British singer Sami Yusuf is a brilliant star of the Islamic world, he presented Muslim music to listeners all over the world in a completely new format.
An outstanding performer with his creativity arouses genuine interest in everyone who is excited and enchanted by the sounds of music.
Childhood and youth of Sami Yusuf
Sami Yusuf was born on July 16, 1980 in Tehran. His parents were ethnic Azerbaijanis. Until the age of 3, the boy lived in a family of radical Islamists in Iran.
From an early age, the future celebrity was surrounded by different peoples and cultures, which left a significant imprint on his life.
When he was 3 years old, his parents moved to the UK, which became the second home of the Muslim singer, where he currently lives. In early childhood, he got acquainted with the basics of playing various musical instruments and successfully played them.
The boy's first teacher was his father. Since then, teachers have changed frequently. The sole purpose of such manipulations was a great desire to better understand the various schools and trends in the field of music.
He received his musical education at the Royal Academy of Music, which is still the most prestigious educational institution. Here he studied the music of the West, its subtleties, centuries-old traditions and at the same time mastered maqam (melodies of the Middle East).
It was this combination of two musical worlds that allowed the young performer to find his own unique and special style of performance, as well as hone his voice of rare beauty, thanks to which his fame gained worldwide scale.
Becoming an artist
The beginning of the creative path of Sami Yusuf was marked by the release of his first album Al-Mu'allim (2003), which became incredibly popular among Muslim emigrants. The artist's second album My Ummah was released a few years later. The singer's popularity surpassed any expectations, his albums were sold in huge numbers and occupied leading positions in the charts.
Music videos were constantly played on YouTube, collecting an incredible amount of views.
Recently, the composition “It's enough for me, gentlemen” has become a hugely selling mobile melody, which sounds in numerous phones all over the planet, which is constantly heard from cars, in various cozy cafes and restaurants.
A characteristic feature of the singer's creations is a subtle variation of different sounds - from songs with a declaration of eternal love to the Prophet Muhammad to sincere feelings for the suffering of the Muslim people.
His works are filled with ideas of tolerance, rejection of extremism, and hope. Due to the fact that the singer fearlessly touches on political topics, his popularity is constantly increasing.
Glory and recognition of Sami Yusuf
The British singer today, like his musical works, is a wonderful combination of two great legacies (East and West).
The performer sincerely considers it his duty (like every Muslim) to fight against violence and oppression of the people. And in this mission, the religious views of the oppressed peoples play absolutely no role.
His compositions are filled with angry condemnation of criminals who commit murders, as well as notes of protest against those who encroach on human rights. Thanks to these positions, Sami Yusuf became one of the most influential Muslims.
The most grandiose concert took place in Istanbul in 2007, which brought together more than 2 thousand people.
The year 2009 was marked by a negative for the singer, because of which he even briefly stopped touring. The record company released an album that was not completed, and the release itself was not agreed with the author.
The case went to court in London. Sami Yusuf insisted on its withdrawal from sale, but this did not happen, and the plaintiff ceased cooperation with this record company.
He continued his collaboration with FTM International, and two new albums were released in this tandem. A completely different era began for the singer, he successfully began working with various creative teams, making recordings in various countries.
The result of such cooperation was the release of beautiful albums, sounding in different languages.
Religious and political overtones are a characteristic feature of Sami Yusuf's work. The songs are filled with a feeling of love, tolerance and rejection of hostility, terrorism. With such an outlook, the singer conducted numerous charity tours to various countries, where the singer performed absolutely free of charge.
The singer does not tell anyone about his personal life, unlike childhood memories. Sami Yusuf is married and has a son.
Last year, the British singer with Azerbaijani roots presented the composition "Nasimi" in Baku, at the opening ceremony of the 43rd session of UNESCO. According to the author and performer, this is his best work to date.
The theme of the famous poet is love and tolerance (extremely close to him). Today the whole world is listening to the words and music of the famous singer. In this composition, the famous ghazal of the founder of the tradition of written poetry in the Azerbaijani language “Both worlds will fit in me” sounds.
For participation in this significant event, Sami Yusuf received the “Honorary Diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
