Sami Yusuf, famous for the song Without You, is a vivid performer whose fans call him the main celebrity of the Islamic world of music. He demonstrated to the world community the unprecedented format of Muslim music. Thanks to this, the performer became known even outside of his native UK.
early years
Sami Yusuf was born in 1980, in July, in the Iranian city of Tehran. His parents are ethnic Azerbaijanis, however, from a young age, the boy got acquainted with several cultures and peoples. Today Sami Yusuf’s songs have gained fame almost all over the world, but his conscious acquaintance with the surrounding reality began in the UK.
His parents moved there, and very soon the boy began to consider this country as his homeland. Here the young man was seriously interested in music. He played various instruments and often changed teachers. All this was necessary to get acquainted with different teaching methods and music schools.
The apogee of this path can be considered the Royal Academy of Music, which the future performer managed to enter. Here he studied the features of Western musical heritage and the traditional tunes of the East. Thanks to this approach, the British performer developed his own unique manner of singing, which brought him world fame.
Creative way
Sami Yusuf's unique voice first came to a wide audience thanks to the album Al-Mu'allim, released in 2003 in the UK. The album quickly gained popularity with Muslim immigrants who live in England. After some time, Muslims living around the world were already listening to themselves.
The popularity of the first album was greatly facilitated by the release of the second album My Ummah. It was published in 2005. The new disc brought with it several hits. Soon, the musician became well known both among the emigrants of England and throughout the Islamic world. The circulation of the first two records of the musician went beyond the mark of seven million copies.
The main hits from these albums took the top lines of various charts and ratings. Music videos have gained thousands of views on the You Tube portal. Special mention deserves the composition "Hasbi Rabbi." In a matter of months, it has become one of the most famous ringtones on the planet.
Some time ago, this composition was heard by many users of mobile phones in Turkey and the Arab world. In 2009, the performer entered the hundred most influential representatives of the Muslim world. He managed to repeat a similar achievement in 2010. At that time, the musician's concerts were held successfully in various countries.
The geography of the tour included, among other things, Baku, Tehran, Lebanon and Egypt. In 2007, the performer gave a concert in Istanbul, according to some Turkish media reports, more than two hundred thousand listeners gathered for this performance. In 2009, the singer briefly interrupted his touring activities due to the release of an album called Without You.
The musician notes that this disc was released without his consent. At this time, a major scandal arose in the courts of London. The singer demanded that the unfinished album be withdrawn from sale, in addition, he urged fans not to purchase it. The album remained on the shelves, but the musician broke off cooperation with the previous record company.
Creative themes and political views
Most of the songs performed by Sami Yusuf have a religious connotation. In his compositions, he speaks of love for the Prophet Muhammad and Allah. In the songs of the artist often arises a political subtext. In some works, the musician criticizes the French government for banning the wearing of hijabs in schools.
The perpetrator criticizes terrorists and radical Islamists, and also draws the attention of the public to the plight of the Palestinians, in his opinion.
These views are related to the musician’s many charitable tours. Free performances of the artist took place in different years in South Africa, Pakistan, the Gaza Strip and other regions.
Interesting Facts
Yusuf does not flaunt details of his personal life. It is known that he is married, and he has a son. Clips Sami Yusuf released on many of his songs, including Asma Allah, Al-Mu'allim, Hasbi Rabbi, The Dawn, My Ummah.