MUMABI: The much awaited Sufi and mystic music all-India fest 'Ruhaniyat'will kick start on 19 November at Purana Qila, Delhi.

Ruhaniyat in its eleventh year will be held across seven cites Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad. The music fest will feature talents from across the country, like the Dewaram of Madurai, Waee from Kutch, Kabirbani from Bikaner, Shabd from Jalandhar, Boro-geet from Assam and many more.  The guest artistes for the fest will be Vaya Quartet and Polyphony from Bulgaria, Whirling dervishes from Turkey, Farid Ayaz Qawwal from Pakistan and Mystic dancers from Egypt.

Banyan Tree Events director and one of Ruhaniyat organizers Nandini Mahesh said, "This is our way of giving something different to people, by discovering newer forms of Sufiana and mystic music. As a rule, we don't have any stars or established artistes performing at Ruhaniyat. We only have real practitioners, mitti se jude hue log. We don't want the focus to shift from music and talent to stars. It's a different thing that people who perform here become stars later."

Ruhaniyat, which was started 10 years ago by Mahesh Babu, director, Banyan Tree Events, has now become a launch pad for Indian musicians to get to the international festivals. The first concert was organized in Mumbai 10 years ago, and since then, it has featured several artistes related to Sufi and mystic music from various far-flung corners of the country and abroad.

NEW DELHI

19th November 2011, Purana Quila, Delhi

Zikr-e-Rifayi - Fakirs (Andhra Pradesh)

Jikir-Jari - Hafiza Begum Choudhury & Group (Assam)

Baul Songs - Parvathy Baul (West Bengal)

Sema - Whirling Dervishes (Turkey)

Kabirbani - Mukhtiyar Ali & Group (Rajasthan)

Sufi Qawwali - Fareed Ayaz & Group (Pakistan)

MUMBAI

26th November 2011, Horniman Circle Gardens, Fort, Mumbai.

Zikr -e- Rifayi - Fakirs (Hyderabad)

Kabirbani - Mukhtiyar Ali & Group (Bikaner)

Baul Songs  - Parvathy Baul (West Bengal)

Sema  -  Whirling Dervishes (Turkey)

Polyphony songs - Vaya Quartet (Bulgaria)

Qawwali  -  Warasi Brothers & Group (Hyderabad)

27th November 2011, Horniman Circle Gardens, Fort, Mumbai.

Shabad  - Ashupreet Kaur & Group (Jalandhar)

Waee  - Sumar Khan & group (Kutch)

Devaram Hymns - Nayanmars (Madurai)

Sema - Whirling Dervishes (Turkey)

Polyphony songs - Vaya Quartet (Bulgaria)

Qawwali - Shabbir Taj (Kanpur)

KOLKATA

3rd December 2011, Tollygunge Club Ltd., Deshapran Sasmal Rd, Kolkata.

Sufi Kalam - Nanak Shah & Manak Ali (Punjab)

Baithi dhamal & Mystic drums - Siddhi Goma (Africa)

Baul Songs - Parvathy Baul (West Bengal)

Sufi Kalam - Rizmat-Barkat & Group (Rajasthan)

Sema - Whirling Dervishes (Turkey)

Sufi Qawwali - Nizami Brothers & Group (Delhi)

Other cities details yet to be announced.