Second half of a very full first day: walk, meshk/zhikr, feast

Meshk at Ismael Baba's ( from left to right: Katherine Golitzen, Dujha, Ismael Baba, Ibrahim Farajaje)



Ishmael Baba (Cimen) is one of the "artists in residence" accompanying us on our trip. He's a hafez and a muezzin who also plays ney and tells a fierce story. He's lived an intense life which includes having been a blind homeless child, an initiate of Muzafer Effendi (Jerrahi), and a muezzin at the Blue Mosque. Everywhere we go in Turkey, they give him the mic! He lives in New York, Istanbul, and Brazil. In clips below, we are walking with him from Sultanahmet to his neighborhood for our first meshk, which is like a zhikr jam session. Further below there are some links to some pretty amazing music and our own semazen whirling.

Dujha is our other artist in residence. She is a Sufi from Mexico City who teaches us illahis in Spanish and pierces hearts with the pure cry of her devotional song.

Walking in Istanbul:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HeDeUkj_lY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncz29udvzqQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAXOypYkHf0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9lKaimguio


Ishmael Baba told us a story of how this house had been abandoned since the '60s when he bought it 5 years ago at an amazingly reasonable price. He had to cart out 55 truck loads of garbage. The he invested another very reasonable amount in massive renovations, and now he owns this beautiful home. We were all entranced with the stairway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x18ou3lJUP0


View from the window, locals get a shave while we set up for meshk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZeGOLKJ-1E


First I am including highlights from the evening. If you have time for a more realistic flow of the evening, and want more of the meshk experience,I have posted a more chronological sequence further below. First, our highlights (imho):

Pilgrims sing our theme song for the first time together: gel, gel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekD608KU8Yk



Dujha pierces hearts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0V4XHQMug



Ishmael Baba freestyles at his meshk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQSqQiQ93-g


Dujha's Ikhlas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X14oOyZCph8




A more complete chronology (if human and techno memory serve):
The pilgrims gather for meshk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBt2u1vpbs
Pilgrims sing our theme song for the first time together: gel, gel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekD608KU8Yk
Pilgrims learn illahis (pre-meshk practice)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SDV9UIIqrE
illahis in Spanish too (more practice)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beHM3ZqMbFs
getting started
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5rGvI6Vy6s
Ismael Baba Cimen on the Nay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drzn9dByn-0
Dujha pierces hearts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0V4XHQMug
whirling hem in 3 movements
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q2O4mSa_Rs
Dujha's Ikhlas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X14oOyZCph8