18. Februar 2014

Festival della canzone italiana

It’s a pleasure to be here in Sanremo,

strange how I missed it for all these years

but good things always take time!

I went away for a while because I needed to find myself

and raise a family and am now a grandfather.

Music is what connected me to people and it’s great to be able

to keep making people smile and bringing hearts together.

[yusufislam.com]

April 2014

The Tonight Show

Starring Jimmy Fallon

27. Oktober 2014

Yusuf/Cat Stevens: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen

Originally published on Wed December 10, 2014 12:12 pm

In the summer of 1971, I was a camp counselor at a sleep-away camp for a bunch of 5- to 7-year-olds. For those eight weeks, I walked home with about $50. I bought a guitar and began to learn the songs I'd come to love from the recently released Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens.

"Father and Son" touched me most — it's a song about growing old, and about beliefs and conviction. More than 40 years later, that songwriter is performing at my desk with his son standing right behind me. You can never imagine the turns life will take.

Nor could he. In 1976, Cat Stevens almost drowned off the coast of Malibu. In his panic, he says, he shouted, "Oh, God! If you save me, I will work for you" — at which point he recalls a wave that came and carried him ashore. He converted to Islam, changed his name and left the pop world after one last album in 1978.

He finally returned in 2006, and now we have a new record, Tell 'Em I'm Gone. From that album of great blues covers and originals, produced with Rick Rubin, Yusuf plays some powerful new music, as well as the 1967 classic "The First Cut Is the Deepest" — and then brought me to tears by dedicating a version of "Father and Son" to me. As I walked around the office after this Tiny Desk Concert, I heard one story after another of an artist who has touched so many. It's a joy to have him back.

Set List

"I Was Raised In Babylon"
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
"Doors"

"Father and Son"

[wunc.org, 09. Dez. 2014]

21. November 2014

NDR Talkshow

Sänger Cat Stevens

NDR Talk Show - 21.11.2014 22:00 Uhr

Es gibt Momente in der "NDR Talk Show", die sind einfach unbezahlbar. Einer davon wird der Auftritt und übrigens auch die deutsche TV-Premiere von Yusuf/Cat Stevens sein.

Seine Songs haben Generationen berührt

und über Jahrzehnte begleitet.

Er singt live den Titel "You Are My Sunshine".

"Yusuf / Cat Stevens is in the house und probt für nachher! Hubertus freut's und wir flippen gerade ein bisschen aus. Nachher singt er seinen aktuellen Titel "You are my sunshine". Um zehn geht's los, Freunde."

22. April 2015

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards/ Cardiff

This year’s Lifetime Achievement awards

will be given to legendary musician Yusuf / Cat Stevens

and Grammy Award-winning artist Loudon Wainwright III.

Some of the biggest names in folk music will come together under one roof to celebrate the UK's thriving folk music scene. This year we are thrilled to reveal that Yusuf / Cat Stevens will be headlining.

The event will also feature the Radio 2 Folk Awards Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame exists to recognise the special contribution of an individual to the world of folk music; someone whose impact and influence has had a lasting impression.