Author: Yusuf Mahmood

“Joseph Straus [4] outlines three models to explain the motivation behind the practice of musical quotation. The first, “influence of immaturity,” refers to borrowing as a necessity, common in the youthful phase prior to developing a personal musical style. The second, “influence of generosity,” is a more mature and subtle exteriorization through art of enriching artistic influences and may be also found in the artist’s late works. “

Juan Carlos Vasquez (composer, sound artist, researcher), McIntire Department of Music, University of Virginia, 112 Old Cabell Hall, P.O. Box 400176, Charlottesville, VA 22904, U.S.A. Email: jcv3qj@virginia.edu. Web: www.jcvasquez.com. See www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/lmj/29 for supplemental files associated with this issue. 88 LEONARDO MUSIC JOURNAL, Vol. 29, pp. 88–92, 2019 In the third theory, “influence of anxiety”—mostly applied to music in the twentieth century—the interrelation of original and borrowed ideas (the new and the old) are presented in conflict, crucially defining the work.

“Collage 1 (1961) by James Tenney is a noteworthy case given the specific application of appropriation of popular culture in the tape music genre. Collage 1 uses fragments of Elvis Presley’s cover of Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins. It is composed by reshuffling and rearranging the original piece with playbacks at different speeds. Brian Eno remarked that Tenney provided us with the chance to hear everyday music differently while “all that was inherently Elvis radically influenced our perception of Jim’s piece” [18]. This goes in line with existing research that indicates that the recognition of borrowed material in an appropriated work has a significant impact on the general perception of the work that served as a source [19].”

in relation to questions of bringing something traditional into a contemporary space such as a sound installation, questions of appropriation may arise – what does it mean to take a practice that has been performed one way for vast periods and recontextualise it into an installation setting? what does it mean to take away the performers and replace them with speakers? What does the amalgamation of traditional elements with contemporary elements form ideologically? and more importantly, what does it mean for me and a person of my identity to formulate the ideas for this installation. Ever since i began making spatialised pieces I had always wanted to implement my background and identity into in some way.

•“It occurred to me that we always bring our identities and our experiences of “where we come from” to bear in the places where we meet. Later, I would think of place as this dynamic network of situated identities”

•Ouzounian, G. (2008). Sound Art and Spatial Practices: Situating Sound Installation Art Since 1958. [online] University of California, San Diego. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/7166588/Sound_Art_and_Spatial_Practices_Situating_Sound_Installation_Art_Since_1958 [Accessed 7 May 2024].

I believe the projection of my piece is as complicated as my own identity. an individual who is of diasporic origin, who has a background in listening to Qawwali (and making audio documentaries on it), an individual with a Muslim background but also a musical background, where technology is a huge part of my life and the production of my music. The piece becomes an expression of both my traditional elements and my technological entrenchment. With the recognition of borrowed elements in my work, the general perception of the traditional elements is highlighted which I don’t know how to really feel about.

does it become a form of commercialisation? Have I made something that is simply voyeuristic consumption to the average listener?

Sufis view the circle as the perfect shape as highlighted by Ibn ‘Arabi: “The one who has a circular movement has no beginning, “from”, which clings to him, and no end, “to”, is judged of him. Thus he has the most perfect existence. He “is given all the words” and wisdoms.” (Fusus al Hikam, page 73).

Dhikr (remembrance) is a Sufi type of devotional worship that often comprises rhythmic chanting of God’s names, which may be accompanied by poetry, dancing, drums, or a reed flute. The Mevlevis, or “Whirling Dervishes” of Turkey, are well renowned for their muqabalah (encounter) dance. The dancers, inspired by the 13th-century spiritual poet Jalal al Din Rumi, spin while dancing in a circle to represent the return of all creation to the One Creator.

Ainsel, M. (2024). A Unique Flat Geometric Shape Important To Some Esoterically. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@miainsel2/a-unique-flat-geometric-shape-important-to-some-esoterically-1c8342434494#:~:text=Sufis%20view%20the%20circle%20as,al%20Hikam%2C%20page%2073). [Accessed 9 May 2024].

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quell by debashis sinha

“What’s your take on how your upbringing and cultural surrounding have influenced your sonic preferences?

