‘Sufi Night: Jerusalem Sufi Ensemble / Rhoum El Bakkali Ensemble "Hadra Chefchaounia"’

Moussem and BOZAR present the eleventh edition of Sufi Night: an evening dedicated to the rich and diverse musical traditions of Sufism, the spiritual branch of Islam.

Rhoum El Bakkali  Ensemble "Hadra Chefchaounia"
Hadra is an ancient Sufi musical tradition, performed exclusively by women, from the Moroccan mountain village of Chefchaouen, the heart of a rich and diverse musical heritage. The hadra is a ritual of hymns, incantations and sung prayers which aim at attaining an ecstatic state in a divine presence. The ensemble, led by the charismatic Rhoum El Bakkali, guardian and conduit of this heritage, performs its own repertoire of popular poetic song based on poems by Arabian and Andalusian masters. The stirring rhythms and percussion gradually build from a dignified tempo to a dynamic climax. This hadra enthrals through its poetic lyrics and melodies and its spellbinding choreography.

Jerusalem Sufi Ensemble

This ensemble, based in the spiritual home of Jerusalem, brings to life the incredible power of the prayers and incantations that have resounded through the city since ancient times. You will hear the celestial voices of muezzins from the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the mosques of Hebron and Nāblus. They will enrich the broad classical and traditional repertoire of Palestine and the region with their own compositions. This “performance of forgiveness” immerses you in an intense, spiritual Sufi experience. The driving force of the ensemble, composer and violinist Ramzi Aburedwan, previously visited BOZAR in 2008 as part of the Masarat Palestine festival. He grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp. His eventful life has been the subject of several documentaries. Aburedwan considers it his mission to make Palestine a better place to live in through music.

It's our treat! Listen to BOZAR’s "World" playlist on Spotify for free and discover BOZAR MUSIC season ’18-’19.