"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

 - Victor Hugo

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Whether performed without the accompaniment of musical instruments, or accompanied by the beatings of a frame drum and the vibrations of an oud’s strings; whether sung according to the rules of the maqam system, or expressed as a contemporary pop song, the essence of every ilahi is celebrating God and His Messenger.

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The main subjects of this workshop are the historical journey of the islamic religious hymn, the ilahi, through various regions and cultures, and the variety of musical styles and traditions which it became part of, embedding itself as a genre.

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We will trace the ilahi from its roots in the heart of the maqam modal music system in Arabia and the Levant to its contemporary form, defined by the (un)orthodox use of synthetic vocals with which instruments are imitated, or the synthesis of pop music and religious lyrics.

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As part of the workshop, we will listen to and consider examples of these various ways of putting the religious lyrics of the ilahi to music. Finally, the floor will be open for discussion, and together we will try to answer the difficult question inherent in the topic of the workshop:

Is there a single style of music that is inherent to the ilahi, or is the message that its lyrics carry able to be preserved and expressed in a variety of musical styles?

Antonije Tot is Serbian oud player and one of the few involved in exploring the world of maqam music. As an oudist he is the leader member of the ensamble ''Rahat'' and the member of the sephardic music ensamble ''Shira U'tfila''.

Antonije was born in Kraljevo but lives and works in Belgrade.