I straddled 2 worlds in a very real way, growing up in the small city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, pre-internet. There was the world of my neighbourhood friends, but also the world of South Asian immigrants (primarily Indian) that was growing in the city. When my father moved there, there were literally 3 or 4 men from the Indian subcontinent in the whole city, that was all. I grew up knowing every brown person in Winnipeg.

I think my seeking of “secret” or hidden sounds came directly from inhabiting 2 very different cultural (sound) worlds as I grew up. The sounds of these worlds were completely separate – there was 0 crosstalk between them, they were totally hermetic, which sounds impossible now. Apart from that, my father was an academic, so we spent significant amounts of time during my childhood living in India and Nigeria while he did development work.

So in essence I encoded over time a lived experience that embodied a knowledge of “more” as it pertained to sound (and culture in general) – maybe my being knew that the sounds I heard at any one time were only a small part of what existed in the world. Perhaps that is what drove and drives my desire to look for or uncover sounds and stories that are not immediately apparent in the archive or text.

Do you see yourself as part of a tradition or historic lineage when it comes to your way of working with sound?

As an autodidact, I have always hesitated to consider myself as part of a tradition or lineage, because in Bengali and Indian culture “tradition” is a very powerful word. It has very particular meanings when applying to artistic practices as old as the ones you find in India and the area, and my own practice has never adhered to the historically and traditionally very strict boundaries that would result in defining oneself as a member of a lineage or tradition there.

I’ve had a difficult time navigating how to connect the way I worked with sounds and the materials I have been drawn to with my own cultural heritage. That relationship has resolved, or I suppose continues in the process of resolving – I know now that what I do with sound is inexorably part of my own experience of my heritage, and that experience and expression operates intersectionally with my interests and skills.

There are traditions of attention and artmaking from India that are encoded in my gestures, but do not limit or define them, and I think there are many artmakers from different cultures in the diaspora that are exploring in the same way. I build and claim my culture as I work, and a large community of artists are building and claiming with me.  ” 

I found this interview incredibly interesting – with vast similarities in his spacial sound work as mine in relation to identity and space with him facing a very similar diasporic perspective of “straddling 2 worlds”. his perspective of having a difficult time navigating how to connect the way he worked and his cultural heritage displays parallels in my work in relation to tradition, appropriation and the split between his identity and his technical work. All of this interview especially in relation to his identity and what it brings to his practise seems to answer questions of bringing traditional aspects into modern spatial settings – for a person of diaspora, there is always a split, the projections of ones own artistic expression usually results in an unusual mix of blind confidence in “taking” without always knowing and “producing” without perspective.

“To me, there is a huge social disconnect in the traditional acoustic ecology between the utopian deification of “high fi” (natural) sounds (whose nature? Who consumes it, and how?) and “low fi” soundscapes (which define the soundscape of the vast majority of the population of the world) that the WSP assumed and expressed at its core (despite later attempts to expand their notions in practice). If you’re poor, if you’re brown, if you’re stuck in the city with no means to travel or even access to “nature” (or if access has been stolen from you from a government continuing to practice institutional racism), does your soundscape hold no value or meaning?

There are other theorists and thinkers who have delved into this question more deeply than I (see above), but suffice it to say that from my perspective, I distrust the term “acoustic ecology” deeply. I personally find very profound undercurrents and meaning in sound environments that have often been classified and written off as harmful by traditional acoustic ecology adherents. There’s no doubt that, e.g. loud urban spaces have a detrimental effect on health and social interactions, but I think that those issues, while necessary to address, do not negate the rich and complex relationships that humans have with their urban sound environments, and to neglect that relationship in favour of an exclusionary, utopian (and yes, racist) consumption of nature is deeply flawed.“

reservations about the phrase “acoustic ecology” seem to reflect a broader distrust of frameworks that fail to account for the various ways in which sound is heard and experienced in different socio-cultural instances. By rejecting an exclusionary and utopian conception of nature-centric soundscapes, Sinha promotes a more inclusive approach that acknowledges the intrinsic importance and diversity of urban sound environments and the people within it. This reframe challenges long-held preconceptions and pushes us to reconsider our understanding of sound, identity, and belonging in space.

