The 18th
Rumi by Candlelight
New Release: The Guest House
Our first YouTube video is live. Subscribe for future studio recordings and live performances:
“At any gathering I am there,
mingling in the laughing and grieving,
a friend to each.”
A theologian turned mystic, a mystic turned lover: when Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī Rumī (1207–73) met the wandering dervish Shams-i Tabrīzī, his metaphysical reality was upended and the yearning for the Beloved rekindled in his heart. Rumi found himself in the moanings of a reed flute pulled away from the reedbed, longing to go back. Rumi’s heart, intoxicated by this longing, spoke thousands of lines of ecstatic and lamenting poetry, romancing the Beloved.
A few hundred years later, Rumi’s rhapsodies found their echoes resonating with a small group of creatives, instrumentalists, and poets. Invigorated by his poetry, Rumi by Candlelight came together in early 2007 to set original music to recitations of Rumi’s poetry. Using the West African kora, the bansuri flute of the Indian subcontinent, the European piano, and both English and Persian words, these creatives manifested Rumi’s message of unity and harmony in a whole new dimension.
We’re excited to share our latest album, now available for streaming. It’s a heartfelt journey of serene melodies and rich harmonies crafted for moments of peace and reflection. We hope it brings you as much joy and solace as it has brought us. Happy listening!
