by Sara (guest writer)

Today, April 12, marks the second annual Muslim world music day, commemorating the aural history of Islam from such diverse regions as North America, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, among others. The day was conceived by the Archive of Contemporary Music in New York (ARC), and is also a project of Columbia University.

Here are some links to the expansive collection of Muslim music archives and recordings:

• Muslim World Music Day Website
• Muslim World Music database
• Muslim World Music Day YouTube channel
• WNYC.org Radio Program on Muslim World Music Day

Below is a video taken in Cappadocia, Turkey, at a Sema (whirling dervishes ceremony), and is the inspiration of Mevlana Rumi, the revered mystical Sufi poet. The instruments used include the kudüm drums, the tanbur long-necked plucked lute, and the ney, an end-blown flute.