Ney, made from Hatay bamboo is not only one of the oldest instruments
of the world but is one of the foremost wind instruments used in
Turkish classical and semi-classical music even today. Its
antecedents can be traced to the wall paintings on the tombs of the
pharoahs in Egypt and at excavations in Ur in Iraq.
The Ottomans took it to levels of great musical heights and today
this humble reed flute is imperative to the assemblge of true
Turkish music.
Sufi and Dervish music is strognly linked to the hypnotic
sound of the ney, as it transports the spirit to the higher realm.
It is known to be not only musically but also spiritually designed
for the soul. Seen at the Mevlevi Dervish ceremonies , the swirling
movements replicate the sound of the soul stirred to dizzying
heights of connect with the higher soul.
It is also meant to depict the yearning of the reed to unite with
the reed bed similar to man's need to unite with God. The Mevlevi
Sufi belief of music as a the language of the soul that cleanses
with its purity find expressing in the sounds of the Ney. It is also
an integral part of "Fasil" or Turkish art music.
Neyzen Tevfik Kolayali is credited with the creation of some
of the most soul searching poetry of modern Turkey imbued with
common sense prevailing over primitive social morality and the
blending of the sound of ney with progressive thought on modern day
Turkey.
The instrument truly represents the artistry of the modern classical
with the experimental sounds of today where in a large repertoire of
ney musicians .
The ney continues to grab attention the world over with the revival
of Sufi music . It is grown beyond its humble beginnings to become
the representative of the sound of new world music.