Broken Mystic

In the mystic garden where ardent passion emanates in every bloom, even Beauty is difficult to see when the Beloved is separated from the Lover. The clouded skies and rainstorms loom over the night, but the Lover still plays his song for the wounded flowers and silent fountains. Left alone in an estranged land and with no compassion, he continues to sing, sending his longing out to the world so that his sorrow may echo into eternity. Maybe some day, the painful state of his exile will bring back the Light that once graced upon his rose garden. But in his relentless tears and heartbreak, little does he know that the Presence of Beauty is Eternal, and that Angels listen to his yearnings with the ears of God. One yearning he has, and that is reunion, if he were to yearn at all. One desire he has, and that is reunion, if he were to desire at all…

This kind of vivid imagery comes to mind when I listen to the new “Nine Heavens” album by “Niyaz.” Some of the lyrics from the album are contained in the paragraph written above and they reflect what I feel when I hear the sound of folkloric and 13th-18th century Sufi poetry fused with hauntingly beautiful vocals, classical instruments of the Islamic world, and modern synthesizer ingenuity. I have been following the truly spiritual and beautiful musical talents of Iranian songstress, Azam Ali, since her first album with “Vas” — a band that not only explores the inner world within all of us, but also one that breaks all conventional boundaries. On the four “Vas” albums, Azam Ali remarkably sings in a made-up language, representing how some of the most profound and beautiful things in life, like Love and God, cannot always be expressed in mere words. But Azam Ali isn’t the first singer who exposed me to this kind of music — before I heard about “Vas,” my favorite band at the time was “Dead Can Dance” and their lead singer, Lisa Gerrard, sings in the same way. When I first heard their music in my late teens, I thought she was singing in Arabic because the music is very Middle-Eastern, but after I read an interview with Ms. Gerrard, I learned that she’s really not saying anything at all! I had never heard this kind of music before. Many of my friends couldn’t understand it and they would ask me, “how can you listen to someone who isn’t even saying anything?” I found the music absolutely liberating, especially from the dullness and lack of originality in mainstream music, and it allowed me to explore my thoughts, my imagination, my muse, my soul, and it made me paint my own interpretations of her amazing vocals. Even today, when I listen to Azam Ali or Lisa Gerrard, I am mesmerized at how their voices encompass so many emotions — pain, sorrow, joy, longing, desire, anger, passion, peace, etc. (Chances are that you’ve already heard Lisa Gerrard’s voice if you’ve seen Ridley Scott’s film “Gladiator” with Russel Crowe. The ethnic and ethereal female voice in the background music is hers, and like her work on “Dead Can Dance,” she’s not singing any particular language. She also composed the film score with Hans Zimmer).

But since “Dead Can Dance” broke up in 1998, I was worried that I would never hear this kind of music again until I learned about Azam Ali and “Vas.” The two bands are not the same and it would be a sin to compare them and debate about which one is better because they are both unique in their own way. There is not a band like “Dead Can Dance” and there is not a band like “Vas.” After Azam Ali’s fourth (and final, it seems) “Vas” album in 2004, she produced another album a year later called “Niyaz.” Unlike her music on “Vas,” she is accompanied by multi-instrumentalist (and husband) Loga Ramin Torkian and Carmen Rizzo who plays keyboard and synthesizer. She is also singing in actual languages: Farsi and Urdu. The band is self-described as “folk music for the 21st century” and just like “Dead Can Dance” and “Vas,” this band is one of a kind. Anyone who knows me knows how special that first “Niyaz” album was for me. It not only resurrected the Sufi poetry from the great mystics like Jalaluddin Rumi, but it also showed the world a side of Islam that most of us don’t see. It showed us that Islam, like all religions, is about Love and Beauty. I remember wanting to say “thank you” to Azam Ali personally for creating this wonderful work of art and showing the world how beautiful Islam and its various cultures are. The album was also special because it was dear to me and my friend. My friend who has left me — the reason why this blog is called “Broken Mystic.”

And now, upon anticipating the new “Niyaz” album, I couldn’t help but think about her again. After being able to relate to this music together on so many levels, it’s hard to forget these memories. I was initially worried that I would not be able to hear it since it would probably remind me too much of her, but as soon as I played the “Nine Heavens” CD in my car, I felt spiritual healing. I bought the CD the day it came out and I had to even drive some extra miles to get it, lol, but it was the perfect day to buy it. I had a long drive ahead of me, it was beautiful outside, and it was just perfect for me to listen to the new music while I drove. The CD opens with a fun track called “Beni Beni” where Azam Ali sings in Turkish! It is a traditional Turkish Sufi song about longing to be united with God. The song is very festive, and the instrumentation is so complex and absolutely amazing — this is one of the many reasons why I Love Middle-Eastern and South Asian music. I teared a few times when I listened to “Tamana” and “Feraghi” because they remind me of my heartbreak and how devastated I was after my separation. The pulsating and bass thumping tabla on “Tamana” make it the most cinematic track on the album and although it reminded me of my pain, it brought forth healing. It reminded me that I am moving forward, as if into a new life, and I am carrying all the positive energy with me. When I read the English translation of the Farsi lyrics for “Feraghi,” I felt it described everything I feel in my separation. It sings of separation, of abandonment, of exile, of being left alone without any compassion, and of longing for a return. It made me sad, and only because it made me think about how I will never see her again. Shortly later though, I felt better because I reminded myself that many people understand what I’m going through, and the lyrics of the song represents that.

The violins on “Allah Mazare” are gorgeous and resonate with orchestral beauty, while the ecstatic pace of “Molk-e-Divan” blasts with beautiful percussions and brilliant guitar and saz performances by Torkian. The Farsi lyrics on “Molk-e-Divan” and “Sadrang” were written in the 13th century by Amir Khusrau of the Indian Subcontinent, who if often credited as the “father of Qawwali music.” Qawwali music is very prominent in South Asia and it is best described as Love and Devotional Songs in the Sufi tradition that praise God, the Prophets, and great mystics. “Ishq” and “Iman” are beautiful Urdu tracks; the former was written in the 18th century by Khawaja Mir Dard and sings about God’s endless Love: Tere Ishq main humne kya kya nahi dekha? That roughly translates as: What have I not seen in Your Love? “Iman” is the slowest and most ambient track on the album, and Urdu lyrics translate as: “Do not despair, for God is always there.” A great and much-need reminder for all of us, no?

I have seen “Dead Can Dance” in concert and I plan to see “Niyaz” some day too, insha’Allah. Azam Ali seems like a really amazing human being; on the flap of the album for “Nine Heavens,” she writes that one of her goals with creating music is to break stereotypes and misconceptions about Iranians and Middle-Easterners. My friend went to one of her concerts and told me how Azam Ali performs in suburban areas, where there are hardly any ethnic minorities, in order to promote dialogue, understanding, and multi-culturalism. I think that’s something really amazing and she deserves to be applauded, along with her band. Everyone is called an “artist” these days, but Azam Ali and Lisa Gerrard are the few genuine ones out there. “Nine Heavens” is not just a celebration of Islam’s mystical culture and diversity, it is also a bridge between the old world and the new. It is a fusion of the ancient and the modern, the East and the West, and it is one great song of the human Soul, its longings, its joys, its pains, and its calling to the Divine. Each string plucked, every drum beat, and every word sung is enamored wholly and purely with Love.

I would like to hear another “Vas” album where Azam Ali sings in a made-up language again, but it seems very unlikely considering how successful “Niyaz” has become. The addition of Turkish was an interesting surprise on this album. Maybe in the next one, she will sing in Punjabi and Arabic!

Salaam, be well and peaceful

~Broken Mystic~