The Ruby is a symbol of transformation. The ruby was once just hard stone. Rumi tells this story: deep in the bowels of the earth, dense stone is being transformed into resplendent gems by the emanations of a spiritual Sun. The stone that becomes a ruby is filled with the light of the Sun. If it loves the Sun it is loving itself, and if it loves itself, it is loving the Sun. There is no difference between these two loves. The spiritual process transforms our opaque stoniness into a transparent jewel--transparent, reflective, and rich with color. These songs testify to that transformation.
The group, Ruby, is the result of an inspired collaboration by three artists: Lisa Ferraro - vocalist; Erika Luckett - guitarist and vocalist; and Kabir Helminski - songwriter,author, translator of Rumi and Sufi sheikh. Each had followed their own creative path until a series of coincidences brought them together in November, 2007. Within fifteen minutes of meeting they had spontaneously composed their first song, “Listen, O Drop.”
Their new recording, On the Way of Love, presents songs inspired by the wisdom of Rumi. The qualities that have made Rumi the best-selling poet in the world during recent decades—an earthy intimacy combined with a sublime heart--are now finding their consummate musical expression. Perhaps the greatest spiritual poet of all time, a troubadour of universal love, Rumi has been brought as never before into a contemporary musical style and idiom. Kabir was able to draw upon his many years experience translating and interpreting Rumi and convey Rumi’s voice, images, and metaphors in English lyrics. Erika’s virtuoso guitar, Lisa and Erika’s melodic skills, and Kabir’s input on tone and phrasing gave birth to eleven songs over the next six months. Then in the summer of 2008 the first recording session was set up in Santa Cruz, California. In October, another recording session took place in Istanbul, drawing on some of the great Sufi musicians Kabir knew there. Finally in December the finishing touches were completed at Lisa’s favorite studio in Pittsburgh. The beauty, depth, and timeliness of this music is self-evident.