Jilala: Sufi Trance Music From Morocco

Jilala

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 16, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Baraka Foundation
• ASIN: B000007ORU
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #410,207 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Africa > Morocco

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A good portion of the musical power derived from sacred music, be it gospel or Gregorian chant, comes not just from the composition or its aesthetic, but from the belief in the divine presence each genre strives to evoke. If you're standing on the other side of the faith, you might not be able to hear much of it. This alone may mar the still-potent spirit of Jil Jilala, a collection of early Sufi trance-music recordings undertaken by Swiss painter Brion Gysin and writer Paul Bowles during their celebrated expatriate stay in Morocco. The music is rhythmic and stark--a few drums, three flutes, a pair of castanets, and the voices of the followers are all you'll hear on these titleless tracks--and the sound quality renders an experience imperfectly dimmed by the years. Yet this vivid sonic portrait of the Sufi mystical sect of Jilala captures the musical essence of a culture jubilantly seizing the soul of their worship. As both a historical document and glimpse into the unknown, Jilala radiates with an undeniable enlightenment. --Justin Hampton

From Rhythm Magazine

The Jilala brotherhood of Morocco is one of many sects of Sufi Islam. Originating in 12th century Baghdad, it still retains vestiges of pre-Islamic healing rituals and ecstatic dance. On these lovingly packaged raw field recordings from 1965, you can follow the members' journey to the ecstatic and feel the power of this primeval music.Sufi religious music has an intent similar to that of Native American drum circles, Tibetan chanting and qawwali singing-to create an atmosphere that transcends the mundane world, enabling the dancer to reach for the divine. Incense and special foods and drinks help establish the mood, while the shebaba (reed flute) states the theme. Bendir (hand drum) tempos rise and fall, as intricate percussion from double castanets, together with chanting and vocalizations, drives the dancers on.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent example of the real thing, August 8, 2002

By A Customer

The quality may not be superb, according to new age listening standards that require their sufism all scrubbed up and ready for easy listening digestion, but this is a fine recording of a real intoxicated sama. Real sama is rarely recorded and available by CD. Most of what is available are performances. Close your eyes and listen, you'll know what steps you need to take next.

3.0 out of 5 stars jilala hadra recorded indoors, July 2, 2008

By	jibli - See all my reviews

for some the problem with this recording is that because it was recorded indoors the sound of the drums (bendir) overwhelm the flutes (qasba or shebbaba) echoing off the walls...unless you are sitting right next to the flutes this is the way it sounds.....there is another recording of jilala taken in a tent and the flutes come through clearly....

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Sufi Music from Tangier, June 5, 2008

By	Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Recorded by Paul Bowles in the '60s, this music provides a unique experience - an authentic Sufi healing ceremony. Yes, it is old and the quality might not be the best. But overlook that. The cultural value of this recording is immense. Perhaps you are familiar with the works of, say, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and other qawwali singers? Well this is yet another branch of Islam's mystical heritage, recorded in the raw. All the same passion and intensity, but without the clever studio gimmicks. It is real devotion, real passion, real healing. And it shows. Compared to most studio releases, this is much more sparse, relying on chanted vocals and simple North African instruments. But this only adds to the mystique of this CD. Slowly, each track builds in tempo and intensity, until it almost vibrates with raw faith and emotion! It is a beautiful thing to experience, and I strongly advise anyone with an interest in Sufism to purchase this CD for themselves. The only disappointment is that more ethnographic information about the Jilala Brotherhood and their practices wasn't included, but c'est la vie I suppose. This is still the next best thing to actually being in Morocco itself.