Qatar/ Doha

The Museum of Islamic Art is proud to present

world-renowned Singer/ Songwriter Yusuf Islam

live in concert for the first time in the Middle East

on Thursday, February 16 at the MIA Park starting 8:00 pm.

The concert which will journey through the extensive catalog of musical hits by Yusuf Islam will be the first

in a series of musical performances

planned at MIA Park throughout the year.

As a new recreational facility in Doha, MIA Park hosts Yusuf Islam’s concert marking the launch of several activities aimed

to engage the local community and offer a new venue

for entertainment, creativity and leisure.

1st Half:

THE WIND
MIDDAY
DON’T BE SHY
THE BELOVED
THINKIN’ ABOUT YOU
WHERE TO THE CHILDREN PLAY
I LOVE MY DOG / HERE COMES MY BABY/ FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
MOONSHADOW
GOD IS THE LIGHT
TUESDAY’S DEAD



2nd Half:

ROADSINGER
DOORS
TROUBLE
OH VERY YOUNG
ALL KINDS OF ROSES
MILES FROM NOWHERE
WILD WORLD
MY PEOPLE
MORNING HAS BROKEN
FATHER AND SON



Encores:

RUINS
CHANGES
TALA AL BADRU ALAYNA
PEACE TRAIN

Before giving his first concert in the Middle East last weekend, singer and songwriter Yusuf Islam expressed his excitement at being in Doha, speaking about his love of performing to people of all nationalities, cultures and ages around the world, and emphasising the importance of education in eliminating cultural divisions.

Having released his first album in 1967 as Cat Stevens, the award-winning musician has a huge fan-base around the world, including in Qatar, where nearly 3,000 fans turned out to see his performance on Thursday evening.

“Well, naturally, my music kind of spans generations and recently at concerts in Europe, we have had people there of all ages, from people in their 60’s and 70’s down to 12 year olds,” he told Gulf Times.

“I think I still manage to remain relevant because I have always tried to be honest in my art, in my words and in my lifestyle, because if my lifestyle was contradictory to my words then I would be a hypocrite and that is probably one of the main driving factors in my life, to try and live by ideals,” he explained.

Islam himself has experienced a number of obstacles and challenges in his lifetime which have contributed to his music and his attitude. He explained that he has always tried to look forward to the future, and to remain upbeat about what lies around the corner.

“There is always something good ahead, like I wrote in the song Peace Train, – ‘thinking about the good things to come’ - no matter what you are facing at that time, there is an overarching, powerful, and enveloping mercy over the universe, I believe, and even in the darkest times, that’s when the light is going to start to shine - that’s the way I look at it.”

 
Since converting to Islam, and despite his humanitarian efforts around the world, the singer has been entangled in a number of controversies related to his faith, including being denied entry to the US for a number of years.

He stressed the importance of education in helping to combat the prevalence of misconceptions about Islam and other religions, and to help break down the barriers which often divide people from different backgrounds.

“Obviously knowledge and education is going to be critical in helping to overcome problems,” he said, “for a long time Islam was looked upon by the Orient and the image of Islam was created by the Orientalists, but for those westerners who were brave enough to break through the wall and discover what Islam is, they found, like me, so many things that enrich and come from the heritage of previous revelations of Christianity and Judaism.”

“There is no barrier, in some sense, when you look at it with clear vision – it’s all one thing, which is what I would like to make clear,” he said, arguing “I think there is a need for education, because once you read you become enlightened.”

 
Islam referred to the recent death of pop star Whitney Houston, warning that it is all too easy to fall prey to the temptations and the less savoury elements of fame.

“You have got to be strong, you have got to make your path and travel it with caution,” he said, “anyone who is just frivolous, and if you just waste your life and do what others tell you to do regardless of what your conscience says, then you may fall victim – another victim – on the long path.”

“You may be a great singer, but you may be a failed human being,” added the singer, reiterating his belief in the universal importance of lifestyle and integrity, but warning that this is a difficult balance to achieve.

Many musicians to have been at the forefront of popular music in the past cite Cat Stevens as an influence in their careers, and the man himself explained that he has listened to most genres of music in his time, enjoying a wide variety of styles.

