MUMBAI: NCPA is known to be the centre of arts and culture in the city of Mumbai. For decades, the venue has hosted shows and festivals that have included flavours of folk, fusion, classical and contemporary cultures through music and drama. This time round, NCPA will bring the Sufi music festival- Sama’a, which is all about connecting with the divine through music.

With an aim to offering its patrons a taste of the varied forms of music tradition, the NCPA started its annual Sufi Music Festival, Sama'a: The Mystic Ecstasy, in December 2009.

One of a very few holistic Sufi music festivals in the country, Sama’a will showcase Sufiana songs by celebrated Bollywood singer Kailash Kher, dargahi qawwalis, dance presentation based on Sufi whirling, poetry recitation and film screening.

Other artistes like Muzaffar Ali, Ziya Azazi and Warsi brothers will also be featured at the festival, which will take place from 7 to 9 November 2014.

Renowned Bollywood musician, Kailash Kher, who also has influences in folk music, will present a collection of ‘sufiana’ compositions from traditional repertoire and also songs based in Bollywood.Muzaffar Ali is a recipient of the Padma Shri award, who is not only a film-maker but also a fashion designer, a poet, an artiste and a social worker. The event will see two documentary film screenings by him, called ‘India, the garden of saints’ and ‘Nisbat’. The documentaries will offer a glimpse of the ‘dargahs’ and shrines in the city, along with their history, highlighting the contribution of Sufi mystics in spreading the message of humanity and love. Additionally, there will also be a screening of ‘Breathe into Me’, along with a poetry recitation by Padma Shri Ali.

Turkish born Austrian dancer and choreographer Ziya Azazi will showcase a solo performance which will be a contemporary interpretation of traditional Sufi dance, reflecting the artiste’s personal, artistic, conceptual and motional analysis.

Nasir and Nazir Ahmed Khan Warsi (Warsi brothers), who have performed on various prestigious stages, will present ‘dargahi qawwalis’ composed by various Sufi saints.