Born in 1952 in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Kudsi Erguner studied with his father Ulvi Erguner and attended Mevlevi Sema and Dervish ceremonies as a boy. He founded the Mevlana Institute in Paris in the early 1980s for the study of classical Sufi music and was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2016. His recordings include The Turkish Ney (1990) and Sufi Music of Turkey (1990), and he has performed with Peter Gabriel and theater director Peter Brook.

Mood and energy: Devotional in documented context, meditative, breath-led. Recommended uses: reflection, meditation, ceremony.

Sacred Ground Confidence Score: 5 out of 5 stars   Final recommendation: Approved.

Why this artist belongs in Sacred Sounds: A UNESCO-recognized tradition-bearer whose direct, documented lineage in Mevlevi Sufi ceremonial music gives this collection an authentic, sourced entry point into that specific practice.