“To be honest my whole musical education began with Beethoven, Tschaikovsky and Bernstein,” he said, explaining “then came the Beatles and they changed everything and made it more relevant for who I was, as a young man growing up in London in the 60’s, and that’s who I took my lessons from.”

Islam was particularly animated when discussing blues music, and some of his preferred exponents of the genre.

“I love the blues!” he enthused, highlighting artists such as John Lee Hooker as particular favourites, as well as a number of English folk musicians who have also provided inspiration throughout his career.
He praised the efforts of the local authorities in promoting culture here by providing a foundation for future development, but also highlighted the importance of education in achieving this goal.
“I think it’s great, it’s created an environment for culture to take root, but ultimately it’s people who create culture, not buildings, and therefore in order to encourage creativity, it is something that has to go into education as well,” concluded the iconic singer, as he prepared himself for what was a fantastic concert last weekend.

[Gulf Times, 20. Februar 2012]

Doha, February 16 (QNA) – British Muslim singer Yusuf Islam expressed happiness to have his first concert in the Middle East in Doha, Qatar.
Islam said in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Thursday on the sidelines of a his concert held at the open theatre of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park , “In spite of my multiple visits to the Middle East, this is the first time I perform in a concert,” noting that previous visits were limited to lectures, participation in special seminars or charity projects and so on.
About the concert programme tonight, Yusuf Islam who embraced Islam in 1977, said he will be performing a number of Islamic nasheeds and songs of its own.
The musical evening or concert began with a reception for dignitaries. Then he sang a group of the most beautiful religious songs, amid admiration of the audience.
Yusuf Islam has surprised his fans pay tribute tonight to provide a religious nasheed entitled, Tala Al-Badru Alyina Min Thanyat Alwadaa, composed and distributed in a new and different way, and sang a group of his own songs, which called for peace between humans and the tolerance of religions amid the warm applause and admiration of the fans attending his concert.
Referring to the shirt he was wearing, with “peace Train” written on it, he said “This is the name of a song made ”in 1970, and its lyrics tell how the world would be better, as it praises the values” of peace and tolerance,” adding that these are the values to be adopted by a serious artist.
Asked about his vision about the oriental music, Yusuf Islam said, “There is something special about oriental music. My Father who lived in Alexandria Loved music and he had a beautiful voice, which I inherited from him. I always long for Oriental music and i listen to Umm Kulthum. What I do not like about some Eastern artists is to try to blindly imitate the West, I believe that every art has its own color, specificity and beauty, and the artist must strive towards improvement and, at the same time, maintaining identity."
Yusuf Islam was born in London to a Greek Cypriot father and a Swedish mother. Formally known as Cat Stevens, he was one of the biggest solo artists of the ‘60s and ‘70s, selling more than 60mn albums with hits including, Father and Son, Wild World, Peace Train and many more.
Following a serious illness and after a near-drowning incident, he received a translation of the Holy Qur’an and after reading it he converted to Islam in 1977 in which he found peace and universal understanding. He decided to withdraw from the music industry at his peak and changed his name to Yusuf Islam beginning a new life.

[fananews/ Qatar News Agency, 16. Febr. 2012]

Music fans were given a true treat this weekend as Yusuf Islam took to the stage to sing in his first public performance in the Middle East at the Museum of Islamic Art Park on Thursday evening.
The concert was the first of a series to be held at the park, and was attended by numerous VIPs, including HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who seemed to enjoy the evening of music and musings on his faith and life in general.
Islam spoke at length about his life, taking the audience back in time to his early career before discussing the thought processes which led to him “looking for something more,” and eventually converting to Islam in 1977.

