The capacity crowd at Bab Makina.If there was any need of proof that Sami Yusuf is the most popular pop star in Morocco, it was only necessary to count the heads at the Fez Sacred Music Festival. The Sami Yusuf concert was an absolute sell out and such was the demand that the organisers could have sold the tickets several times over.
The Guardian says Yusuf "has good claim to being the most famous British Muslim in the world". In 2006 Time Magazine called him "Islam's biggest rock star". (For some reason the festival programme had him as "Yussuf", despite his preferred "Yusuf".)
Singing and speaking in English was a big plus for many in the audience who have struggled with the French, Serbian, Italian and Arabic all week! Naturally Sami Yusuf also sang in Arabic, but when he did it was songs that were well known around the world.
The only downside of putting on a pop star at a sacred music festival is that the audience acts as if it is a rock concert. Within minutes of Sami Yusuf starting into his second song the front rows resembled a mosh-pit. All good fun.
Sami Yusuf was born in 1980 in the city of Tehran, Iran. His parents moved to Britain when he was three, and he was raised in West London. At a very young age he started to play various musical instruments and was enthusiastic about singing and composing. He was accepted as a composition student at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
In addition to his education in Western harmonics and composition, Sami has a solid understanding of the Iranian and Middle Eastern modes (or Maqams) and is thoroughly acquainted with both East and Western musical traditions - all of which added up to a musician who shredded the elitist tag that the festival has suffered from in the past. And who said pop can't be sacred?Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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