Shumaila Hemani

Sufi mystics' wisdom aims to unshackle the mind from the barriers that reinforce inequities based on race, gender, class, religion, ethnicity, and empowers people to live their Divine calling in this world.  As a result of their power over people, Muslim orthodoxy has resented Sufi poets. In the contemporary world, elite structures, including corporate, intellectual, and spiritual elites, have exploited Sufi poetry and sounds to serve their agendas. Yet, these poems' beauty lies in their simplicity that connects a person with their place of inner truth and empowers them to fight the barriers and inequities they confront to realize their inner calling. Every person has a higher purpose in this world, and Sufi singing would bring you closer to your calling in ways that will enable you to shine your inner light even more brightly. This 12-week transformational journey called Sufi Singing for Self-Empowerment will empower you to challenge your life's status quo and contribute towards creating a just society.   

In this course, we will learn about Sufi poetry and sing Sufi verses from South Asia using an understanding of raag and taal. This course does not require any pre-requisite in music. We will create an inter-cultural and inter-faith space to initiate a discussion about how the wisdom of Sufi poets can keep us more grounded in these trying times.  The classes will explore common themes and tropes in South Asian Sufi poetry based on the instructor's ethnographic research at the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and learning from two master musicians in Sindh, Pakistan.