Jawa refuses to let it disappear: the incredibly beautiful, tradition-rich, and poetic Sufi music of Aleppo, which has faced hard times during the war in Syria. Experience it live when the ensemble, comprising six musicians and a single Sufi dancer, takes the stage at ALICE.

Jawa’s beautiful, poetic, and meditative sound is rooted in Sufi philosophy, where music and ritual are deeply intertwined. This tradition has been threatened by the Syrian war, with its masters gradually vanishing from the scene. That’s why the ensemble has made it their mission to preserve – as well as to renew –the musical heritage of Sufism. In line with tradition, the musicians of Jawa, Khaled Alhafez, Yousef Zayed, Youssef Nassif, Tammam Alramadan, Simon Leleux, and Marwan Fakir, are joined by a dancer on stage: the dervish Hatem Al Jamal. Like his ancestors before him, he performs the spiritual whirling dance, wearing a long skirt and moving in repeated, whirling motions in a symbolic imitation of planets orbiting the sun.

Sufi music was originally performed a cappella. Jawa, however, brings instruments to the stage, including the oud (a lute-like string instrument), the qanun (similar to a zither), and the nay (a long flute). The result is a beautiful and distinctive reinterpretation: Jawa makes the tradition their own, allowing the music to resonate anew across generations and borders. For Jawa, it’s not only about preserving the musical tradition of Sufism – it’s also an act of cultural and spiritual resilience. Look forward to a moving musical experience with deep Syrian roots when the ensemble takes the stage!