Ahead of her performance at Sama'a this weekend, artiste Rekha Bhardwaj gets candid about Sufi music, whirling and singing for Gulzar
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What can we expect at your concert?
The concert will feature only Sufiyana songs. There will be a traditional Qawwali in Punjabi, my favourite version of a Mehr Ali and Sher Ali qawwali. I got the lyrics corrected by friends from Pakistan. I’ve also composed a few zikr (rhythmic repetition of the name of God) and kalma (La ilaha illa'llah Muhammad Rasulullah), and two verses of a Sarmad (a Sufi saint, martyr and poet). They are reflections of my evenings spent in a sama (Sufi ceremony) last December in Konya, Turkey. A sanyasi friend of mine will be whirling on stage with me.
Many songs were part of your first album, Ishqa Ishqa.
Ishqa Ishqa was launched in 2002. After a gap of six to seven years, I will be performing these songs. Some songs have more rhythmic grooves and I’ve added in four backing vocalists, the saxophone, clarinet and percussion. It is going to be more of an unplugged style. Ishqa Ishqa was completed in two years. Vishal composed and Gulzar saab wrote the verses. It was a process we went through for two years where we would work on one song for a few months. It was a great learning experience for me.
What was your introduction to Sufi music?
I got introduced to it while doing Ishqa Ishqa and that’s when my inner journey began. I visited the Osho commune in February 2002 and did a course in Sufi Whirling and Dervish Threshold, followed by a 10-day retreat in Taiwan with Osho sanyasi, Videha. Back then, we would whirl for two-and-a-half hours, and meditate daily.
How has Sufism impacted your life, and your music?
Sufism has now become a way of life for me — I still attend retreats every year and do my own riyaaz and whirling at home. I whirl whenever I can; sometimes with music or in the spur of the moment when watching a sunset from my terrace. For me, Sufi music is a soulful experience. All my songs have some elements of Sufism in the melody or chorus. They also reflect all my thoughts and understanding of my surroundings. Music is a way of expressing yourself; Sufi music helps me share my being with others.
Has this sharing moved beyond the stage?
I’ve always wanted to be part of a sama here in Mumbai but I could never find a place to attend one; it doesn’t happen here like it does in the US, UK and Europe. Since I do my own whirling and zikr, I thought why not have my sama and invite people to join? I started with a Whatsapp group with ten women, and we met in June. We chanted for an hour, then did zikr. It was a mesmerizing experience. This sama has been a dream for the past few years and it has finally happened.
The next meeting, I want to invite 16-20 people. We have a nice terrace where we can whirl but for later, I am keen to create a group and head to a beach or a park to practise — the energy and the vibe that’s created impacts not just us but everyone around us. In future, I want to share this healing and music with children from schools and the slums. I just want to share what I am experiencing. This is for anyone who wants to learn; it is not an institute but an intimate, personal thing.
On: November 13, 6.30 pm
At: NCPA, Nariman Point
Cost: '500 to '1,380
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