Festival Orient 2013

African Round III
December 26, 2011
Klaaspärlimäng 2015
June 30, 2014

LogoOrient200

The first ever concentrated show of oriental music in Estonia, a tradition going back to the year 1992, has brought the most authentic performers from India, Siberia, Middle East, Central Asia, Far East, and South East Asia. It is certainly a leading musical event in the Baltic States where music lovers can enjoy performers like Hariprasad Chaurasia, ensemble Kodō, Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar, Jivan Gasparyan, ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu, Alim Qasimov, Burhan Öçal, Sevara Nazarkhan, Gyuto and Gyume Buddhist monks, Wu Man, etc. Keep a close eye on our website and advertising – the show goes on.

ORIENT
International Festival of Oriental Music
SHRINE AT BAZAAR
May 29th − June 2nd, 2013
Rotermann square, Tallinn

Wed, May 29th at 7 pm Orient tent, Rotermann square
Armenian Traditional Music Ensemble GOUSSAN
The Korean Traditional Performing Art Group JAN CHI MA DANG (percussion, dance, songs)

Ensemble GOUSSAN
Haïg Sarikouyoumdjian (duduk, blul)
Gaguik Mouradian (kamancha)
Bruno Caillat (drums zarb and dap)
Program: Middle Ages music of Armenian troubadours and bards (goussan)

Goussan trio’s musicians introduce us to the Middle Ages music of troubadours and bards (goussan). The dialogue of their traditional instruments carry us away on an imaginary journey towards the magnificent landscapes of Armenia, dominated by the proud Mount Ararat. The musicians make us discover the repertoire of the Achoughs, the troubadours at the court as well as the one of the Goussans, consisting of the popular poetry. Their music is inspired by Sayat Nova and other troubadours of the Caucase.
The repertoire, rich and refined, is given value by the authenticity of the interpretation which is gained thanks to ancient instruments such as the kamancha (a 4-stringed “violin”), the duduk (a cylindrical in shape woodwind instrument) joined by the subtle sounds of zarb.
Heirs of the troubadours, musicians and poets, attached to the different kingdoms of the Middle East or West-Asia, the goussans named later ashik, composed in Armenian, Persian, Turkish or Georgian. These troubadours, first related to heathen religious ceremonies, to the resurrection of the Gods, as Mourané, the Mother of the Armenians and her son Guissiané from which the term “goussan” derives from, they explore today themes such as: philosophy, love in all it’s component, society and epic. Their art is passed on from master to disciple by a long individual and oral teaching.
Oscillation between reality and imagination, this opus presents a mosaic of tonality, assembled from time to time to explore a key/mode, a rhythm, an author or a theme.

player Duduk solo, fragm, 2 min 25 sec, mp3
player Sayat Nova, fragm, 2 min 50 sec, mp3

The Korean Traditional Performing Art Group
JAN CHI MA DANG
Artistic director Seo Gwang-il
Program: Play 1 Exorcism, Play 2 Exiting Entertainment

Jan Chi Ma Dang was established in 1992 in Incheon Metropolitan City and is distinguished for its great instrumental abilities, creativity and performance skills. Besides presenting the Korean traditional rituals, the repertoire of the ensemble consists also of many colourful percussion performances, crossover art etc. Jan Chi Ma Dang offers master classes on Korean traditional performing art and on Korean classical music (gukak).  The activities of the ensemble is based on deep awareness of the repertoire and constant studies of the Korean cultural heritage in order to introduce Korean traditional plays and music all around the world.

Jan Chi Ma Dang is a prize-winner of several national competitions. The group has been invited to perform in many festivals and other East music and cultural events in France, Denmark, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan, Finland, Lithuania, also Australia and America.

Seo Gwang-il, artistic director of the group graduated from the Korean Traditional Music Graduate School of Chungang University and completed his studies in Seoul National University. He is an expert and performer of the Namasadang play – an intangible performing art genre among the Korean cultural heritage. Seo Gwang-il is a winner of the Seoul Drum Festival Percussion Competition. He is the director of the Incheon branch of Korean Traditional Performing Art Association and the artistic director of Korean traditional music festival Bupyeong Pungmul. He works as an instructor at the centre of education and development of performing art affiliated the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The first part of the Jan Chi Ma Dang’s performance Exorcism introduces ceremonial songs and dances that relieve the spirit of a dead person and console the livings. The ancient rituals representing life and death, peoples’ and gods’ world tie the whole universe into one.
The second part Exiting Entertainment focuses on Samulnori – traditional music performed by 4 classical percussions (Kkwaenggwari – small gong, jing – big gong, janggu – hourglass-shaped drum, buk – barrel-shaped drum), Korean folk dance with fans Chook won mu and Ah-ri-rang, hundreds of years old love song (the title can be translated as “beautiful lover” or “a person so dearly missed”).

