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| Yusuf Islam enthralling fans at his first public concert in the Middle East in Doha |
The concert was the first of a series to be held at the park, and was attended by numerous VIPs, including HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who seemed to enjoy the evening of music and musings on his faith and life in general.
Islam spoke at length about his life, taking the audience back in time to his early career before discussing the thought processes which led to him “looking for something more,” and eventually converting to Islam in 1977.
The singer, formerly known as Cat Stevens, experienced a huge amount of success with early albums such as ‘Tea for the Tillerman,’ ‘Teaser and the Firecat,’ and ‘Catch Bull at Four,’ also spoke about his decision to turn his back on the music world and devote himself to other pursuits, primarily humanitarian work.
He said that while he had been led to believe that music could not be a part of his new life and lifestyle, he came to the realization that music is an incredibly powerful tool and can help to transmit important message to people from different backgrounds.
And luckily for the audience in Doha, he decided to come here for his first public concert in the region, giving fans the opportunity to hear such a highly influential musician playing some of his Cassic songs as well as his more recent music.
Islam was joined on stage by a band, who supported the singer brilliantly throughout. Long-time guitarist Alun Davies who has played with the singer for many years, was also on stage, playing guitar and singing backing vocals.
The selection of music and the diversity of the songs being performed made for an interesting evening, but the defining factor was the sheer quality of musicianship on display and the incredible quality of Islam’s voice. Fans were delighted to hear classic tunes such as Wild World, Father and Son, Moon Shadow, Peace Train, and many more, which made the singer such a big name in the music world.
However, many were left impressed by his more recent writing, which although mainly concerned with issues of faith and religion, is similar in style to some of his older work.
Indeed, Islam’s voice and performance style is so enthralling that the newer songs were nearly as well-received by the audience as the well known hits.
Gulf Times spoke to a number of audience members, all of whom seemed highly impressed by the concert and its organization, with many saying that they were pleased to get the chance to learn more about the man behind the music of their youths.
“It’s amazing – I used to listen to him when I was young, and he still sounds so good now,” said one fan, adding “I can’t believe that he still has such a brilliant voice.”
“It was great to see him – he was just as good as he was in his heyday and he exuded this aura of peace and love which made you feel good inside,” said another female fan, adding “he is a really good ambassador for the Islamic faith.”
“It was interesting to hear that some of his modern songs sound very similar to the older ones and seem to have a similar message,” she added.
“My favorite song was Moon Shadow but I also really enjoyed I Love My Dog, it really took me back to my younger days,” said another member of the audience, noting “for me, he is a man truly worthy of the ‘Man For Peace’ award.”
Feedback from the concert has been very positive, and the atmosphere in the museum grounds on Thursday evening was buzzing with excitement. Fans were delighted to get the opportunity to hear the 63-year-old in action, and the man who has inspired so many other musicians during his career certainly did not disappoint as he produced a truly brilliant performance.
Source from GulfTimes
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