Singing a Positive Song

A change in beliefs and ideals is a drastic transformation in ones life. This transformation may take a long time to fully develop, for Cat Stevens it took 28 years. The millions of fans that took favor in Cat Stevens’ smooth voice and thought provoking songs were thrilled when Cat Stevens recently emerged again in the public’s eye, under the name Yusuf Islam.

Cat Stevens has always been an excellent singer and song writer. If you study his songs closely, you can see that his quest for truth parallels his lyrics. He states on his website http://catstevens.com/ that in the early to mid seventies he was searching many religions including Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, and Zen. He even ventured into astrology and numerology. It wasn’t until his brother gave him a copy of the Koran in 1976 that he was able to establish a connection between the communication of God and man. Yusuf put his music career on hold indefinitely and spent his days trying to further understand his place in the world through Islam.

Cat Stevens/ Yusuf Islam has just recently renewed his musical career. He states that his return to music is fueled by the power of a song. “The language of a song is simply the best way to communicate the powerful winds of change which brought me to where I am today, and the love of peace still passing through my heart.” With his newest album “An Other Cup” he further explores the transformation towards Islam. The style is similar to previous recordings, the lyrical content is what has changed. “You can argue with a philosopher but you cannot argue with a good song.” This quote shows the mindset of Stevens and why he returned to music. After all his searching, he concluded that music is the one thing holding us together in this world, and that through song, he might be able to help someone else who is searching for truth or who is in a low spot.

I highly recommend this website to anyone who wants to learn more about the artist formally known as Cat Stevens. The home page is a fun filled interactive adventure that gives the visitor the chance to explore biography, archive, shop, view video, listen to audio, view discography, and to read current and past news regarding Yusuf. The main page is still under construction but in the future visitors will be able ho contribute to charities close to Yusuf’s heart.