Hu Allah from Bhakti Quest by Jambavan

My beloved quest brother, Joseph Jastrab, who cofounded our chant band, The Spirit Brothers, along with Robert Bard who played acoustic bass on most of the tracks, put this melody to a traditional Sufi chant. He tells the story that at birth the father leans down and whispers “Hu” into the baby’s ear symbolizing the power of the breath to energize and enlighten this new being throughout its whole life. Some years ago I learned how to whirl in the Mevlevi way from Shaikh Kabir Helminski and his wife, Camille. The second part of the chant for me evokes the intensity of zikr in which dance and whirling bring the spiritual seeker closer and closer to the divine. For many years whirling was my spiritual practice until my knee gave out. Soon after, I heard my first kirtan chants from Krishna Das and that became my core practice. Chanting has brought me closer to god and goddess and into a magical community of like hearted souls.