Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwr… Read Full Bio ↴Sami Yusuf A Messenger of Love
Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwriter, composer, producer and an accomplished musician. Endowed with a strong cultural affiliation to music; privileged with a musical background and having studied music with several renowned composers, including those from one of the world’s most prestigious music institutes – the Royal Academy of Music in London, music is his destiny was unsurprising a prediction acquaintances would so confidently make.
Sami learned to play several musical instruments including the piano, violin, tar, tombak, santour, daf, tabla and oud, to count a few, at a very young age. He bore the passion to etch a mark in the field of music, which he so indelibly did with the release of his groundbreaking debut album, Al-Muallim – an album composed, produced and sung by him.
A young, British-Muslim instantly became the talk of the town in lands as far and diverse as Egypt and Turkey. The album not only sold well over 3 million copies but also earned him a massive following in the Middle East, North African nations and South-East Asia.
Charmed by his good looks and manners so heart warming, the young amongst his fans would emulate what they saw in Sami – a leader. His fans wouldn’t shy away from admitting Sami’s music had changed their lives – for the better. Unheard of before, such an artist-fan tandem flourished with subsequent release of My Ummah, Sami’s highly acclaimed second album selling well over 4 million copies.
Sami was soon headlining CNN, the BBC, ABC, Al Jazeerah, not to mention, every mainstream TV channel in the Middle East and Turkey. Hailed by Time magazine as Islam’s biggest Rock Star and The most famous British Muslim in the World by The Guardian, it was only a matter of time before sheer dynamism of what the media dubbed a popular act became the subject matter of think-tank studies. Transnational Broadcasting Studies, in two separate papers lauded Sami’s state-of-the-art music videos a beacon of positivity and substance; his music an alternative and competitor to the mainstream Western music. His success was soon acknowledged by the University of Roehampton in south-west London, as a result of which, Sami became the first and the youngest Muslim recipient of the honorary Doctor of Letters award in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to music. In attainment of this prestigious award, he not only stands alongside Mark Twain, J.K Rowling and Robert Frost but is also one of the only three musicians in the world to be ever honored thus.
His music not only filled the airwaves of London and LA but also penetrated effectively in the conservative Arabian Peninsula. A staggering 250,000 people packed Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey to see Sami perform. He’s one of us, the crowds would claim proudly and sing along with Sami in his near-perfect Turkish. Sami has played across four continents, packing prestigious venues such as Wembley Arena in London, Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and The Velodrome in Cape Town, South Africa – this by all measures being a humble recollection. His shows are grand and highly personalized. His performances are trim and tightly focused, complete with singing in English, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Azeri and Malay and performance on a multitude of both classical and ethnic instruments. His penchant for multilingualism teamed with simplicity of conduct makes his style a statement, and his shows an experience of a lifetime.
Fame and glory however are illusionary for Sami. For him, his position as an artist is a sacred trust, a trust best honored in serving humanity. His genuine benevolence is reflected through his unwavering commitment as United Nations Celebrity Partner to reach out to those in need throughout the world. He has recently launched a campaign in partnership with United Nations World Food Programme to help end hunger in the Horn of Africa that has been hit by its worst drought in the last 60 years. He has been relentless in assuming his responsibilities as the first global ambassador of Silatech – a Qatar-based initiative promoting entrepreneurial skills and open access to capital and markets for large-scale job creation in the MENA region. His Live8 concert in Wembley Arena raised millions of pounds for the victims of the conflict-laden region of Darfur – an effort recognised and praised by the British government. Sami also took the initiative to work in close tandem with the UN sponsored charity, Save the Children, to help uplift morale of the victims of 2010 Pakistan floods by sending a message of hope and undying support through his charity single, Hear Your Call. The single became the mouthpiece of awareness campaigns led by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, BBC and the CNN.
Sami is one of the UK’s biggest exports in the last decade. In the course of 7 years, he has masterfully navigated through unchartered waters – he has won over the hearts and minds of millions from across the Middle East, Europe, North America and North Africa. His compass, in principle, has been his self-coined genre – Spiritique. Manifested both musically and philosophically in his third album, Wherever You Are, Spiritique is a product of Sami’s identity. Sami is a passionate advocate of unity and is boldly committed to cross-cultural appreciation through promotion of universal values and celebration of the human spirit. The aim is to bridge the gap between perceptions and sense of incompatibility, and to foster spiritual autonomy so we may usher into a new era of cooperation and coexistence. When different races stand side by side, when young and old, pious or agnostic, male or female sing in one voice; that’s when Spiritique shines. An ambitious undertaking it may be to some. To many, it has already begun.