In summary, the passage emphasises the need for a more nuanced and inclusive approach to acoustic ecology—one that recognises the diversity of aural experiences while centering the perspectives and experiences of marginalised bodies.

experiencing the Rumi revival show was something that I very much valued in the development of the portfolio, having the chance to see Rumi’s poetry and Sufi music in a “modern” (yet traditionally accurate) context from the perspective of a live audience was really interesting. I had previously experienced the Hadra and the same form of dhikr with the whirling dervishes of Bosnia in person as a form of dhikr personally – but seeing the whole thing with singers, microphones, effects and mixing desks on a stage showed me a different perspective and although it wasn’t an installation – it was the performance of the traditional and original in a context that is possibly a very contemporary development of its practice.

the practice of placing something that is traditionally inclusive becoming something that is slightly voyeuristic in nature. not being a participant despite being within the vicinity felt unusual. seeing the microphones and keyboards and the “performance” on stage felt unusual but despite all this, it felt welcoming at the same time. an unusually oxymoronic juxtaposition. had traditional Sufis become a commercially voyeuristic consumption-based performance and would this be the audience’s view of my own?

“Narin dede with his semazens have come to use performance as a medium for the mobilization of Sufi cultural beliefs and values. Performing their ritual movements as theatrical events outside of Sufi lodges, semazens seek to recognize and embrace world as a sacred stage in which every act is devotional and is embodied and practiced to move closer to God. The analysis of the connection between Sufism and performance shows how Sufism is more than a set of religious doctrines designed solely for Sufi devotion. The connection between Sufism and performance opens a lens through which devotees and non-devotees perceive Sufism’s relationship to different cultures, religions and art forms…Narin dede commodifies sema ceremony and journeys between various sites, including Dede Efendi House (a historical house of a Sufi dede that the government converted into a museum) and Narin dede’s home office, to create homelike, creative and educational spaces for individuals seeking to experience Sufi rituals, specifically the theory and practice of whirling…..

The practice of whirling in a variety of performance spaces inspired devotees to be more open to discovering and creating new forms of practice to make their beliefs and values accessible to a secular public. According to Saayan Chattopadhyay, ‘for religious traditions to continue through history, they must be translated or better transmediated–put in a new form’ (2013: 194). Writing about the public performances of Purja in India, Chattopadhyay states that ‘the emergence of theme-based public worship […] offers a new space in the making of modern social imaginaries, a space in which spectatorial, performative, and ambivalent spatial aspects erect a translucent facade over religion, devotion, faith, and spirituality’ (2013: 206). Although not specifically about Sufi culture, Chattopadhyay’s idea of public space and worship informs my examination of how Sufi devotees through the organization of Sufi ritual performances offer a new space for non-devotees to experience Sufism as a synthesis of the secular and religious values of Turkey.”

Esra Cizmeci (2016). World as sacred stage for Sufi ritual: Performance, mobilization and making space with the act of whirling. Dance, movement & spiritualities, [online] 3(3), pp.199–215.

Sufi rites, notably whirling, are used in Western dance and theatrical productions, encouraging innovation and the development of new forms of the ritual. This adaptation not only promotes a more nuanced understanding of Sufi rituals, but it also stimulates devotees to investigate and produce fresh representations of their beliefs, making them more accessible to a secular audience. The notion of translation and transmediation, developed by Saayan Chattopadhyay, emphasises the need for religious traditions to change and find significance in different situations in order to survive throughout history.

Chattopadhyay’s concept of theme-based public worship emphasises the trend towards more inclusive and immersive religious experiences, creating a new place for spiritual discovery and community development. Finally, the passage implies that by organising Sufi ritual performances, devotees in Turkey are actively bridging the gap between secular and religious values, embodying a broad approach to spirituality that reflects the complexities of contemporary society and offers a synthesis of tradition and modernity.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1386/dmas.3.3.199_1.

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With continued development I continued to advance my portfolio project, using my geometric graphic score as a guide for composition. I was caught between making the entire piece flute based, but decided to add more layers and texture as well as new instrumentation – a more thoughtful placement of musical elements resulted in a multidimensional spatialization work in which the flute, Daf, and Oud each played a unique role.

The symbolism involved in assigning numerical values to each part—flute representing 786, Daf representing 165, and Oud representing 54—contributed to the composition’s succinct structure. This numerical symbolism not only corresponded to the geometric patterns I used in the graphic score, but it also formed a coherent and intentional structure for the entire composition. I wanted to stick with instruments used in Sufi Music, (the Daf, Ney and Out) as a way of communicating the composition more than anything else whilst aligning with the aspects of the Sama.