Thu, May 30th at 7 pm in Viljandi Folk Music Center
The Korean Traditional Performing Art Group
JAN CHI MA DANG
Program: see above

Thu, May 30th at 7 pm Orient Tent, Rotermann square
Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan vīnā, India)
Pandit Subhen Chatterjee (tablā, India)
Peeter Vähi (tānpūrā)

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (b 1950), a long time student of Ravi Shankar is an Indianslide guitar player and the creator of the Mohan vīnā, a stringed musical instrument used in Indian classical music. He performs Hindustani classical music and is best known for his Grammy award winning album A Meeting by the River with Ry Cooder. He is also known for other collaborations with Western artists such as Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas. Exposure such as an appearance on the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival, organized by Eric Clapton, allows his playing to reach a larger audience. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2002. Acoustic Guitar magazine praised him as “one of the greatist and mostly expressive slide player in the world”.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. His elder son Salil Bhatt is a renowned Mohan vīnā player (and also a player of the Satvik vīnā), whose album Slide to Freedom part II was nominated for the Canadian Juno Award and also featured in pre-Grammy nominations list, while his younger son Saurabh Bhatt is a well known composer. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s grandson Satvik Bhatt is also a musician and a Limca Book Of World Record holder for being world’s youngest Mohan vīnā player at the age of 3 and a half years and also for identifying 45 rāgas at the age of 3 and a half years. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s parents late Manmohan Bhatt and late Chandrakala Bhatt were also teaching and performing musicians who imparted knowledge of music to Pt V M Bhatt. His brother Hemant Bhatt is also a renowned musician. He has been travelling across the world all these years and helped in raising the level of indian classical music in different places, such as Guwahati, Shillong etc. His nephew, Krishna Bhatt, plays the sitār and tablā.

The Mohan vīnā is a stringed musical instrument used in Indian classical music. It derives its name from its inventor Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. The instrument is actually a modified archtop guitar with 19 strings – three melody strings, four drone strings strung to the peghead, and twelve sympathetic strings strung to the tuners mounted on the side of the neck. A gourd (or the tumba) is screwed into the back of the neck for improved sound quality and vibration. It is held in the lap like a slide guitar. The Mohan vīnā is under tremendous tension. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has created a sound that blends the western Hawaiin guitar with sitār, sarod and vīnā techniques.

Fri, May 31st at 7 pm Orient tent, Rotermann square
JABBAR GARYAGDY MUGAM TRIO (Azerbaijan)
LOVE, PAIWAN TRIBE (Taiwan)
Live recording by Estonian Public Broadcasting

JABBAR GARYAGDY MUGAM TRIO
Melekkhanim Eyubova (mugam-singer)
Fakhraddin Dadashov (kemancha)
Mohlet Muslumov (tar)
Program:
Azerbaijan traditional mugams

Melekkhanim Eyubova, a well-known Azerbaijan mugam-singer, was born in Shamakhy city. She started her music studies with playing on accordion and as a choir soloist under the leadership of A Javanshirov. From 1979 to 1984, she completed her studies in the Faculty of Musical Comedy of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts. From 1980 to 1985, she was a soloist of the Folklore Ensemble Irs at the Ancient Music Theatre, and since 1985, a soloist of S Rustamov National Instruments Orchestra at the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio Company and the member of the Jabbar Garyagdy Mugam Trio. She has appeared on concert programs in many countries, such as USA, Germany, Australia, France, Turkey, Romania, Belarus, Latvia, Sweden, Iran, Iraq, Holland, Belgium, Russia etc. In 1995, she played the title role of Leyli in Hajibeyli’s opera Leyli and Majnun at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Melekkhanim Eyubova has worked at the Mugam Chair of the Azerbaijan State Culture and Art University as a docent there for over 10 years. Her Mugam albums were recorded in Germany, France and Turkey. She has awarded several scholarships, such as President Scholarship and Heydar Aliyev Foundation Scholarship and the title of Honoured Artist and People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan Republic. 

