LAHORE, Oct 26: The four-day Mystic Music Festival, a regular feature of city’s cultural scene for the last 10 years, will open at the Rafi Peer Cultural Complex on Nov 8.

The festival will bring together a diverse group of Sufi singers from all over Pakistan to showcase Sufi poetry and music that was created more than a thousand years ago. This year there is a single international participation in the festival from Syria – ‘Tehleela’ troupe of Whirling Dervaish.

This music activity is being organised by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy. The festival was launched 10 years ago to promote Sufi music in the country because it is an effective tool to bring about revolutionary changes in society.

Starting Nov 8, the festival will bring more than 300 Sufi singers from every province to perform various styles of expressions and participate in an effort of change. It will grab the attention of people for various forms of Sufi singing and devotional expressions and give a deeper picture of our peaceful Islamic insight.

“The event will be helpful in taking us beyond the opaque labels of extremist and facilitates us in promoting cultural activities and improves the soft image of our country,” say organisers.

Faizan Pirzada, the creative director of the festival, told Dawn that the RPTW through this festival wanted to promote the message of Sufi poets among people. “These festivals organised by the RPTW provide a vital chance to understand the sensitivity of their poetry, the wisdom expressed in their words and phrases, and their foresightedness gives hope to humanity,” he said.

“Whether it is poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah, Shah Abdul Latif or the kalaam of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh and Waris Shah, the message is one of peace.”

The performers are Mehr Ali, Sahar Ali Qawals, Shaukat Dholi, Chand Suraj Khan, Hussain Bakhsh Gullo, Ustad Amir Ali, Bushra Marvi, Akhbar Khan Khamesu, Wahdat A. Ramees, Arif Lohar, Akhtar Chinar, Zarssangha, Taj Mastani, Goongha Mithu Sain, Nawab Khan, Shah Jo Raag Fakirs, Saeen Zahoor, Sanam Marvi, Imran Aziz Mian Qawal, Papu Sain, Taj Buladi, Mahmood Qawal, Mansoor Malangi, Surraya Khanum, Rizwan Muazam, Rafaqat Ali Khan, Ghulam Muhammad Chand, Mian Meeni, Krishan Lal Bheel and Jamalludin Faqir.