” the daf’s varied timbres and tones coupled with complex rhythms may help to induce a meditative state or ecstatic trance.“

(The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018)

After establishing the theory behind the installation – the technical element of actually making the audio came into play – I had to think about what type of instrumentation I wanted to use – with the initial idea of having the entire piece a complete Ney Flute piece – the nature of the flute allowed m allowed me to create an environment of white reverberation wherein I can play with the multi channel nature of the space and really use the theme of use the theme of immersiveness in a way that goes back to the context of what I was trying to translate I used only Sufi instrumentation.

I used MIDI too to play one note and stack them over each other in relation to the multi channel pieces they were connected to I felt like this layering was very important in communicating the idea of the piece sonically I wanted something that wasn’t too musical and something that wasn’t too abstract either I had to be something in between wherein I could create an environment that was both welcoming and intriguing. I think I think the nature of the production itself is also very interesting in that a lot of it was made electronically the visual itself was made using a programme online and the space in which I made it wasn’t traditional at all. 

I found this to be one of the more difficult aspect of creating the installation I found it hard to actually put sound to the context context that I researched mostly because it was something that hadn’t really been done before in this way and so I pulled inspiration from Lulwah Al Hamoud and more physical art pieces rather than sound art pieces but I believe I created something so far that related to the research in a sensible way.

The score is divided into three section in which 3 smaller patterns lie becoming a guide for the composition of the audio itself – the outer ring possesses the shape of the numerical phrase 545, the middle ring 165 and inner most ring 786. Using this – I bring a visual element to piece as a whole, allowing me to create an environment within the space. Concentric rings, which are used to visually represent these numerical phrases, provide the piece an additional layer of structure and composition. Each ring contributes to the overall visual design by encapsulating a specific portion of the audio.

The use of concentric circles visually emphasises the connection between the numerical patterns and the accompanying audio portions by implying a sense of harmony, integration and unity overall. This combination bridges the gap between abstract visual representation and a more tangible auditory perception. The visual acts as a guide for myself as well as a means of communicating the structure and intention of the music to the audience.

“One of the oldest forms of flute is the ney, the endblown flute played in slightly varying forms from Morocco to Pakistan. The word is Farsi for reed, and indeed the nay is made in its traditional form from the Arundo Donax plant, the same as used to make oboe, saxophone and clarinet reeds. It is not made from bamboo, as the differing internodal pattern of the Arundo Donax is used in a specific fashion to make ney.“

The Ney is fundamental to Sufi rituals and ceremonies. It is frequently utilised in Sama, the Sufi practise of listening to music and dancing in devotion. Ney music’s hypnotic nature provides an immersive setting, allowing participants to “transcend” the material world and achieve a state of heightened spiritual consciousness. With its distinct tones and rich melodies, the Ney serves as a channel for the expression of devotion and love for the divine.

This can be related to altered states of consciousness and research by Lyz Cooper, Founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy which aligned with participatory accounts of the ways in which Sound, showed statistically significant effects such as transcendence of time and space, joy, muscle relaxation, and visual imagery. Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) involve temporary changes in brainwave frequencies, naturally occurring or induced by factors like meditation and sound therapy, which allow for immersion and immersive environments for installations.

Much like Qawwali The ney flute is deeply associated with Sufi Islam and is used to communicate spiritual thoughts. The ney’s cry-like sound is frequently noted, demonstrating its voice-like quality.. Even those who are not religious are interested in learning to play the ney in Turkey, where it originated. The ney’s mystical and spiritual qualities are now employed to promote music and instruments, making it popular not just for its sound but also for its cultural significance – helping me to think about the importance behind bringing it into a modern, multichannel space.

Luminous Tones–Music for Health and Harmony. (2018). Sound-Induced Altered States of Consciousness. [online] Available at: https://www.luminous-tones.com/blog/sound-induced-altered-states-of-consciousness [Accessed 29 Nov. 2023].

Azumi, E. (2017). The Ney: The Middle Eastern Flute. [online] Lark in the Morning. Available at: https://larkinthemorning.com/blogs/articles/the-ney-the-middle-eastern-flute [Accessed 13 Nov. 2023].