Official Biography from www.samiyusufofficial.com
Not In My Name
Sami Yusuf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all the bloodshed you've caused
Yet your greed drives you on
In your brutal race for acquisition
No land is left untouched
Driven by a vile ambition
To have the whole world in your clutch
Every single new addition
Does nothing to dull your ambition
To leave no nation free
It is indeed a sad condition that you suffer from
This itching desire for a prime position
To have all under your thumb
Not in my name will you fight
Not in my name will you kill
Not in my name will you burn a child
Not in my name will you lie
Not in my name will you invade
Not in my name will you rape
Not in my name will you terrorise
Not in my name will you lie
I warn it's time to take heed
One day you'll find yourself pursued
By every person you've made bleed
You thought they'd been subdued
You were wrong
You were wrong
They've been freed
They've been freed
Against your evil methods of violence and intimidation
Against your hijacking and misinterpretation
Of my peaceful faith and revelation
I shout with billions in this demonstration
Not in my name will you fight
Not in my name will you kill
Not in my name will you burn a child
Not in my name will you lie
Not in my name will you invade
Not in my name will you rape
Not in our name
Will you dare to speak again
Not in our name
The song "Not In My Name" by Sami Yusuf is a powerful call for peace and justice. The lyrics speak directly to those who would use violence and terror to achieve their own goals, warning them that their actions will not be endorsed or accepted by those who value human decency and respect. The first verse describes the endless cycle of greed and conquest that drives many of these violent actors, as they seek control and domination over people and land. The chorus then repeats the message that these actions are not done in the name of the singer or anyone else who values peace.
The second verse expands on this idea, warning those who would engage in violent acts that they will ultimately face the consequences of their actions. The singer predicts that those who have been victimized by this violence will ultimately rise up and fight back, achieving their freedom despite the attempts of their oppressors to subdue them. The final verse goes even further, invoking a sense of collective responsibility as the singer uses the phrase "Not in OUR name" to speak for millions of people who share in the desire for peace and justice.
Overall, "Not In My Name" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the fundamental values that unite us as human beings. The lyrics are a call to action, urging us all to stand up against violence and terror wherever it occurs, and to work together to build a better world for all.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it not enough what you've done?
Haven't you caused enough damage?
With all the bloodshed you've caused
You have brought about so much violence and death.
Yet your greed drives you on
Your desire for more never seems to be satisfied.
In your brutal race for acquisition
Your pursuit of power and dominance is ruthless.
No land is left untouched
You have invaded and taken control of so many countries.
Driven by a vile ambition
You are motivated by a disgusting and immoral goal.
To have the whole world in your clutch
You seek to have complete control over everything and everyone.
Every single new addition
Every new country or people you try to dominate
To your slave colony
Is just another group that you seek to oppress.
Does nothing to dull your ambition
You are never satisfied, regardless of your conquests.
To leave no nation free
You seek to rob every nation of its freedom and autonomy.
It is indeed a sad condition that you suffer from
It is pitiful that you are driven by such a destructive force.
This itching desire for a prime position
You have an insatiable desire to be on top.
To have all under your thumb
You want to have complete control over all people and nations.
Not in my name will you fight
I refuse to have my name associated with your acts of violence.
Not in my name will you kill
I will not be a party to your murderous actions.
Not in my name will you burn a child
I will not stand for any harm to come to innocent children.
Not in my name will you lie
I refuse to be associated with any false or misleading statements.
Not in my name will you invade
I am opposed to your aggressive and violent invasions.
Not in my name will you rape
I categorically reject any form of sexual violence and exploitation.
Not in our name
We as a collective will not allow you to continue your harmful actions.
Will you dare to speak again
We will not even allow you to have a platform to justify your evil deeds.
I warn it's time to take heed
I urge you to pay attention and change your ways before it's too late.
One day you'll find yourself pursued
You will eventually face the consequences of your actions.
By every person you've made bleed
You will be held accountable for all the harm you have caused.
You thought they'd been subdued
You mistakenly believed that your victims were powerless and defeated.
You were wrong
Your perception of the situation was inaccurate.
They've been freed
Your victims have been liberated and empowered to fight against you.
Against your evil methods of violence and intimidation
We stand in opposition to your cruel and oppressive tactics.
Against your hijacking and misinterpretation
We reject your distortion and misuse of our peaceful faith.
Of my peaceful faith and revelation
Of our pure and peaceful beliefs.
I shout with billions in this demonstration
We join with countless others in condemning your actions.
Contributed by Logan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.