The singer, formerly known as Cat Stevens, experienced a huge amount of success with early albums such as ‘Tea for the Tillerman,’ ‘Teaser and the Firecat,’ and ‘Catch Bull at Four,’ also spoke about his decision to turn his back on the music world and devote himself to other pursuits, primarily humanitarian work.
He said that while he had been led to believe that music could not be a part of his new life and lifestyle, he came to the realisation that music is an incredibly powerful tool and can help to transmit important message to people from different backgrounds.
And luckily for the audience in Doha, he decided to come here for his first public concert in the region, giving fans the opportunity to hear such a highly influential musician playing some of his Cassic songs as well as his more recent music.
Islam was joined on stage by a band, who supported the singer brilliantly throughout.  Long-time guitarist Alun Davies who has played with the singer for many years, was also on stage, playing guitar and singing backing vocals.
The selection of music and the diversity of the songs being performed made for an interesting evening, but the defining factor was the sheer quality of musicianship on display and the incredible quality of Islam’s voice. Fans were delighted to hear classic tunes such as Wild World, Father and Son, Moon Shadow, Peace Train, and many more, which made the singer such a big name in the music world.
However, many were left impressed by his more recent writing, which although mainly concerned with issues of faith and religion, is similar in style to some of his older work.
Indeed, Islam’s voice and performance style is so enthralling that the newer songs were nearly as well-received by the audience as the well known hits.
Gulf Times spoke to a number of audience members, all of whom seemed highly impressed by the concert and its organisation, with many saying that they were pleased to get the chance to learn more about the man behind the music of their youths.
“It’s amazing – I used to listen to him when I was young, and he still sounds so good now,” said one fan, adding “I can’t believe that he still has such a brilliant voice.”
“It was great to see him – he was just as good as he was in his heyday and he exuded this aura of peace and love which made you feel good inside,” said another female fan, adding “he is a really good ambassador for the Islamic faith.”
“It was interesting to hear that some of his modern songs sound very similar to the older ones and seem to have a similar message,” she added.
“My favourite song was Moon Shadow but I also really enjoyed I Love My Dog, it really took me back to my younger days,” said another member of the audience, noting “for me, he is a man truly worthy of the ‘Man For Peace’ award.”
Feedback from the concert has been very positive, and the atmosphere in the museum grounds on Thursday evening was buzzing with excitement. Fans were delighted to get the opportunity to hear the 63-year-old in action, and the man who has inspired so many other musicians during his career certainly did not disappoint as he produced a truly brilliant performance.

[Gulf Times/ Sunday,19 February, 2012, at 12:03 PM Doha Time]

Perhaps unintentionally, Yusuf Islam – the Londoner born Steven Demetre Georgiou – has a style matching the amalgam of cultures he represents.

He's wearing jeans, one of his own Cat Stevens – Peace Train T-shirts and a sheepskin and leather jacket. He's sporting the same beard he's had since the late 1970s, though there are a few more grey hairs now, and his iPhone sitting on the table in front of him quietly rings with a call to prayer alarm mid-interview. He's slim, no taller than 5ft 8in, and speaks with a proper London accent, interspersing common idioms such as "innit" into conversation. The multi-platinum-selling singer, who relocated to Dubai several years ago, has both the wisdom of a man nearing his mid-60s and the humour of a young boy.

In his early 20s, he flirted with several religions to find contentment. He famously discovered Islam before 30 and subsequently gave up music.

"I was upset by the reaction of the press towards me," he says, in Doha for a sell-out public show last Thursday night before an audience of 2,800. "I thought everybody would embrace and understand my reasons for becoming Muslim. Islam comes from Salam (meaning peace). People wanted to take an opposing view from day one. That, you know, immediately creates antagonism. I was not patient enough to abide by that and I just walked away."

He took his first gradual steps back in the mid-1990s, producing spiritual music. Six years ago, he released An Other Cup, his first western-style album since the long break. Now he is pursuing more ambitious, culturally inclusive and entertaining projects. He's ramping up to a comeback and is finally at peace with all that has happened, embracing his pre-conversion achievements and merging them with new material on live stages.

"I have come to the conclusion that after a while, yes there is haram music and there is also halal music," he says. "It's still a matter of opinion. How you use what God has given is how you are going to be judged, especially if it's not haram totally from the beginning. It's like grapes, they go through two series. They go from wine before they get to vinegar."

The Qatar show marked a key moment in his journey. He held what was marketed as his first concert in the Middle East. Although he has played private shows in the region before now, this was a public debut and his first Middle East concert.

