The Rona Ensemble The ensemble performing the Kultour series of concerts is a combination of musicians from accomplished Melbourne based ensembles, Rona and Moshtagh. Performers Shahram Momen: Setar, Tambur, Daf, Chant (Musical director and coordinator) Saeed Malekan: Vocal Sepehr Toghyani: Tombak, Daf, Chant Toofan Toghyani: Ney, Daf, Chant Sufi Music Persian music is based on the seven “Dastgahs” (musical modal systems) which originated from twelve modal systems from the Safavi era, referred to as “Maghams”. Sufi & Musician master: Ustad Mirzza Abdollah consolidated the Twelve Maghams into the seven modal systems. The seven dastgahs correlate with the seven Valleys Of Love, which in Sufi theory are the seven stages of travel to the pinnacle of nothingness, annihilation. Each modal system has an escalating path of travel towards the pinnacle, “Oaj”. The pinnacle is the point of nothingness, the point at which physic becomes stateless and engages into “Sama”, involuntary movement and swing of the body in ecstasy. This theory is comparatively similar to the Sufi theory of human spiritual growth towards divine love.
			Photographer Mitra Malekzadeh