YUSUF Islam

Articles

A Conversation with Yusuf Islam

Q News
October 2003

Tell us about the Night of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 October?

The idea for the Night of Remembrance came from my wife; she thought it would be a chance to celebrate 20 years of Islamia’s success at a large, prestigious public platform. The teachers and colleagues thought it was a good idea and then I was approached to be part of it. Mountain of Light was the only organization that could pull it off professionally; hence it became an MOL presentation with all the profits going to the school’s charity fund.

The evening will be a challenge in as much as there are various expectations, from Muslims as well as non-Muslims, which we must try to meet â€“ God willing. We have scholars such as Shaikh Hamza Yusuf and Abdal-Hakim Winter contributing brief speeches as well as a strong halal music element, where groups like Native Deen, Qatrunada and singers like Zain Bhikha and Khalid Belhrouzi will present Nasheed-songs, inspiring the audience with the love of Islam â€“ God willing. Prince Naseem Hamed will also make a guest appearance. Of course our children from Islamia will be there to provide us with some poems and songs as well, making a very family orientated program for all.

How do you feel making a return to this venue after nearly three decades?

I am full of anticipation. In 1972 I performed there as Cat Stevens. It was a foggy night and most of the audience couldn’t find the transport to make it, those who did went home fairly happy. All my family was there, my brother David, shaking with fear behind the stage where I couldn’t see him, petrified for me. Actually, the last contribution I made at the Royal Albert Hall was 3 years ago for ‘The Greatest Love’ a charity benefit concert in aid of children with heart ailments. There I sang my song ‘The Little Ones’, there was a very warm reception even though I had no group or backing track to support me. This time there is much more preparation.

What do you hope to achieve through this event?

We hope to raise funds for the refurbishment and resourcing of Islamia Schools’ as a whole. The building, being over 100 years old, is in constant need of repair and we need to remind the community that education ‘costs’. Only the Primary School is Government supported and even then it still needs extra help to pay for all the educational needs and materials.

The event will also be a chance for me to personally say thank you to all those who helped make Islamia what it is, part of that thank you will be paid through my own contribution of song and verse. We are also previewing some of the tracks on the new mini children’s album coming out at ‘Eid through Mountain of Light called,â€¨‘I Look, I See’.

What role does music have in the shaping of a Muslim identity especially among young people living in the West?

Music can be a tool for social good as well as education and spiritual upliftment; it can also be corruptive and time-wasting, so we must always be on guard not to fall into those traps. But it took fifteen years of study and some major catastrophes to make me think again about possibly entering back into the field of media and communications.

We also have to get our priorities right: remember, calling mankind to the Oneness of God, and reminding them of the Day of Judgement was the first thing the Prophet (peace be upon him) did in Makkah, but you need to be able to speak the language of the people also before you can sometimes deliver that message. Music, as has been said many times, is an international language, which people – east and west, north and south, black and white, young and old – all seem naturally able to understand and respond to. Using songs and verse for teaching is a well known methodology in Islamic culture and we are, in a way, reviving that tradition within a modern context.

Is music and arts an integral part of the curriculum at Islamia?

It is part of the activities but not in a formal way, children don’t learn instruments, but they learn to recite poems and nasheeds which teach them certain principles and morals as part of, and complimentary to, the overall Islamic Studies syllabus.

What can you say about your forthcoming album?

I am very excited about the new album, ‘I Lookâ€¨I See’; it’s lively and was produced especially for the young. We call it a children’s mini-album because it only has 9 songs on it, but they are some of the best we’ve produced.

The title track is called, ‘I Look I See’, and I sing that one with some help from Zain Bhikha and our little Muslim boys’ chorus from South Africa. Zain’s son, Rasheed, who is nine years old also features on another 3 tracks. There is a young feel to the whole album and I think parents will be especially pleased to have something that teaches good moral values and at the same time sounds so nice to the ears.

What are your personal views about music at this point of your life?

I am still researching the subject of singing and entertainment, but today, I still do not believe that the issue of music is as clear-cut as some would like to present it. I cannot agree with the view that all types of music are haram (forbidden); neither do I hold the view that all music is halal (permitted). But I think there is a wide difference between sex driven disco music and morally motivating devotional songs. It’s well documented that the Prophet (peace be upon him) witnessed and even encouraged certain forms of entertainment during social and commemorative occasions. I personally do not use guitars or other musical instruments other than percussion. That does not mean I would point a finger at other people who were able to use those in a proper way.

The re-release of “Peace Train” in post 9/11 had a tremendous impact. Are you thinking of other re-releases?

Peace Train is a great song, like an old friend or an old-time locomotive, it seems to have been built to last for years. People appreciated my reviving Peace Train in this time, as we’re faced with new threats of war and wanton destruction.

There are other new tracks that I recorded in addition to Peace Train and Angel of War during my visits to Johannesburg which might see the light of day sometime in the future â€“ God willing. One is based on the story of Joseph (peace be upon him). All the tracks are without guitars and string instruments but supported by vocals and percussion, which are a hallmark of the South African sound.

Articles

A Conversation with Yusuf Islam