The audience, seated in a temporary outdoor space, swayed to hits new, old, Christian and Islamic. If ever a seal of approval was needed, it came from the Emir's wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser, who enjoyed the full performance and was seen in standing ovation, cheering the singer's finale of Peace Train. From May 7 until June 2 last year, he performed in 10 European cities. "It was a fantastic tour, it went really well," he says.

His next few months will be spent finalising details of his first musical, Moonshadow, due to launch in Melbourne at the end of May. The play was originally planned for London more than a year ago.

"I grew up in the West End so my whole background was living among theatres and musicals and the West End's coffee bars and clubs," he said. "It's kind of obvious that one day I should do something like that."

He hasn't given many details about the form the musical will take yet, but he expects it to travel to Broadway at some point.

"It's got most of my older songs as well as new songs, it's been an inspiration for me to write the story and to find the theme that would carry all of my songs in one musical."

In his youth, he drew inspiration from "The Beatles, Beethoven, Bernstein and Bach". Lately he has been influenced by events in the Arab world – last year penning and recording the simple, mellow tune My People for the Tahrir Square revolutionaries.

"I got very inspired and I wrote the song called My People, then I got people through Facebook to add their voices to the chorus, then I put it out in a way to support the movement," he says. "I recorded it in Berlin about 100 yards from the where the Berlin wall fell. It was kind of symbolic in a way."

"Music becomes a commentary of world events – sometimes it predicts, like (Bob Dylan's) The Times they are a-Changin', but do they change fast enough? Does music make it go faster? These are still questions."

As uprisings elsewhere continue, there are concerns of disunity among the Muslim community, or Ummah, as it's known.

"The middle ground has to be the strongest," advises Islam. "There may be differences but the central themes and principles of Islam will not change, and we all agree about that."

[thenational.ae, 20. Febr. 2012]

‘Now, this isn’t a criticism. . .’ Yusuf Islam opens, as he strums the first bars of ‘Where Do the Children Play’. He’s on a temporary stage, a salty breeze wafting in from the coast, the Museum of Islamic Art lit up behind him. In the middle of the green space, with trees and grass all around, you can almost forget you’re in the middle of the desert and it’s 2012.

As the band swells behind him, he tells the packed stands how when his granddaughter heard the song, she patronizingly told him ‘In the parks of course!’

Not only is this his first official concert in the Middle East, it’s the first performance in the new MIA park. Even though he’s been effectively out of the mainstream music industry for over 30 years, his music still resonates. ‘Where Do the Children Play’ is all about development at the expense of green spaces, and even though it was written in the 1970s, Yusuf, or Cat as he’s known to fans from back in the day, still has a point.

‘I did it for, I hope, the right reasons. That whenever I wrote a song it wasn’t just a flippant exercise in commercialism. It always had to have a story, had to have a meaning. And in a way I traveled a long way through my songs, and that helped me in my direction,’ he says, about why his concert in the park was a mix of new tunes and old, as well as a mix of old and young faces in the stands. ‘My music has perhaps softened slightly [over the years], because you know I’m not quite so uptight [laughs]. I’m not searching so much these days because I’ve found so many things and so many things have been made known to me.

But in this position of hindsight, wisdom, I can also reflect on the youthfulness of my message. Because I still have a young heart.’

He’s responsible for tunes almost everyone can hum on command: from ‘Wild World’ and ‘Father and Son’ to ‘Peace Train’; ‘The Wind’; ‘The First Cut is the Deepest’ and ‘Here Comes My Baby’. Over the last 30 years, his music hasn’t gone away: it’s been included in soundtracks to films, as well as being released and rereleased for eager new generations to discover.

But if he has a favourite from his massive back catalogue, he’s not telling.

‘It’s like children, I spoil them all, I love them all. And every now and again I go back to these hidden ones. There are some songs that are precious to me but they’re not very famous. I’m trying to think of one. ‘Into White’ would be a very special one. ‘The Day the Make Me Tsar’. There’s lots.’

He quit the business in 1977 when he discovered Islam.

‘Everything was going kind of well, nothing wrong, but I wasn’t right. And so I just had to just find out some more. And then one day, I was given a book. And that book changed my life. I discovered a secret religion, nobody knew about it, called Islam. But what people knew wasn’t what I found out or what I was taught. And then I got so many things. One thing I got was a life,’ he says. ‘I think everybody deserves a break. We all get chances in our lives, sometimes we don’t use those chances.’

