من هناك
10-03-2006, 07:14 PM
From Islam to iPod: Singer Cat Stevens Set for Comeback
Agence France Presse
http://arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=87543&d=2&m=10&y=2006
LONDON, 2 October 2006 — The artist formerly known as
Cat Stevens is set to make a comeback, releasing his
first commercial album nearly three decades after he
converted to Islam and withdrew from the pop world.
And Yusuf Islam dismisses criticism that returning to
the music industry is a betrayal of his Muslim faith.
Islam, who has become a leading voice in the British
Muslim community, scored international hits in the
1960 and 1970s with songs like “Wild World,”
“Moonshadow” and “My Lady d’Arbanville.”
But in 1977 he decided to hang up his guitar —
changing his name and retiring from it all after
receiving a copy of the Qur’an, he pledged to devote
his life to the Islamic faith.
His legions of fans were distraught, some claiming he
had been brainwashed into the move; others saw it as a
result of physical burn-out from the excesses of the
celebrity lifestyle, which had already taken their
toll on his health.
Now, 28 years later, he is coming back — in November
he will release “An Other Cup,” billed by his record
label as “as moving and timeless as the classics that
inspired a generation.” The 58-year-old confirmed in a
recent BBC TV interview that it is indeed a return to
his roots. “It’s me, so it’s going to sound like that
of course... This is the real thing,” he said.
“When my son brought the guitar back into the house,
you know, that was the turning point. It opened a
flood of, of new ideas and music which I think a lot
of people would connect with.”
In an essay last year on the relationship between
music and faith, he noted that “some voices in the
Muslim community have been criticizing me” because of
his resurgent music activities, including re-releasing
previous albums.
But he said: “Whilst I agree that some songs and
musical influences are haram (prohibited), this
judgment does not apply to every singer or every
single note and crotchet played.”
“The truth is that most of those who buy my records as
Cat Stevens are not Muslims. But many who listen to
those old songs recognize that they represent the
poetic inspiration of a seeker, someone thirsting for
peace, and trying to understand the unexplained
mysteries of life,” he added.
Agence France Presse
http://arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=87543&d=2&m=10&y=2006
LONDON, 2 October 2006 — The artist formerly known as
Cat Stevens is set to make a comeback, releasing his
first commercial album nearly three decades after he
converted to Islam and withdrew from the pop world.
And Yusuf Islam dismisses criticism that returning to
the music industry is a betrayal of his Muslim faith.
Islam, who has become a leading voice in the British
Muslim community, scored international hits in the
1960 and 1970s with songs like “Wild World,”
“Moonshadow” and “My Lady d’Arbanville.”
But in 1977 he decided to hang up his guitar —
changing his name and retiring from it all after
receiving a copy of the Qur’an, he pledged to devote
his life to the Islamic faith.
His legions of fans were distraught, some claiming he
had been brainwashed into the move; others saw it as a
result of physical burn-out from the excesses of the
celebrity lifestyle, which had already taken their
toll on his health.
Now, 28 years later, he is coming back — in November
he will release “An Other Cup,” billed by his record
label as “as moving and timeless as the classics that
inspired a generation.” The 58-year-old confirmed in a
recent BBC TV interview that it is indeed a return to
his roots. “It’s me, so it’s going to sound like that
of course... This is the real thing,” he said.
“When my son brought the guitar back into the house,
you know, that was the turning point. It opened a
flood of, of new ideas and music which I think a lot
of people would connect with.”
In an essay last year on the relationship between
music and faith, he noted that “some voices in the
Muslim community have been criticizing me” because of
his resurgent music activities, including re-releasing
previous albums.
But he said: “Whilst I agree that some songs and
musical influences are haram (prohibited), this
judgment does not apply to every singer or every
single note and crotchet played.”
“The truth is that most of those who buy my records as
Cat Stevens are not Muslims. But many who listen to
those old songs recognize that they represent the
poetic inspiration of a seeker, someone thirsting for
peace, and trying to understand the unexplained
mysteries of life,” he added.