This January, the year kicked off with Tunisian Diva Ghalia Benali chanting the night away in the heart of Islamic Cairo. Her exceptional performance was part of a cultural experience titled “The Path,” the brainchild of renowned Egyptian international artist Khalid Zaki, known for his accomplished sculptures and installations.
Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Hanno attended the performance that took place at Al-Ghuri Dome, part of the complex of Sultan Qansuh Al-Ghuri, one of the most famous Circassian Mamluk Sultans of Egypt. The complex was constructed in 909–910 AH / 1503–1504 AD. Its unique architectural plan combines all social needs into one holistic structure. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Cairo, as explained by the official website of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The mausoleum, with its exquisite decoration and mihrab, was supposed to be the burial place of Sultan Al-Ghuri, who died in the Levant in 922H/1516 AD. The Khanqah, which stands next to the mausoleum dome, had been a residence for Sufis. Its wooden ceilings are decked with golden engravings.
The performance is designed as a path through which the audience is guided, led by the mesmerizing voice of Ghalia Benali, as she wanders around in three different halls of the dome. The rooms reveal different sculptures of Khaled Zaki, symbolizing Sufi realms, and the connection between the artworks, the ancient dome, and the audience is slowly revealed with every note she sings.
Video courtesy of Omima el Beheri
At the window
The connection began with Ghalia Benali’s chanting from the inside of one of the giant Arabesque windows of the dome, as young lady dancers moved to the music.
"I remained behind the veil until the veil was revealed to me. And you know not from where you came, nor do you know where you are going,” Ghalia Benali told Ahram Online. "I started with lyrics from the Quartets of Omar Al-Khayam. Then I sang Oum Kalthoum’s “By your Will, my Creator” (lyrics by Beiram Tunsi and music by Zakaria Ahmed).” She added that the song, which begins with the words “by your will, my creator, not by my own desire or consent. You gave me my voice, and your hand formed every part of me,” constituted a “little prayer so that my voice reaches the audience."
As she strolled down the ancient marvel, her voice and choice of lyrics, which, though not strictly Sufi in nature, captured the essence of Sufism, transcended the audience, uniting the past and present in one spiritual connection.
"In the faith of love, tenderness is a way of living. The beloved is the road itself. Beauty is a sacred practice, truth a binding law, and longing—pure belief. And though the roads, the ways, the paths, and the routes may multiply, I remain always one," Ghalia chanted her very own lyrics as she shared the path.
'Of souls that are eternally connected'
Between Belgium and Tunisia, Ghalia Benali has the best of both worlds. Born in Belgium to Tunisian parents, Ghalia Benali spent her childhood in her home village in southern Tunisia, which gave her the authentic musical roots. Singing was a part of her daily life, starting from her grandmother’s kitchen, where they would sing away the hours while preparing the food. In the late 1990s, her music career kicked off as she studied graphic design and started her singing career in Belgium. Europe greeted her with open arms, and she was dubbed the ambassador of Arab Culture in 2009. She would own the stage with her vintage attire, grandmother's locket, authentic music, and enchanting voice as she sang in proper classic Arabic and Egyptian to the audience abroad. In Egypt, she captured the hearts of the Egyptian audience not only through her concerts but also through her book, which she wrote and designed along with a soundtrack of the same title, "Romeo and Laila." Throughout the years, her performance uplifts the spirit and connects the audience with their heritage. It invites them subtly to practice the art of "listening to oneself and others."
Benali has always believed in the soul of things, especially in Egypt. She is always connected to the souls of places and people who have left a mark on the lives of others. She often referred to this connection as eternal. Lately, she has been focusing on Sufi lyrics. She is the winner of the 2008 Music Award for the best world music song, presented by the independent British Organization “We Are Listening.” With over 100 songs composed and sung, Benali was named the ambassador of Arab Culture in Europe in 2009, after the release of her first album titled Ghalia Benali Sings Oum Kalthoum.
For the past few years, she has leaned towards Sufi songs and chants, singing the poetry of Galal El Din Al Rumi.
Why the Path now?
"It's maturity. I now know that this is what I really want to sing," she explained, noting that her own genre of music is more about hitting the right notes and not the number of musical instruments.
"We are all searching for the right note, and with age we are closer to the right note. Each one of us has their own note. There is no right or wrong. Every time has its own note," she explained.
"Yesterday’s performance needed people who trusted me, and I trusted myself, from the outfit to the words. They didn’t know what I would sing. I haven’t visited Egypt in a year, and this is my first time to visit Al Ghuri. I was taken. The place cleansed my soul because of the pure blissful energy and connection that it provides," she added.
Being present
"It was more like storytelling. I followed the light of the path, and I would interact with the audience while chanting. This is the most genuine experience. People were enchanted with everything that would inspire and manifest what I was saying. It's a whole experience where everyone is connected and present, and all the roles are played well, and we do not know who took the lead, " she explained, revealing that there was an undeniable balance as they were moving, showing the sculpture, the dancers, and the dome architecture. Her job was to invoke who wrote the lyrics and built the place and the eternal connection of their souls, and that with whoever was present.
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The cerography reflected the Al Mawlawia Sufi sect, the path of the Sufi. The exhibition had sculptures of Dervishes and Horses. Benali roamed the place, chanting her favourite poems from Salah Jaheen's quartets that reflect a Sufi flair. “The worry vanished; the sorrow was gone. I wondered whether I was dead or reached philosophy,” Benali said. She closed the first round by chanting God's name Al Latif (The Subtle and Gentle).
"It was a hadra (presence) where everybody was present. This is the path, and nothing is pre-decided. I sing and hear myself and feel the presence of the people. My job is to be present, and when the hadra is complete, we rise to another level of enchantment," she concluded.
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