30 years later, he got another one when his son, who’s a musician too, brought a guitar into the house.

‘He brought a guitar back into the house and then all of a sudden one day I just wrote a song. It was a lovely song, and I thought, ‘wow there’s still something in me that has to come out’,’ he says. ‘Suddenly I started playing again and I suppose that was another big break, because I realize that now is the time to start singing again, getting back on the peace train again.’

Not only is he back creating and touring, with a mix of his old and new sounds, he’s also in the midst of writing a musical, set to premiere in Australia soon, something he’s always wanted to do since growing up in London near the booming theatre scene.

‘Some people will say there’s only two types of stories. One is about leaving home and one is about coming back,’ he says. ‘And I think I’ve kind of incorporated both of those in my little story which I’ve called ‘Moonshadow’. It’s a story about a world where only the moon shines. There’s no days, days have stopped, and everybody has to live in this very dark world, working very very hard to earn money to buy these embers, which heat up their homes and light their homes. There’s one boy in this world, with a dream. His name’s Stormy, and he dreams of this beautiful world of the lost sun.’

One of the other things he changed was his understanding of his religion. He’s been quoted as saying one of the reasons he dropped out of the music scene in the 1970s was he didn’t see the industry as being compatible with his faith. But now, his mind has changed.

‘Because of the horrors that we were witnessing. And fanaticism. That certainly wasn’t the religion I discovered, and so therefore I felt that I had to get back on the peace train. That’s why I’ve worn the T-shirt,’ he says, indicating his faded Peace Train t-shirt. He thinks he can do more good with a guitar in his hand than remaining quiet for another 30 years.

‘[Music] can support. It can’t do anything by itself, because in the end, many factors have to be included, including politics and economics and all sorts of things, social conditions. But music can certainly inspire, and that’s what I think our job is in a way, to inspire.’

Fans however, are relieved his music hasn’t completely changed. He was quick to point out he’s not abandoning his roots for this comeback. However, neither is he giving up his convictions: much of his new work reflects on religion and God. But, meeting his old flair, much of it seems to be advocating more peace, love and being good to each other, rather than one specific religion or creed. He’s changed a few lyrics to update his music, and even added sections in Arabic and Zulu to some of his most loved tunes.

He has had his share of trials over the years, including being denied entry to the United States in the years after September 11th. Many people have raised the idea that perhaps his Cat Stevens persona can help explain his Yusuf Islam faith to the world, and vice versa, to help create understanding. Yusuf himself, however, isn’t prepared to be a human bridge.

‘There’s only one of me, you know what I mean? [laughs]. But I carry history. And that history includes being part of the flower power movement, being part of even the 60s sort of pop glitter movement, and then I went through a very serious what you might call a discovery of self, crisis of self, self discovery. And that, I think will always become reflective in my words and my music,’ he says. ‘I broke through many borders, and I refused to accept borders, and because of that I believe that this passport of human identity is enough for people to understand that it’s possible to live on this planet together with others.’

He’s been involved in many causes over the years, from humanitarian to environmental, winning awards and accolades along the way. More importantly, his music has remained a staple of movements across the spectrum. But, we have to ask, in all his years of trying to change the world, has anything actually changed?

‘I think so! I think that the middle ground has swelled. I think that people who have been lost in the plethora whatever of antagonism between extremes have become a bit more clear. They’ve stood up, they’ve said ‘no we are not there and we are not there, we stand in the middle’. I think that’s very important. Some of the problems that have happened, some of the extremities, have allowed the middle ground to become clearer. That’s what I think,’ he says.

Playing a concert in a park in the Middle East, with a world-class museum dedicated to Islamic art in the background, and a crowd of over 3,000 from all over the world, certainly indicates something has changed since 1977. As he winds down ‘Where Do the Children Play’, he remarks that Doha really is trying. And that, he says, is the biggest thing anyone can do.

‘Try to take a look above yourself. And how insignificant you really are. Then forget that, and do something good.’

Yusuf Islam was the first performer in MIA Park.

[Time Out Doha, 27 February 2012]