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In accordance with Encyclopedia Brittanica – Sama can be defined broadly as the tradition and “practice of listening to music and chanting to reinforce ecstasy and induce mystical trance.” This is of course a very loose definition with the definition being as diverse as the countries in which it is practised.

The most well-known practitioners of Sama are perhaps the Mevlevi order’s Whirling Dervishes. Each person rotates individually as well as moving in a circle. Sama is “selfless expression”—a “fanaa” experience—while art is “self expression.” In Sufism, fanaa (Arabic: فناء‎ fanāʍ) refers to the “annihilation” or “passing away” of the self. (archive.ph, 2012) In many ways – listening within this tradition is given a place of value among in the senses, breaking down hierarchical natures of the senses.

An installation by Arshia Fatima Haq explores this – inspired by a Sufi shrine, she creates an immersive setting using music, textural layers, and graphics to create a space for interactive spiritual experiences.

Through the use of music, textural layers, and image she re-creates an environment – one of the characteristics of immersion (Chinmay Rajguru, Obrist and Memoli, 2020). She gives an audience a version of the real thing allowing them to use occupy the space in a way the artist would want. I found the use of the turntables interesting – in many ways in breaks the immersion, especially with something trying to portray a traditional setting and I think its important to understand the significance of that – the bringing of the modern into traditional and whether or not it is of significance.

In relation to an old tradition, Sama is a kind of meditation on God that involves attention on melodies and dance. It awakens a person’s love for God, cleanses the soul, and is described as a means of discovering God. This practise, rather than eliciting feelings, is claimed to disclose what is already in one’s heart. All doubt vanishes, and the heart and soul can interact directly with God. Sama’s immediate goal is to achieve wajd, a trance-like state of euphoria Physically, this state may include erratic movements, excitement, and various sorts of dancing.Another state attained by sama’ is khamra, which means “spiritual drunkenness.” People eventually seek to accomplish the revelation of mysteries and spiritual knowledge through wajd. (Nurudeen Lamini, 2023)

Upon research into Islamic art, i came across an extremely fascinating article by Roger Burrows who theorises the geometric patterns within Islamic art have meaning. With the use of the Abjad number system Burrows translates the artwork with the use of an old Arabic root dictionary.

“Roger Burrows in his book “The Arabs”, imagine that the use of the Abjad system to store coded messages in Islamic geometric designs is the true basis of these beautiful Islamic geometric patterns. he Abjad system is a type of writing system where each symbol always or usually stands for a consonant, leaving the reader to supply the appropriate vowel, allowing messages to appear only to those who know of and can decipher the system.“

“where the close packing is limited to the area shown in the first line drawing. The master craftsmen then drew in the core numbers in terms of five and ten sided polygons. After that there is more complex development of five and ten sided rosettes drawn within the five and ten sided polygons. The above, three, line drawings show the first steps of the construction. There were, apparently, a number of primary design systems used to embed messages and then a methodology for applying them“

He uses the 5 and 10 numeric values and creates meaning often finding that the translation relates to the surrounding environment in which the artwork is within.This shows the captivating intersection of Islamic art, geometry, and language, specifically through Roger Burrows’ exploration of the Abjad number system within these intricate designs.

It shows a fascinating viewpoint that views geometric patterns as a type of language. When shapes are carefully arranged and interwoven, they take on symbolic meaning. In order to understand this language, the Abjad number system is presented, indicating that the geometric patterns are more than just decorative—rather, they contain decipherable messages. In relation to Sound, this gives the images audible value through the use of vocal readability.

“In Islamic art the geometric figure of the circle represents the primordial symbol of unity and the ultimate source of all diversity in creation. The natural division of the circle into regular divisions is the ritual starting point for many traditional Islamic patterns, as demonstrated in the drawings below.” (Artofislamicpattern.com, 2023)

SOURCES:

admin (2012). ABJAD Designs Store Coded Messages. [online] Roger Burrows | Keynote speaker and lecturer. Author ‘3D Thinking in Design and Architecture from Antiquity to the Future.’ Developer of 3D geometries. Also runs ideation workshops.. Available at: https://rogerburrowsimages.com/2012/06/abjad-designs/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2023].

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