World

Circling, turning, whirling in their quest to draw closer to God: for centuries, Sufi dervishes in the Syrian city of Aleppo have practised their ecstatic dance rituals in pursuit of divine perfection. Passed down orally over generations, this tradition has come under threat since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. With their programme Last Breaths from Aleppo, the band Jawa seeks to preserve the spiritual heritage of the Sufis whilst bringing a personal, contemporary perspective to its music.