Introduction
Understanding this tradition
In the order mevlevi linked to Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, the samā
First listening
Three things to hear
- Start with the improvised taksim of the ney.
- Identify the progression between prelude, singing and turned sections.
- Read a few verses from Rūmī in a recognized translation.
History and transmission
Tradition was structured after the death of Rūmī in the 13th century around his descendants and disciples. In the Ottoman era, composers developed vast suites called âyin. The Turkish Republic banned the brotherhoods in 1925; the ceremony then reappeared in cultural, religious and tourist settings.
What does it look like?
The breath of the ney, the cycles of the little Kudüm drum, the song and the classical Ottoman instruments organize a slow progression. The initial silence and the rhythm of the march count as much as the musical episodes.
Where and why are we listening?
The sema is not a free dance aimed at stunning. The gestures, clothing, directions and sequences have an initiatory reach. A heritage representation may differ from a ceremony experienced by a Mevlevie community.
Artists, works and albums
Three listening doors
Each button opens a search targeted on an external platform. Orabel does not read, copy and host any audio files.
Sufi Music of Turkey
Kudsi Erguner
Ney in the centre of a learned and spiritual tradition.Mevlevi Ayin
Galata Mevlevi Music and Sema Ensemble
To hear the construction of a donkey beyond a short extract.Sufi Music of Turkey
Dervishes of Konya
Another door to the mevlevie ceremonial music.Listen and transmit with respect
Avoid reducing the tradition to a tourist image of 的derviche ,. Do not imitate rotation without framing; it belongs to a precise physical and spiritual discipline.
Sources