Fakhraddin Dadashov (kemancha) graduated from the the class of kemancha from the U Hajibeyov Azerbaijan National Conservatoire. Since 1966, he has been a concert master of A. Bakikhanov National Music Instruments Orchestra at the Azerbaijan Television and Radio. His recordings have published in several countries, such as Holland, France, Germany, Italy and Canada. He is the laureate of international festivals held in France in 1988 and 1998. Fakhraddin Dadashov had concert tours in almost 50 countries, including Canada, the USA, Nicaragua, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Norway, Austria, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Morocco, etc. He is a soloist of the Jabbar Garyagdy Mugam Trio and a docent at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. Since 2000, he is the Honoured Artist and since 2005 the People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Mohlet Muslumov (tar or tarzen) graduated from the National Music Instruments Faculty of the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. In 1975, he was a soloist of the S Rustamov Orchestra of National Music Instruments. Since 1988, he is a soloist of the Jabbar Garyagdy Mugam Trio of the M Maghomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic society. He has been teaching at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire since 1988 and is currently a docent of the Mugam Chair. He is Artistic Director of the A Bakikhanov National Music Instruments Orchestra of the State Television and Radio JSC. M Muslumov, renowned for his skills and mastership, has represented Azerbaijan national music for a long time at various international festivals. He has performed in Turkey, Russia, France, the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Scotland, Belgium, Hungary, Thailand, Israel, India, Tunis, Morocco, Poland, Romania and in numerous cities of the former Soviet Union. Over 20 of his CDs have been recorded in foreign countries and broadcasted by national and foreign radio stations. M. Muslumov was awarded the title of Honoured Artist in 2000 and People’s Artist in 2005.He is a President Scholar since 2006.

Listen to the live recording of Melekkhanim Eyubova

LOVE, PAIWAN TRIBE
A Musical Journey with the Paiwan
Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj, Camake Valaule, Taiwu Singers (pakulalu, lalindan, bamboo / yellow copper jew’s harp, kunkunsi)
Program: Ancient rituals, worships and wedding celebration

There are now 14 recognized indigenous tribes in Taiwan. Each of them has distinctive culture that differentiates from one tribe to another. The Paiwan, the third largest group living at the southern end of the Central Mountain Range in Taiwan, are famous for their exquisite beadwork designs, intricate weaving and ancient musical heritage.
In this performance, there will be a story thread connecting different themes about the romance of two Paiwan lovers in noble class. It will consist of Paiwan ancient melodies performed vocally or by instruments. The seamless performance of 50 minutes will be like a miniature of Paiwan lovers’ romance journey with mixed emotions of joy and sadness from their first encounter to wedding ceremony in ancient tribal life. During the concert, the audience will be able to experience the Paiwan culture through the purest voice of Paiwan indigenous singers and various Paiwan ancient instruments.
As a living civilization, the Paiwan has preserved very unique ancient musical instruments such as lalingedan (double-barreled noseflute), pakulalu/palinged (single-barreled mouthflute), bamboo/yellow copper jaw harp, kunkunsi (musical bow) etc.

Sauniaw300Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj is from the Maliba tribe of Paiwan. She is currently studying aboriginal music, specializing in Paiwan’s pakulalu and lalingedan. In the past, only prestigious Paiwanese males could perform lalingedan and palinged. Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj is the first Paiwanese woman and the only female disciple of the last Paiwan master Sujalu who discarded the rules and taught her the techniques. Since that time Sauniaw devoted herself to promote Paiwan music.
Sauniaw’s first album NASI in 2007 was highly acclaimed. It was nominated for the “Best Aboriginal Singers” and “Best Aboriginal Album” in the 19th Golden Melody Awards in 2008. Her latest album, Listen! The Clear Voice of an Indigenous Woman, was published in December 2011 and nominated in the 23rd Golden Awards as best indigenous album and she as the best indigenous singer.
Not only being a singer but also a researcher to study and document Paiwan music instruments, Sauniaw has been officially listed as the preserver of Paiwan Pakualu and Lalingedan by Pingtung County in Taiwan since 2011.

