Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Open Up Your Loving Arms
(It's probably all sorts of wrong to talk about Whirling Dervishes under a title that is a line from a Dead or Alive song. And, of course, now I've got this 1980s earworm gnawing away in my head....)
Lotus weekend was great, as usual. (What's Lotus? See my earlier post on the subject and/or http://www.lotusfest.org.) For the past several years, I've hosted a gathering that coincides with Lotus for friends I know from a Usenet newsgroup. This year four of the regulars - J, CnC, and K - came to town for the festival. It was great to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in several months.
J arrived Friday evening. Ed joined us for dinner at the Tibetan restaurant, and then we walked around downtown to check out the music playing at the outdoor venues. We caught the end of a performance of traditional Québécois music by Le Vent du Nord (http://www.leventdunord.com/) and watched the drumming of the African Showboyz (http://www.fastlaneintl.com/showboyz.htm) for a little while. Then after exploring the commercial aspects of the festival (the artists sell CDs and get to keep most of the money from the sales), we caught a performance of scratch band music by Jamesie & the All-Stars (http://www.jamesieproject.com/), who had to fly into the States from the Caribbean during all the trouble caused by Hurricane Ivan.
Saturday morning J and I did a little shopping downtown. J has been teaching me to knit. I bought some yarn and another pair of knitting needles. She had also brought me some yarn from her stash that she no longer wanted, and before she left on Sunday she helped me start two scarves. Of course, I came home from work Monday evening, carefully knit a row, and still came up with two stitches too many at the end of it. I think it's hopeless, although I'd been hoping to do scarves for a couple people for Christmas presents. Oh, well!
We also stopped by the bead store and spent a huge amount of time playing with beads. I put together a necklace from some moukaite beads. (This isn't anything like the necklace I designed, but it gives you a good idea of the beautiful and bold color variations in moukaite: http://store.oneilljewelry1.com/mojachch1.html.) We met CnC for lunch, returned to the apartment to unload their stuff, then visited a quilt shop. Interesting. One day I would like to try to put together a small quilt - something decorative to hang on the wall. Right now I don't trust my sewing skills, although at this rate they're probably better than my knitting skills. *heh*
K eventually arrived. We had time to sit around and talk a bit before heading out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town, a family-owned Turkish restaurant. The owner is one of the most gracious people you'd ever encounter, and the food is always tasty. Ed joined us for dinner, and when the owner came by our tables he explained that he had overheard our group's earlier conversations about the food and complimented us on the way we had explained what things were to the out-of-towners. *preen*
After dinner we dashed off to the venue where the Sufi Music Foundation (http://www.sufinight.com/) would be playing. Only we found that lots and lots of people had dashed there ahead of us. The line stretched all the way down to the corner and around the block by the time we were able to take up a spot on line. By the time the line started moving as we were let into the auditorium, it had reached the end of the block we were on and started around that corner! The performance had two parts - a music concert followed by an intermission and then the Sema ritual, which, according to a pamphlet we were given, "represents the human being's spiritual journey, an ascent by means of intelligence and love to Perfection (Kemal)."
The pamphlet further explains the symbology of the turning. "The semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt represents the ego's shroud. By removing his black cloak, he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, read to receive God's beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love." (Oh, I just noticed an author's name, so let's give credit where credit is due: Dr. Celalettin Celebi wrote this pamphlet, "The Meaning of Sema, the Universal Movement.")
The performance was incredibly beautiful. If movement can be described as lyrical, then the movement of the semazen is that.
As far as the Lotus experience is concerned, the Sufi Music Foundation really deserved to have its own separate concert. The showcase concerts take place at seven or eight different venues during three different blocks of time, and the Lotus Festival tradition usually involves seeing two or three performances at different venues during a given block of time; some people stay in one venue for the entire block, but many people stay for a few songs and then leave for another artist's performance in a different venue. The Sufi Music Foundation's performance wasn't really set up to allow for this coming and going of audience members. Maybe the Festival organizers weren't aware of how this show would work, but I think the group should have been given their own night.
During the rest of the evening, we saw Le Vent du Nord, Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón (http://www.therootsagency.com/), the Australian acoustic pop band Fruit (http://www.fruitmusic.com.au/), the Basque trikitixa player Kepa Junkera (http://www.kepajunkera.com/), and the high-energy Cuban group Tiempo Libre.
Le Vent du Nord were excellent. It was especially interesting to have seen them on the street the night before and then in a church Saturday night. They managed both venues well, but I think they're a group that makes you want to get up and move to the music -- which is a little less daunting to do on the street compared to inside a United Methodist church building. *hee*
Although the website includes two guys in the lineup for the band, the three women in Fruit were the only performers for the songs I saw Saturday night. They had two guitars and a couple brass instruments, plus their outstanding vocals. I just don't remember the last time I saw acoustic guitars paired with brass. OK, maybe never.
Kepa Junkera was excellent. The accordion he plays has a distinctive sound, but the other Basque instrument, a txalaparta, allows for a really active, dramatic performance as the two percussionists play the instrument and respond to each other's antics. The whole group of musicians just seemed to be having fun, and I think that makes an impact on the audience.
So my Lotus showcase night started with a performance that was all about introspection and balance and harmony and ended with lively Cuban jazz... Pretty wild. We went back to the apartment, fixed drinks and snacks, compared notes on the performances that we hadn't seen together, and played two games of Kill Dr. Lucky (http://www.cheapass.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CAG&Product_Code=CAG001).
