The heart is deeper than the rivers and seas Who has fathomed the heart! Everything is there in it Ships and storms, oars and boatmen. There, in the heart, is the whole wide wold Vast like a tent outstretched He who learns the secrets of the heart come to know God

• Sultan Bahu, a 16th century mystical poet of Punjab.

I was talking to a friend earlier about Sufi Music and was making seemingly outrageous comments like there have been no sufi music concerts from which I have not walked away, without love bursting from my heart.

Anyway I want to put down my experiences of my brush with Sufi music. The first crack at Sufi Music came when Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan hit it big via some remix stuff on the Indian music charts. His voice was too powerful for the remix spin nonsense they tried to put on top of the real thing.

Then at a SPICMACAY festival I saw a full qawaali ensemble perform. It was sheer magic, in a hall where people were suppose to sit in a typical Indian style; cross legged without shoes on, as they listened to music. With no offense to the musicans in question, there were a few musicians who put large sections of the audience asleep previously. And this was an audience who was at a level dedicated to such music.

But at this performance, there was sheer rapture. The music went on all evening, hypnotic clapping mixed with, what to the very casual listener sounds as wailing, it's wailing but for the divine. And when I walked out into the night, I still remember how full I felt, as if some hunger had been satisfied.

The next encounter with Sufi music came while watching the movie, Dead Man Walking. I think what made that movie that extra powerful is the soundtrack, with Nusrath again doing the honors. Face of Love and the Long Road Home are simply two great songs. I have heard these two many times since and I have given them away on CDs I have made etc etc. The fundamental principle in Sufi Music is this mystical longing for Love. And then doing this using a very personal concept of the divine; usually apporaching it through the heart than the mind.

(to be contd)