Camake Valalue and the Taiwu Singers

The Taiwu Folk Singers from the North Dawu Mountain, Paiwan’s sacred mountain, was founded in 2006. Led by Camake Valaule, they encouraged their tribe’s people with singing even when their school was completely ruined by Typhoon Morakot.
Throughout years, Camake has collected nearly 50 ancient Paiwan songs with various themes from the elderly in the tribe.
The album Singing a Beautiful Song recorded in 2006 was nominated in the 18th Golden Melody Awards. The ensemble has toured around  the Europe (Belgium, France, Germany and Luxemburg) in 2009. In 2011, they were voted one of the world’s top five performance group of Japan Broadcast Corp’s Amazing Voice Program and their first two-volume crossover  CDs Where the Songs Begin  was published.

player YouTube “Love, Paiwan” – A Musical Journey with the Paiwan


Sat, June 1st at 7 pm Orient tent, Rotermann square
WHIRLING DERVISHES OF THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS (Syria)
Program: Syrian Sufi traditions, whirling dance
Live recording by Estonian Public Broadcasting

WhirlingDervishesSheikh Hamed Suleiman Dawood (spiritual leader, lead singer), Diaa Eddin Dawood, Hasan Dawood, Omar al Chikh, Mohamad Naij al Rais (singers), Ziad Kadi Amin (nay), Imad Harirah (qānūn), Ahmad al Bizm (perc), Mahmoud al Kharrat, Bilal al Kharrat (dervish-dancers)

The practice of Sufi whirling, is a twirling meditation that originated among the ancient Indian mystics and Turkish Sufis, which is still practiced by the dervishes (members of Sufi ascetic religious tarika or “confraternities” known for their extreme poverty and austerity) of the Mevlevi order. The sema represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love to “perfect”. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives to the “perfect”. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation recommended fast of several hours, Sufi whirlers begin with hands crossed onto shoulders and may return their hands to this position if they feel dizzy. They rotate on their left feet in short twists, using the right foot to drive their bodies around the left foot. The left foot is like an anchor to the ground, so that if the whirler loses his or her balance, he or she can think of their left foot, direct attention towards it and regain balance back. The whirling is done on the spot in an anti-clockwise direction, with the right arm held high, palm upwards, and the left arm held low, palm downwards. The body of the whirler is meant to be soft with eyes open, but unfocused so that images become blurred and flowing.

A period of slow rotation is followed by a gradual build up of speed over the next half an hour. Then the whirling takes over. When the whirler is whirling so fast that he or she cannot remain upright, his or her body will fall by itself. The whirler does not consciously make the fall a decision or attempt to arrange the landing in advance; if his or her body is soft he should land softly – and the earth will absorb the energy. If the idea of letting oneself fall is too much for the practitioner then the whirler should allow himself to slow down very slowly. If the whirler has been whirling for an hour then the process of slowing down might take some time. Once the whirler has fallen, the second part of the meditation starts – the unwhirling. Sometime and somewhere, the whirler rolls onto his stomach immediately so that his bare navel is in contact with the earth. The practitioner feels his body blending into the earth like a small child pressed to his mother’s breasts. After the meditation whirlers try to be as quiet and inactive as possible.

See also live video-recording player on YouTube

 

Sat, June 1st at 10 pm in Hobuveski (free entrance, in co-operation with Tallinn Old Town Days)
LOVE, PAIWAN TRIBE (Taiwan)

 

Sun, June 2nd at 12.30 pm, Tallinn Town Hall Square (free entrance, in co-operation with Tallinn Old Town Days)
SHEIKH HAMED SULEIMAN DAWOOD GROUP (Syria)
Program: Great Sufi Tradition

Sufism or tasawwuf, as it is called in Arabic, is generally understood by scholars and Sufis to be the inner, mystical, esoteric, or psycho-spiritual dimension of Islam. In spite of its many variations and voluminous expressions, the essence of Sufi practice is quite simple. It is that the Sufi surrenders to God, in love, over and over; which involves embracing with love at each moment the content of one’s consciousness (one’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings, as well as one’s sense of self) as gifts of God or, more precisely, as manifestations of God. Ṭarīqah (Sufi order) may be associated with Shi’a, Sunni and other currents of Islam, or a combination of multiple traditions. Sufi thought emerged from the Middle East in the VIII cent, but adherents are now found around the world.

DamascusEnsemble

Sufism has produced a large body of poetry in Turkish, Persian and Urdu languages, which notably include the works of Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (1207–1273 AD, a poet, lawyer, and Sufi theologian), as well as numerous traditions of devotional dance, such as Sufi whirling, and music.

