Hamnavai
Indus Blues
Lyn Rye
The Festival of Sufi Arts grew out of a dhikr circle in Chicago. For those unfamiliar with dhikr, the word means "remembrance of God." Sufis around the world practice dhikr through devotional music, chanting, and whirling. Throughout history, many Sufis have also been poets, visual artists, and musicians. We realized this was true in our dhikr circle too. While not strictly devotional, much of the art we create is informed by our experiences as Sufis. The Festival of Sufi Arts emerged from the desire to share music, visual art, and poetry from Sufi artists with a broader community.
"Comprehend without your head, and without your ears listen...Your soul has heard the music of primal love." - Farid Ud-Din Attar (1145-1220 CE), from Conference of the Birds, translated by Sholeh Wolpé
Doors: 6pm
Performances: 7pm
$15 / $10 with a Student ID - Tickets Available at the Door
The Festival of Sufi Arts is pleased to feature performances from:
Hamnavai - Hamnavai is a qawwali music ensemble specializing in Islamic and politically engaged vocal repertoire. The ensemble was founded in Chicago in 2019 by the ensemble’s lead vocalists and co-directors Tomal Hossain and Ihsan Ul Ihthisam. Hamnavai specializes in music and song from around the Indian Ocean region, including hamd, naat, manqabat, marsiya, and ghazal compositions in Arabic, Bangla, Hindi-Urdu, Malayalam, Persian, and Rohingya, among other languages. While grounded in traditional qawwali aesthetics and instrumentation (i.e., harmonium, tabla, and vocals), the ensemble pushes against the sonic, performative, and political boundaries of Islamic vocal performance through its unique approaches to song selection, musical arrangement, and performance format. Hamnavai has performed in recent months for various events in Chicago, including at Intercultural Music, Solidarity Studios, and the University of Chicago. The ensemble is committed to the idea that the arts should be a key element in the lives of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Thus, Hamnavai strives to invigorate Islamic faith, worship, thought, and society through experimental artistic practice.
Indus Blues by LuFuki & Tazeen - Indus Blues is Tazeen and LuFuki’s latest music project exploring and fusing motifs and melodies from Hindustani Classical music and the Blues, and drawing inspiration from the flowing movement of the Indus and Detroit Rivers, bodies of water that represent connection and the journey to freedom. LuFuki Ismaeel Dhul-Qarnayn is a composer, organizer, guitarist, historian, and cultural curator in Detroit who views music as a spiritual practice that brings about healing and unity and whose art practice centers around Black ancestral legacy. He founded LuFuki & Divine Providence, Autophysiopsychic Millennium, XRoads, and several other ensembles and collectives. Tazeen Ayub is an educator, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, curator, and community organizer, focused on building authentic spaces of home rooted in love, spirituality, and deep reflection. Through voice and instrumentation (guitar, Bansuri flute, swarmandal, tanpura, synth), Tazeen blends afro-indo sounds, weaving elements from “jazz”, funk, soul, Sufi chants, and Hindustani classical music - all of which can be called Creative Improvised Sacred Music.
Lyn Rye - Lyn Rye is a bassist, singer-songwriter, and story-teller based in Chicago, IL. "As a versatile bassist who plays with folk, jazz, hip-hop, and rock musicians, Rye is someone who can create genuine newness. Being able to create beats, sing, play bass, and collaborate allows them to escape any boxes threatening to confine their music to genres." (Scapi Magazine) Rye's original songs carry stories both personal and political. Rye has spent much of the last decade supporting LGBTQ+ Muslim communities at home and abroad through their work in an underground railroad for queer people fleeing Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well as their role at Masjid Al-Rabia, a former community center for LGBTQ+ Muslims in Chicago. Rye currently lives and works at Casa Al-Fatiha, a sanctuary house for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Chicago. Rye writes songs that are a testament to the human spirit and carry observations both deeply intimate and cuttingly political. When not performing or being a house dad at Casa Al-Fatiha, Rye also curates Inshallah & The Creek Don't Rise, a story-telling series dedicated to truth & reconciliation in America.