The wind - cat stevens tv show
Cat Stevens grew from being a teen idol of the s into one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. In addition to his vast musical achievements, his lifelong spiritual quest has added intrigue and depth to a groundbreaking career.
Cat achieved early success in the mid 60s with “I Love My Dog” and “Matthew and Son”.
He was a prolific songwriter writing songs such as “Here Comes My Baby” and “The First Cut Is The Deepest” for other artists; the latter, in particular, would go on to become an international hit on multiple occasions for a variety of artists.
In the heavy work load of touring, media commitments, and the perks of a pop-star lifestyle took its toll and Cat contracted a potentially fatal bout of tuberculosis which hospitalised him for several months.
Cat stevens biography top 20 Archived from the original on 6 January Theatre People. Retrieved 1 July He invested in building his own recording studio, [ where?It was during this time that he began a significant process of inner reflection and meditation.
Following his recovery, and with a new perspective on the world, Cat underwent a profound musical transformation. He wrote some 40 songs and made fundamental changes to his lifestyle. His new sound was more stripped-down and intimate, his lyrics gained subtlety and an intuitive edge, and in his private life he began to explore a variety of spiritual paths.
The period of to would see Cat Stevens ascend into the upper echelons of musical superstardom.
His album Tea for the Tillerman, which went gold in America, contained the classics ‘Wild World’, ‘Hard Headed Woman’, ‘Where Do the Children Play?’, and ‘Father & Son’. However, it was unquestionably ’s Teaser and the Firecat that made Cat a true megastar. Songs such as ‘Morning Has Broken’, ‘Peace Train’ and ‘Moonshadow’ resonated with audiences worldwide and were embraced by a generation as anthems of peace and unity.
Cat stevens biography imdb Archived from the original on 26 February They subsequently returned to England. Archived from the original on 17 October On 15 August, he was one of many guests at Fairport Convention 's annual Fairport's Cropredy Convention where he performed five songs accompanied by Alun Davies , with Fairport Convention as his backing band.The songs of this era would also go on to be appreciated by future generations, their timeless quality was shown when a cover of ‘Father & Son’ became a huge hit for the Irish pop band Boyzone in the s.
In Cat experienced another momentous and life-changing event. Whilst swimming in the Pacific Ocean off Malibu he began to be swept out to sea.
Fearing imminent death he called to God pleading that should he be saved he would dedicate his life to God’s service. At that moment a gentle wave delivered him to the shore and safety.
Cat stevens biography wikipedia Immediately following the September 11 attacks on the United States, he said:. His wife, Fauzia, together with him, are the founders of Small Kindness charity. Billboard Magazine. The family resides in London.A sequence of events was set in motion and, after receiving a copy of the Koran from his brother, he embraced Islam in
During his Islamic studies Cat felt a powerful affinity with the story of Joseph and decided to take its Arabic equivalent as his new name, becoming Yusuf Islam in He then amazed the world by walking away from fame and his career as a music star, to start a family and dedicate himself to charitable work.
“I wasn’t too worried about what people thought, people would get to understand, gradually, I said to myself.
After all, everybody knew I was &#;on the road to find out.&#;”
After getting married and having children, Yusuf became heavily involved with education and humanitarian relief. He helped to found the Muslim Aid charity and participated directly in their early initiatives throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.
In addition, he founded a Muslim primary school in North London in After years of ceaseless campaigning, in the school was awarded grant–maintained status, an historic first in the UK.
In the late s, Yusuf and his wife, Fawziah, established the Small Kindness charity in response to the devastating conflicts in the Balkans. The charity focused its efforts on the needs of orphans, widows, and families.
Small Kindness continues to help vulnerable victims of humanitarian disasters and has received international recognition for its work.
At this time Yusuf also began producing educational recordings on his own label, Mountain of Light, beginning in with The Life of the Last Prophet. From he concentrated on albums for a younger audience and produced some of the most popular CDs for children in the Muslim world including A is for Allah and I Look I See.
The tragic events of 9/11 motivated Yusuf to, once again, take to the global stage.
Cat stevens biography book Retrieved 29 October This was to be the segue into his leaving home for Paris. If the scholars see that it is something positive, they may well approve of what I'm doing. In this episode he talks about his difficulty in entering the US.He spoke out in the media against the atrocities, against fanaticism and war, and called for peace and unity. He began to perform some of his old repertoire again, notably ‘Peace Train’ on account of its message, however, these renditions would often be delivered without instruments in spoken word or a cappella arrangements.
In Yusuf received the ‘World Social Award’ in Germany from an International World Awards Jury for “dedicating his life to aiding the needy and the ill.” And in he was presented with the Man of Peace award by Mikhail Gorbachev on behalf of a committee of Nobel peace laureates for having worked to “alleviate the suffering of thousands of children and their parents and dedicating himself to promoting peace, reconciling people and the condemnation of terrorism.”
Yusuf’s full return to music making came in with the release of An Other Cup.
The album was enthusiastically received, delighting audiences who had dreamt of hearing his soft voice, compelling melodies, and poignant lyrics once again. Three years later another new album, Roadsinger, cemented his reconnection with the music industry.
The ‘Guess I’ll Take My Time’ tour followed which saw Yusuf perform songs from both his new and old catalogue throughout the UK in , Australia in , and the rest of Europe in
In Yusuf explored a new musical avenue with the staging of a musical called Moonshadow which was launched in Australia in May of that year.
The story tells the magical tale of a young man and his Moonshadow’s struggle against an oncoming darkness. Using songs from throughout his career, the musical explores many of the themes and ideas that have informed his music. This adventure into new artistic forms may well prove to be just the tip of the iceberg as Yusuf is currently looking to new media for ways to express his artistic vision.
Yusuf’s return to music has been greeted with joy and excitement across the world but nowhere more so than in the USA.
The emotional reaction to his performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in New York on the 10th April showed the love and appreciation that exists within the music industry for a legendary singer-songwriter who is truly considered one of their own. In the ‘Cat’s Attic’ tour gave the American public their opportunity to echo these feelings.
kicked off a series of significant anniversaries as it marked 50 years since the release of Yusuf&#;s first two albums, &#;Matthew & Son&#; and &#;New Masters&#; in The celebrations ramped up in with the 50th anniversary of two albums that began the seminal period of Yusuf / Cat Stevens&#; career, &#;Mona Bone Jakon&#; and the legendary &#;Tea for the Tillerman&#;, and the festivities continued into as &#;Teaser and the Firecat&#; also reached half a century.
Since his music career took off in the late &#;60&#;s, Yusuf / Cat Stevens has been on a dynamic journey during which he has charmed people&#;s’ hearts, entertained millions, and brought hope and assistance to those in need.
He has had the courage to follow his convictions and the result has been a life of extraordinary adventures which he continues to share through his captivating songs.