On 17 December 1273, in the Turkish city of Konya, the great mystic poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi breathed his last. Rumi, one of the greatest Persian poets ever and author of the epic poem Mathnawi, is still highly influential and is in fact one of the most widely read poets in the United States. He has inspired many individuals on many journeys, both spiritual and creative, not least Jan Hendrickse and Dirk Campbell, who make up the core of the World Wind Band that will performing at the Manoel Theatre on Tuesday.

Rumi was born in modern day Afghanistan, an area which in his time was part of the vast Seljuk Empire. This empire spread from Turkey to Pakistan, an area rich in musical tradition. From this area come some of the oldest wind instruments in the world, and it is these instruments that make up the distinctive sound of the World Wind Band. Among their wide repertoire of instruments we find the kaval (Turkey), sorna (Iran), duduk (Armenia) and the ney (Kurdestan).

There can be no doubt that the Persian tradition placed a lot of importance on the symbolism of wind instruments, especially the reed which produces the sound on most wind instruments. In fact, Rumi opens his epic masterpiece with the line “Listen to the reed and the tale it tells, how it sings of separation...”. This, line is the title and inspiration for the World Wind Band’s programme. The reed in Rumi’s poetry becomes a symbol for the human being who is always seeking its origin.

The Word Wind Band’s music is no ordinary ethnic fusion. Rumi’s soul-seeking is translated into a musical journey where the mystic and the exotic mingle with the contemporary. Apart from using traditional ethnic instruments, they also employ traditional melodies and forms from all over the world. In addition they also have a number of original compositions. Ever since its inception in 2003, the World Wind Band has been

committed to the dissemination of traditional woodwind instruments through

concerts, collaborative projects and educational

projects.

This concert is a collaboration between the Manoel Theatre and the British Council. The performance starts at 7:30pm, and tickets start from Lm3. Tickets can be bought from the box office, which can be contacted by phoning on 2122 2618 or by e-mail on [email protected]. Alternatively, one can buy tickets on-line by logging on to www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.