Rabia Replied...

In Kindergarten I discovered that my true destiny was to be a Singer.  I don't remember exactly how I reached this conclusion, or if I knew exactly what being a Singer meant, I only remember how right it felt. 

I would keep my sister up for hours at night, singing the events of the day in no particular order, and no particular key.  A tuneless troubador making up 'melodies' as I shared the details of my real and imagined worlds.

The voice lessons, music theory and recitals that ensued were valuable steps in the right direction, but I still longed to find a way to touch upon the freedom that my heart knew to be possible through music. 

When I reached my twenties, having abandoned singing altogether, I discovered the Sufis. My sister had been to a meeting of the Dances of Universal Peace in Arizona and told me about this group of people who would sing and dance to celebrate God, using the songs and phrases from a wide range of different religious traditions.  I was amazed! This sounded like what I had been waiting for and I quickly set out to find some Sufis to sing and dance with. 

What I discovered almost immediately was that this venue of music was one where it didn't matter how 'well' you sung, or how 'well' you danced.  It was about using music to connect with your own heart, the community heart, and the heart of God.  I was in heaven. I had found a place to express my love of music in a way that was truly about my love of music.

I spent more than a decade unfolding myself through music, unpacking a suitcase of hastily packed creative expression.  I finally garnered the courage and support to embark on recording some of the music that I had written from this place of devotion.

Rabia Replied is a compilation of songs and chants that express the connection to the Divine that I feel through music.  I would hope that anyone and everyone who listens to this music will be led toward the doorway of the dwelling place of the One, if not ushered deeply into the chambers of the heart of God.

To order a copy of Rabia Replied, please email your order to abyron@pdx.edu.