Constantinople

Inspired for many years by Sufi poet Jalaladim Rumi, Kiya Tabassian has regularly ventured into setting his texts to music. But it was only upon hearing the voice of Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali that the musician and director of Ensemble Constantinople thought of creating a specific project to echo the work of this 13th-century poet. Together, Tabassian and Benali selected a series of poems in Persian and Arabic, working from Rumi's belief that he did not belong to any particular country or even to the East or West. This is, therefore, music rooted in poetry that transcends borders.