Sun, June 2nd at 7 pm Orient tent, Rotermann square
FAIK CHELEBI (tar, Azerbaijan)
MAREWREW & OKI (Japan / Ainu)

Faik Chelebi
Program: Rast, Bayati-Chiraz, Mahur, Chargyakh and Shushtar mugams

FaikChelebi500Faik Chelebi was born in Shekhi, Azerbaijan. He learned to play tar following ancient muğam traditions, taught by well known tar masters Mirza Mansur Mansurov (1887−1967) and Bahram Mansurov (1911−1985). Over the years Faik Chelebi has also worked together with other famous Baku tar players such as Ahmed Bakihhanov (1893−1973) and Hadji Mamedov (1902−1982), Kurban Primov (1880−1965) from Karabakh and Ibad Salmanov (1904−1989) and Maheram Izmilov (1910–1985) from Shekhi. After graduating from Baku Conservatory Faik Chelebi became a soloist and concert-master of the Aserbaijan National Song and Dance Ensemble by State Philharmonic Society, performing with them all around the world. In recent years Faik Chelebi has frequently performed as a soloist in Russia, Europe and the USA, participating also in several tar music projects in Europe, Iran, Indian and Azerbaijan. Faik Chelebi has a doctorate degree in Azerbaijan mugam researches.

Listen to the live recording of Faik Chelebi

MAREWREW & OKI
Rekpo, Hisae, Mayunkiki, Rim Rim (vocal), Kanō Oki (tonkori)
Program: Traditional Ainu music

AinuSingers400The Ainu are the indigenous people of the second biggest Japanese island Hokkaidō. The population of the Ainu is about 25000 and their connections seem to reach out to Siberia rather than to the rest of the Japanese islands. “Ainu” means ‘human’. The Ainu people regard things useful to them or beyond their control as kamui (gods). The word “Ainu” refers to the opposite of these gods.It was believed that every day of life was made possible, and that peaceful harmonious life was ensured only by the gods’ protection and supply. Therefore, the Ainu dedicated dances and songs upopo and rimse to the gods that would enable families and kotan (villages) to live happy and peacefully. The ancient dances were also meant for people to share the feelings of joy and sorrow with the gods, and therefore played an important role in their daily life.

With wars and the repeated attempt of “ethnical cleansing” , the Ainu traditions were endangered until very recent times. In 1988, Arlette Leroi-Gourhan, a famous ethnologist wrote: “With the Ainu we have lost all the wild forests, the kamui at the rivers, the long speech songs of the winter nights…” Therefore, four Ainu women decided to form a quartet Marewrew, translated as “butterfly” in the Ainu language, and appointed themselves as guardians of the ancient Ainu songs upopo. Their purpose is not only to preserve the Ainu traditions and customs but also promote the Ainu language and art.
Marewrew’s first mini-album was released in 2010 and the full album in August of 2012. In 2011, the ensemble started a project with the aim of getting one million people to sing Ainu songs. They have performed in UK at WOMAD as well as in many place of Europe. Marewrew often performs in close collaboration with Kanō Oki who plays the traditional Ainu instrument – the zither tonkori.

OkiTonkoriIshida400OKI was born to a Japanese mother and an Ainu father. After graduating in crafts at the Tōkyō University of Fine Arts and Music, he moved to New York in 1987, where he worked as special effects artist on film productions. He returned to Japan in 1992, and was presented with his first tonkori. Originating from the Sakhalin Island, the instrument inspired him to relocate to Hokkaidō, where he taught himself to play and craft the tonkori. Currently, OKI is the most prominent performer of this instrument in the world. In 2004, OKI toured throughout the US, as well as performing at WOMAD in Australia, with his band OKI & the Far East Band. In 2005 OKI Dub Ainu Band were one of the sensations of the WOMAD festival in the UK, where they also appeared with the highly regarded British broadcaster Charlie Gillett live on BBC London. In 2006 OKi Dub Ainu Band were the closing act at the City of London Festival and the group toured in Norway and Spain. Oki recorded with Irish group Kila on the album Oki and Kila, receiving rave reviews by fRoots (playlist) and Songlines (Top of the World). Tracks from Oki’s Dub Ainu CD have been selected for Charlie Gillett’s Sound of the World compilation 2006 (Rhino/Warner Bros.) and the Very Best of World Music (Nascente).
Oki has released 8 albums.

Developed on the northern island of Karafuto (Sakhalin), the tonkori is the only stringed instrument in the Ainu musical tradition. It is a long, flat instrument, which produces mysterious overtones. These tones are the result of its thin body allowing for sound to reverberate strongly within. The instrument’s soundboard is unfretted, and traditionally only the open pitches of the 3−5 strings are sounded, so it cannot be adapted for choral harmony. The limited pitches require the player to rely on rhythmic variations to sustain interest. The resulting sound is clearly distinct from Western and traditional Japanese music.

