Mevlana
Mevlana is the name of the musical project created by Michael Tingle and Russell Davies.
SEMA-ANTICS
“We first met through a shared love of Gurdjieff’s teachings, whose body of work includes training in the ‘sema’ , or dance and music ceremony of the followers of ‘Mevlana’ or ‘Master’ Jellaludin Rumi (born 1207), commonly known as Mevlevi , or ‘whirling’ dervishes.
The sema is a journey through sacred music and dance, rising from the impurity of self, to renunciation of worldly things, union with God (known as “the beloved”), and ultimately a return to the world in a transformed state, in order to assist others to find for themselves the unity afforded by the experience of whirling in the sema.
…… the music we have created was made in this same spirit, to facilitate the experience of bliss and unity consciousness in the listener, to aid relaxation and a return to centre… We hope you enjoy the experience…..” -Russell and Mike
RUSSELL DAVIES
Russell provides all the lead instruments that you can hear on the album. He specialises in acoustic world instruments focusing on flamenco and sufi traditions. Russell draws on many interesting scales and tones when utilising the various instruments creating new and unusual sounds from an array of acoustic guitars, flamenco guitars, electric mandolin, oud, saz and electric jazz guitars. He has mastered the difficult fast style of soloing associated with gypsy jazz and flamenco playing which provides an intensity and passion that fuses with the mood of the songs and takes the listener into new and uncharted etheric territory.
Russell is a long time student of Sufism and the many flavours of eastern esoteric teachings, he has a great love of the works of Gurdjieff and knows the profound place that music held in all these schools.
MICHAEL TINGLE
Michael provides the textures and beats of the songs, working with deep and unusual synth parts to accompany a wide variety of percussive ideas. Michael loves all forms of drumming, having made his own drums while learning to play the djembe. He incorporates his own personal style and interpretation drawing on his studies of Latin, Indian and European drumming. Part of the creativity of the songs comes from Michael’s love of studio work, having matured his studio setup over the last 20 years, the recording and editing is just as much a part of the formation of the compositions as the playing.
Michael is an all round musician playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass and keyboards. He hopes his love and daily practice of Tai Chi has worked its way into the flow of these songs.