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Sufi music refers to thedevotional music of theSufis, inspired by the works ofSufi poets likeRumi,Hafiz,Bulleh Shah,Amir Khusrow, andKhwaja Ghulam Farid.
Qawwali is the best-known form of Sufi music and is most commonly found in the Sufi culture in South Asia. However, music is also central to theSema ceremony of thewhirling dervishes, which is set to a form of music called Ayin, a vocal and instrumental piece featuring Turkish classical instruments such as theney (a reed flute). The West Africangnawa is another form, and Sufis fromIndonesia toAfghanistan toMorocco have made music central to their practices.
Sufi love songs are often performed asghazals andKafi, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets.
Abida Parveen, a Pakistani Sufi singer is one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music, considered the finest Sufi vocalists of the modern era.Sanam Marvi, another Pakistani singer has recently gained recognition for her Sufi vocal performances.Asrar Shah aLahore based Sufi singer who gained popularity inCoke Studio Pakistan and now is owner of his music producing company Soul Speaks.
A. R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning Indian musician, has several compositions which draw inspiration from the Sufi genre; examples are thefilmi qawwalisPiya Haji Ali in the filmFiza,Khwaja Mere Khwaja in the filmJodhaa Akbar,Arziyan in the filmDelhi 6 ,Kun Faya Kun in the filmRockstar andMaula Wa Salim in the filmO Kadhal Kanmani. He has performed many Sufi concerts inThe Sufi Rout atDelhi. He performedLight Upon Light inDubai withSami Yusuf.
Bengali singerLalan Fakir and Bangladesh's national poetKazi Nazrul Islam scored several Sufi songs.
Junoon, a band from Pakistan, created the genre ofSufi rock/Sufi Folk Rock by combining elements of modernhard rock and traditional folk music with Sufi poetry.
In 2005,Rabbi Shergill released a Sufi rock song called "Bulla Ki Jaana," which became a chart-topper in India and Pakistan.[1][2]
Madonna, on her 1994 recordBedtime Stories, sings a song called "Bedtime Story" that discusses achieving a high unconsciousness level. The video for the song shows an ecstatic Sufi ritual with many dervishes dancing, Arabic calligraphy and some other Sufi elements. In her 1998 song "Bittersweet", she recites Rumi's poem by the same name. In her 2001 Drowned World Tour, Madonna sang the song "Secret" showing rituals from many religions, including a Sufi dance.
Singer/songwriterLoreena McKennitt's recordThe Mask and Mirror (1994) has a song called "The Mystic's Dream" that is influenced by Sufi music and poetry. The bandmewithoutYou has made references to Sufi parables, including the name of their albumIt's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright (2009).Tori Amos makes a reference to Sufis in her song "Cruel".
Mercan Dede is a Turkish composer who incorporatesSufism into his music and performances.
Shohreh Moavenian is an Iranian singer who singsRumi's poems. She has produced two albums by the title "Molana & Shora 1 and 2" in which she incorporates elements of pop and traditional Persian music.
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