Yusuf Islam new album details

Legendary singer/songwriter Yusuf Islam releases his first album of new songs for almost 30 years this autumn.

Yusuf Islam says "There were one hundred reasons for leaving the music industry back in 1979, not least because I had found what I was looking for spiritually. Today there are perhaps one hundred and one good reasons why I feel right making music and singing about life in this fragile world again."

The album is a collection of brand new songs including revivification of some truly spellbinding compositions which lay unfinished in Yusuf's musical memory and completed for this album. All were recorded over the past year with renowned producer Rick Nowels.

Yusuf Islam is one of the UK's most celebrated artists. As Cat Stevens he achieved international success in both the Sixties and Seventies. In 1977 Stevens embraced Islam, adopted the name Yusuf Islam and took a break from music.

The release will coincidentally be at the same time as the 40th anniversary of the first Cat Stevens' record, I Love My Dog, on Deram November 1966.

"Much has changed, but today I am in a unique position as a looking glass through which Muslims can see the west and the west can see Islam," says Yusuf. "It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross."

Over the years, Yusuf's work has been recognised with major awards. In 2004 he was awarded the Man for Peace award by a committee of Nobel peace laureates. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire for services to education and humanitarian relief.

Yusuf Islam has signed a new deal with Polydor Records to release the as-yet-untitled album later this year.document.write(unescape("