"In Turkey and Greece, as far back as the 16th century, groups of cantors and religious figures used to gather in the early morning, before prayer services, to sing devotional poetry in Hebrew. This gave rise to a distinct and complex form of music called maftirim, which only the most talented men could master.These small gatherings were part of a broader musical exchange under the Ottoman empire: Muslim Sufi mystics would come to synagogue on the Sabbath to listen to the maftirim. And the Jewish maftirim singers would visit Sufi lodges for musical inspiration."
avivajazz jazzaviva on 20 Mar 09Project Spirit IsReal is about taking ancient Hebrew prayers and combining them with music & rhythms from all over the world: Indian Varanassi, Middle Eastern Sufis, trance traditions, chants from Brazil... Just a small portion of the musical influences in this project.