Passionate and ecstatic, spiritual and entrancing, Sufi music acts as a uniquely valuable bridge between East and West reflecting the most accessible, liberal and pluralistic aspects of Islam. Curated by best-selling author William Dalrymple, this Rough Guide takes you on a journey from the traditional dervish and qawwali forms to explore the modern innovators inspired by the spirit of Sufism. Bonus CD: The Rough Guide to Sufi Fakirs of Bengal Throughout their five-hundred-year history, the Fakirs of Bengal have refused to conform to the conventions of Bengali society. Subversive and seductive, wild and abandoned, they have preserved a series of esoteric spiritual teachings on breath, sex, asceticism, philosophy and mystical devotion, as well as amassing a treasury of poignant and enigmatic teaching songs about love, humanity and devotion that map out their path towards inner vision.