Customer Reviews

Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fairly low budget documentary, and it's not without its flaws. One often wishes that the narrator would stop talking and just let the music speak for itself. But the film does provide a very good international sampling of Sufi music, including appearances by some Qawwali superstars: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Nusrat's nephew) and Abida Parveen. Also included: footage from the Fes Sacred Music Festival and a (brief) interview with Mevlevi Shaykh Nail Kesova. It's a banquet of good stuff, all worth tasting, but unfortunately the documentary offers only bite-sized samples. The best part of the DVD is the part listed as "extras"--fuller, uncut performances, uninterrupted by the narrator. Without the "extras", the DVD wouldn't have been half as good.

Incidentally, the previous reviewer is mistaken. Sufism is a dimension of Islam. Every Sufi performer in this film is a Muslim. Sufism (at its best) is pluralistic and inclusive. But it certainly has its roots in Islam.

I bought "Sufi Soul" hoping to be able to show Sufi whirling dance to my students. There is just a few minutes of the ceremony with whirling dervishes presented on the cover. The voice and presence of Simon Broughton fills the whole DVD (even the sacred places which he does not seem able to respect much), except for the extras of little interest for me.
For beautiful Sufi music, I recommend "Ocean of Remembrance" by Oruç Güvenç and Tümata,now in CD, and I am still looking for a Sufi dance and music ceremony DVD.

A friend lent this to my husband. We watched it--was great for those first getting an introduction to sufi music. Ended up buying it for my husband as a gift. Documentary shows forms of sufi music across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Great for those who enjoy studying religion and/or folk music.

i thoroughly enjoyed the album. this is simply the most moving, the most beautiful and exciting, performance by the lagendry Rahat Fateh Ali khan.

A great DVD documentary on Sufi music, and explains something of the all-encompassing philosophy of Sufism. The only negative is that he keeps saying that Sufism is a branch of Islam, whereas to my knowledge, Sufism way pre-dates Islam (by 2000 years?). I think he's trying to make Islam more friendly to the West by allaying it with Sufism. I find it very exciting, but maybe that's partly due to the fact that we're about to leave for India where we'll be visiting some of the places featured. Great rhythm. Very colourful. My grand daughter loves it too especially the flute, the pirate, and Santa Claus!