Sami Yusuf

Sami Yusuf (born July 1980) is a British singer of Azerbaijani descent. Sami's first album Al-Mu'allim was self-produced and released in July 2003 which attained huge success. His second album, My Ummah, which was released in 2005, comes in two versions, a musical version and one with just percussion. Yusuf's music comprises mostly of songs to do with Islam and being a Muslim in today's world. He also deals with many social and humanitarian issues in his music. Presently, he is fast becoming a very popular figure in the Islamic world, having made videos for several of his tracks. Nevertheless he has also sparked controversy due to the nature of his shows which conservative critics claim have more in common with western pop concerts than Islamic spiritual values he claims to espouse. However he has published a rebuttal to these claims on his website. His international status has taken a clear enhancement on the second album with the participation of the hugely successful genre-defining trio of Outlandish on the track "Try Not to Cry." Sami performed two of the songs from his 2007 album in his Wembley concert (21 October 2007), and during his US tour, organised by Islamic Relief. A third album, entitled Without You, was planned for release during mid-2008 but was delayed and then launched by Awakening Records in January 2009. According to some websites, Sami claims, due to legal issues, that this is not his official album and that his actual album will be released in may be February or March. Sami Yusuf has stated on his official website, that the album Awakening has released is a compilation of demos and sketches that have been released by Awakening with a quality inferior to the normally high standards of Sami Yusuf, himself. However Awakening Records claims that this album is official, and features the album prominently on the Sami Yusuf website they run. Wikipedia Article --------------- Awakening Website's Biography of Sami Yusuf Sami Yusuf is a British composer, singer and an accomplished musician. He was born in July 1980 into a musical family of Azeri origin, thus music played an integral part in his life. Sami learnt to play several instruments at a very young age and gradually began to show a keen interest in singing and composing. He studied music at several institutions and with renowned composers and musicians including composers from the Royal Academy of Music in London, one of the world most prestigious music institutions. Sami has been composing from a very young age and his beautiful voice is supplemented by his extensive knowledge of music theory and harmony. He has also a good understanding of the Middle Eastern modes (or Maqams). Sami is a devout Muslim who sees songs as a means of promoting the message of love, mercy, peace and tolerance and encouraging the youth to be proud of their religion and identity. Awakening Records Bio