Members of the group Jawa strive to preserve and reinterpret the musical heritage of the Syrian city of Aleppo, an ancient spiritual tradition whose existence is currently threatened by the war in Syria. The rich Sufi musical tradition has been passed down orally from generation to generation for decades. Today, this art of Sufi masters is in decline, which makes its preservation all the more important.
The musicians of the ensemble Jawa, who are currently based in Belgium, share the traditions of their ancestors beyond their homeland. To the style originally performed a cappella, they gradually added musical instruments, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences. Jawa approaches this music from a personal perspective and gives it their own vision, while maintaining the traditional forms of the Sufi muwashah style combined with oriental rhythms and maqams.
In 2023, they recorded a successful album entitled Last Breaths from Aleppo. The material from this album will be presented in an arrangement for a quartet consisting of Khaled Alhafez – vocals, percussion, Youssef Nassif – qanun, Tammam Alramadan – ney, and Marwan Fakir – violin.
In addition, a whirling dervish will perform with these virtuoso musicians, whose repetitive spinning movements imitate planets orbiting the Sun. Through this meditative dance, he celebrates God and His creation in divine unity. Their concert is not only a musical performance, but also an act of cultural resistance, spiritual continuity, and the safeguarding of a fragile tradition, which they carry beyond borders and across generations.
19 September at 7:00 PM, Mierové námestie
Free admission
World music fusion: JAWA (SY) was financially supported by the City of Trenčín, the Trenčín Self-Governing Region, and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. The project is partnered by the European Union.
Photo and video recordings will be made during the event and published afterwards.
