"They spin around themselves, they spin around their heart, which is the place of God's presence. It's like a prayer [...] They lose all earthly reference, that burden we call balance, and they become torches consumed in a great fire."

 

- Mr. Ibrahim, by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.

 

The Mevlevi are a Sufi order originating from Konya, Turkey, known for their dance, in which they spin around their own axis.

The ceremony in which they perform this is called "Sema", which means listening, as in it, music and dance promote inner listening.

Currently, semas are primarily directed towards tourism, making it difficult to restore their spiritual and intimate character.

 

"Losing Balance" is a piece composed of the sound of different moments of a sema: from the first rhythmic moments of vocalizations to one of its highest points and the closing of the ceremony.

 

The recording was made in a tekke by its practitioners (not aimed at tourism) in Istanbul.