Breakfast on Sunday morning was brown sugar cinnamon bread French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffe and orange juice. And more conversation before folks started packing up and heading out. Rather than face an empty apartment, I met Ed and crew for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Fun!
Lotus weekend was great, as usual. (What's Lotus? See my earlier post on the subject and/or http://www.lotusfest.org.) For the past several years, I've hosted a gathering that coincides with Lotus for friends I know from a Usenet newsgroup. This year four of the regulars - J, CnC, and K - came to town for the festival. It was great to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in several months.
J arrived Friday evening. Ed joined us for dinner at the Tibetan restaurant, and then we walked around downtown to check out the music playing at the outdoor venues. We caught the end of a performance of traditional Québécois music by Le Vent du Nord (http://www.leventdunord.com/) and watched the drumming of the African Showboyz (http://www.fastlaneintl.com/showboyz.htm) for a little while. Then after exploring the commercial aspects of the festival (the artists sell CDs and get to keep most of the money from the sales), we caught a performance of scratch band music by Jamesie & the All-Stars (http://www.jamesieproject.com/), who had to fly into the States from the Caribbean during all the trouble caused by Hurricane Ivan.
Saturday morning J and I did a little shopping downtown. J has been teaching me to knit. I bought some yarn and another pair of knitting needles. She had also brought me some yarn from her stash that she no longer wanted, and before she left on Sunday she helped me start two scarves. Of course, I came home from work Monday evening, carefully knit a row, and still came up with two stitches too many at the end of it. I think it's hopeless, although I'd been hoping to do scarves for a couple people for Christmas presents. Oh, well!
We also stopped by the bead store and spent a huge amount of time playing with beads. I put together a necklace from some moukaite beads. (This isn't anything like the necklace I designed, but it gives you a good idea of the beautiful and bold color variations in moukaite: http://store.oneilljewelry1.com/mojachch1.html.) We met CnC for lunch, returned to the apartment to unload their stuff, then visited a quilt shop. Interesting. One day I would like to try to put together a small quilt - something decorative to hang on the wall. Right now I don't trust my sewing skills, although at this rate they're probably better than my knitting skills. *heh*
K eventually arrived. We had time to sit around and talk a bit before heading out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town, a family-owned Turkish restaurant. The owner is one of the most gracious people you'd ever encounter, and the food is always tasty. Ed joined us for dinner, and when the owner came by our tables he explained that he had overheard our group's earlier conversations about the food and complimented us on the way we had explained what things were to the out-of-towners. *preen*
After dinner we dashed off to the venue where the Sufi Music Foundation (http://www.sufinight.com/) would be playing. Only we found that lots and lots of people had dashed there ahead of us. The line stretched all the way down to the corner and around the block by the time we were able to take up a spot on line. By the time the line started moving as we were let into the auditorium, it had reached the end of the block we were on and started around that corner! The performance had two parts - a music concert followed by an intermission and then the Sema ritual, which, according to a pamphlet we were given, "represents the human being's spiritual journey, an ascent by means of intelligence and love to Perfection (Kemal)."
The pamphlet further explains the symbology of the turning. "The semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt represents the ego's shroud. By removing his black cloak, he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, read to receive God's beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love." (Oh, I just noticed an author's name, so let's give credit where credit is due: Dr. Celalettin Celebi wrote this pamphlet, "The Meaning of Sema, the Universal Movement.")
The performance was incredibly beautiful. If movement can be described as lyrical, then the movement of the semazen is that.
As far as the Lotus experience is concerned, the Sufi Music Foundation really deserved to have its own separate concert. The showcase concerts take place at seven or eight different venues during three different blocks of time, and the Lotus Festival tradition usually involves seeing two or three performances at different venues during a given block of time; some people stay in one venue for the entire block, but many people stay for a few songs and then leave for another artist's performance in a different venue. The Sufi Music Foundation's performance wasn't really set up to allow for this coming and going of audience members. Maybe the Festival organizers weren't aware of how this show would work, but I think the group should have been given their own night.
During the rest of the evening, we saw Le Vent du Nord, Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón (http://www.therootsagency.com/), the Australian acoustic pop band Fruit (http://www.fruitmusic.com.au/), the Basque trikitixa player Kepa Junkera (http://www.kepajunkera.com/), and the high-energy Cuban group Tiempo Libre.
Le Vent du Nord were excellent. It was especially interesting to have seen them on the street the night before and then in a church Saturday night. They managed both venues well, but I think they're a group that makes you want to get up and move to the music -- which is a little less daunting to do on the street compared to inside a United Methodist church building. *hee*
Although the website includes two guys in the lineup for the band, the three women in Fruit were the only performers for the songs I saw Saturday night. They had two guitars and a couple brass instruments, plus their outstanding vocals. I just don't remember the last time I saw acoustic guitars paired with brass. OK, maybe never.
Kepa Junkera was excellent. The accordion he plays has a distinctive sound, but the other Basque instrument, a txalaparta, allows for a really active, dramatic performance as the two percussionists play the instrument and respond to each other's antics. The whole group of musicians just seemed to be having fun, and I think that makes an impact on the audience.
So my Lotus showcase night started with a performance that was all about introspection and balance and harmony and ended with lively Cuban jazz... Pretty wild. We went back to the apartment, fixed drinks and snacks, compared notes on the performances that we hadn't seen together, and played two games of Kill Dr. Lucky (http://www.cheapass.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CAG&Product_Code=CAG001).
Breakfast on Sunday morning was brown sugar cinnamon bread French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffe and orange juice. And more conversation before folks started packing up and heading out. Rather than face an empty apartment, I met Ed and crew for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Fun!
