rao. It also puts the spotlight on women with female artistes. From qawwali in earlier editions to baul and Mirabai's poetry, Sama'a, Rao believes, is a means to unify, celebrate and spread the message of love and tolerance that lies at the heart of Sufism.

Mohammad Vakil

On February 7 to 9
At NCPA, Nariman Point.
Call 66223724
Log on to bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 400 onwards

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