Tag: Moors

The next highlight moment came during a private concert that I offered in Tavira, Portugal in an apartment that was very typical of the architecture of the Algarve (Southern Portugal). The floors were tiled, and the walls were white plaster with tile interspersed throughout. While tuning up, I noticed how “active” the space sounded, and my hostess commented on the influence that the Moors had on the world renown tile tradition, called Azulejo, of Portugal. The Moors entered Portugal in the south near Tavira, and their influence can be seen in many spots in town.

The Indian music that I play (called Dhrupad) has a loose historical connection to Islam and many of the famous players of the sarod were Muslim. Although the music of the Moors and Dhrupad evolved separately, I found there to be a profound connection in the way that my sarod sounded in a space made up of Moorish tile, the same type of tile found in the Muslim temples of Pakistan, West Bengal, and Bangladesh.

I offered Yaman. The walls and floor reverberated in a way that I can’t quite explain. Let’s just say that my sarod had found a happy place.

Next Session: Cordas World Music Festival – Biblioteca da Madalena (Pico, Island, Azores, Portugal) October 2, 2025

I am overflowing with gratitude for the opportunity to have offered up the soulful healing of the sarod to so many over the past few months. It seemed like every session was a highlight moment only to be eclipsed (intended pun) by the following session.

The first highlight moment was a session at Tamera, a very special intentional community in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Tamera boasts a stone circle containing 96 massive stones and a morphogenic field of love and healing that the community has held with intention for over 30 years. Needless to say, it’s a special place with a vibration that is certainly potent.

I had the opportunity offer a session on the 7th of September during a lunar eclipse. When the session began, clouds hung heavy in the sky. During the rendering of Megh, it rained for a little bit, and after Chandrakauns, we noticed that the moon was out in full glory with not a cloud in the sky. Although we could not see the eclipse in Southern Portugal, I certainly felt it and those in attendance commented on it.

Next Session: Tavira, Portugal September 17, 2025