Sami Yusuf

Sami Yusuf
Yusuf in 2011
Yusuf in 2011
Background information
Born (1980-07-21) 21 July 1980 (age 44)
Tehran, Iran[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • composer
  • songwriter
  • humanitarian
Years active2003–present
Labels
WebsiteOfficial website

Sami Yusuf (born 21 July 1980) is an Azerbaijani-British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer.[3] He gained international attention with the release of his debut album, Al-Muʽallim, in 2003.[4] As of 2020, he has released eight studio albums, five live albums and one compilation album. His studio albums were mostly released by Andante Records, with the first two being released by Awakening Records.[5][6] He has sold over 34 million albums as of 2016.[7]

Besides English, Yusuf has performed in Arabic, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Persian, Turkish, Punjabi, as well as, Urdu, sometimes in the same work, as was the case with his hit, Hasbi Rabbi. His work is marked by blending different musical styles and genres, including elements from Sufi, folk, and Rock music. He used his multilingual and multi-instrumentalist style to address social, spiritual, and humanitarian issues.[8] In recognition of his philanthropy, in 2014, Yusuf was appointed United Nations Global Ambassador for the World Food Programme.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ Edemariam, Aida (5 November 2007). "Aida Edemariam talks to singer Sami Yusuf". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Fairwood Music – Roster". Fairwoodmusic.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Singer Sami urges Pakistan relief". BBC News. 2 September 2010. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Acclaimed devotional-music singer Sami Yusuf on his latest album Barakah". 16 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Discography Archive". Sami Yusuf Official. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Sami Yusuf | Album Discography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  7. ^ "With UAE concert, Sami Yusuf does his bit for Syria". 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  8. ^ Edemariam, Aida (5 November 2007). "Aida Edemariam talks to singer Sami Yusuf". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Singer Sami Yusuf Joins WFP As Global Ambassador Against Hunger". Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  10. ^ "UN News – Singer Sami Yusuf joins roster of UN Global Ambassadors Against Hunger". UN News Service Section. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Sami Yusuf joins WFP as anti-hunger amb". theiranproject.com. 27 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2017.