Sami Yusuf

Yusuf received international recognition by releasing his debut album, Al-Mu'allim, in 2003. From an early age, Yusuf displayed a great deal of interest in music. He was inspired by the wide range of musical genres available to him in his hometown of Ealing, West London, and was especially immersed in Western classical music and Middle Eastern music. He also studied piano and violin, as well as traditional instruments, including Oud, Setar and Tombak. Yusuf studied music as a student of composition at the prestigious Royal Academy, as well as at Salford University in northwest England.

'Spiritique' is the name Yusuf has given to his unique musical style that blends elements of western and eastern sound. The key theme of Yusuf's lyrics is that of inclusive spirituality. His first album, Al-Mu'allim, in English with some Arabic lyrics, was a huge success, especially across North Africa and the Middle East. It was followed by My Ummah, and together, album sales quickly reached 10 million. Yusuf has performed on five continents. His concerts — including at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Wembley Arena in London, and the Velodrome in Cape Town, South Africa — were sold out. 250,000 people came to hear him perform at Taksim Square in Istanbul. Time called Yusuf 'Islam's Biggest Rock Star' while The Guardian wrote of him, 'The Biggest Star in the Middle East is a Brit.'