SCHÖNHEIT DES WIDERSTANDS: SUFI-POESIE AUS ALEPPO

The second event in the Music of the World series takes us to the former cultural centre of the Mediterranean and Islamic worlds. The Arab-Andalusian poetry of Muwashahat originated there in the 10th century. It marked a turning point in the history of Arabic poetry and had a formative influence on literature and poetry worldwide, as well as on the development of the concept of poetic-musical rhythm, of which Aleppo became the centre. The mission of the pan-Arab ensemble Jawa is to preserve this heritage, which is threatened by the Syrian civil war. The last Sufi masters were no longer able to pass on this treasure trove of songs and the subtleties of the maqame. The musicians, who studied in Syria before the war, have come together in exile to revive the heritage of the famous Sufi schools and to interpret the art of muwashahat from their personal perspective. It is a project of preservation, but also of resistance.