Listen to the live recording of Ensemble Marewrew & Oki

 

SaifulloMay 29th − 31st at 5 pm at Rotermann square(free admission)
Uzbek Traditional Circus and the world’s youngest rope-walker − 5-year-old Saifullo

The Kamalov Circus family continue their generations’ old tradition that has entertained audiences nearly three hundred years. The head of the family Ravshan, his sons and grandsons are all circus artists. For the youngest member of the family, 5-year-old Saifullo, nicknamed Savarbek (‘fruit of love’) this is the first performance in Europe. Parallel to the festival, a documentary is being shot by Otaku in order to register the world’s youngest rope-walker in the Guinness Book of Records. After the performance Uzbek national dish pilaf is served.

 

Oriental Bazaar at Rotermann square

 

Sat, June 1st Orient Tent, Rotermann square
WORKSHOP
10.30−11 am Gathering
11 am Integration in sound and music as a key to liberation in Tibetan Buddhism (Oliver Leick)
1.30 pm Yantra Yoga as a perfect balance of the body, voice and mind (Maaja Zelmin)
3 pm Vajra Dance (Alar Kukk)
3.30–4 pm About the International Shang Shung Institute (Oliver Leick)

Integration in sound and music as a key to liberation in Tibetan Buddhism
Sound and music is a great means to get various experiences. The usage of sound and music has been applied in many cultures for thousands and thousands of years. In some texts of wisdom of the unique culture of Tibet it is explained that sound is one of our primordial potentialities. To integrate in sound is a path to discover instant presence or the State of Selfliberation.
Dzogchen or Atiyoga means Total Perfection and refers to the condition of primordial potentiality of each individual. The method through which we enter into the knowledge of Dzogchen and discover our real condition is called Dzogchen Teaching. The knowledge of Dzogchen goes back to very ancient times, but in our era it was transmitted for the first time by Garab Dorje, a few centuries after Buddha Shakyamuni. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is one of today’s greatest living masters of Dzogchen teachings. He is the founder of the International Dzogchen Community. He has more than 35 years transmitted this ancient wisdom to the modern world, and his teaching centers are found on all continents of this planet Earth.
Yantra Yoga or the Yoga of Movement is an ancient system of Tibetan yoga based on the text The Union of the Sun and the Moon, written in the VIII century by the master Vairocana. It was introduced and taught in the West by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in the early seventies. Yantra Yoga makes use of various types of movements and positions linked to different aspects of breathing in order to control and coordinate the vital energy or prana.
In the Dzogchen teaching Vajra means our real nature, the true condition of all phenomena. The Vajra Dance is an important method which uses sound and movement for integrating the three aspects of our existence – body, energy and mind – in that knowledge.
In the Dance of the Six Liberations twelve practitioners, six females and six males, dance together on a large Mandala of five colors which represents the correspondence between the internal dimension of the individual and the outer dimension of the world. They are accompanied by music and the chanted melody of the Sounds of the Six Liberations.
Dzogchen Master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu introduced the Vajra Dance to his students in 1990 for the first time. Since then it has been practiced in various places and centers of the Dzogchen Community all around the world. In 2011 the Dance of Vajra has been recognized by UNESCO as humanity wordly heritage.

See also: Special air fares with Turkish Airlines. Through the Great Silk Road gateway İstanbul to Orient

player Video-clip of Orient 2013 on YouTube, 20 sec

Organizers:
Peeter Vähi − artistic director
Tiina Jokinen − management director
Inna Kivi − producer
Taimi Paves − manager
Kadri Kiis − accountant
Olavi Sööt − logistics
Mart Kivisild − design
Haar Tammik, Nikita Shishkov − sound engineers
Mart Viires, Johannes Vähi − website
Reno Hekkonens − marketing

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Special thanks: Toyota Baltic AS, Urmas & Tõnis Sõõrumaa, Yu Bing Ching, Peeter Salmela, Tanel Klesment, Marje Hansar, Margo Kõlar

See also: Festival Orient, Orient 2011, Orient presents in 2010, Orient 2009, Orient presents in 2008, Orient 2007, Orient presents in 2006, Orient 2005, Festival archives Orient in Palmyra (Voices from the Stars Above the Desert), The Path to the Heart of Asia (CD recorded with featuring musicians of Orient 1992)

Additional info: Wikipedia in English and Estonian

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