Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens (1948-), which changed its name into Yusuf Islam since its conversion with the Islam, is a Chanteur, author and British type-setter . He lives today with London participant in Moslem caritative operations.

The singer

Stephen Demetre Georgiou was born the July 21st 1948 with London from a Cypriot father Greek and from a Swedish mother . It makes its studies in a Catholic school of which it will keep a strong religiosity. His/her father, Stavros and his mother, Ingrid, direct a restaurant and all the family saw above. Stephen has a brother and a sister older than him, David and Anita. Under the influence of his parents, it practices the music very early, first of all with the piano then with the guitar. 16 years, he plays the evening in the bars where he will make known himself and at 17 years he enters a school of Article.

At 18 years, it is presented in the producer Mike Hurst who asks him to show him his compositions. Immediately conquered, the producer asks him for his name, it answers “My name is Stephen drank they cal me Cat Stevens ” (this nickname would have been given to him by a girl because it had cats eyes), it is from now on under this name that it will be known.

As of 1966 it publishes a great number of songs. He is quickly success and the celebrity with its first title I coils my dog . After one period of disease - it had contracted the Tuberculose - it leaves its first album Matthew and Its in 1967 which will be followed by ten others.

It is accompanied simply by a guitar or of a piano that he interprets these trott Folk which will bring a world famous to him and will do of him one of the singers key of his time.
De 1967 with 1977, the culminating point of this career being the year 1970, it will multiply successes (40 million discs). Its work over this period remains very appreciated and counts several hits such as The First Cut Is The Deepest , Father and Its , Wild World and Lady of Arbanville , these two last in homage to the actress Patti d' Arbanville http://www.pattidarbanville.com/biography.html], his/her boyfriend of the moment. It became the planetary success which one knows. Patti d' Arbanville, egery warholienne, is actress at 17 years in the cultissime Flesh (1968) of Paul Morrissey. In 1971, it composes integrality of the original soundtrack of traditional the Harold and Maude of Hall Ashby which counts famous pieces such as Don' T Be Shy, Trouble or If you want to sing out.

After its conversion with the Islam, it gives up its life of pop star. It returns to the song in 1985 to take part in the Live Aid with humane vocation. Approximately three decades after it gave up the life of artist (see infra), one announces a new album of songs for the autumn 2006 which aims at supporting the comprehension of Islam by the western world.

The Moslem

After having survived miraculeusement an accident the December 23rd 1977 (he says to be saved by God), Cat Stevens gives up its life of artist folk to embrace the Islamic religion under the name of Yusuf Islam .

It is under this name that he lives today with the the United Kingdom with his wife and his daughters. It takes part in Islamic movements (it founded an association of assistance to the Moslems) and continuous to sing mainly religious songs (anasheed), like for caritative operations (such as for the tsunami of 2004). Its conversion has it amndt to be questioned on compatibility between the music pop folk/and the rigorous practice of Islam; this is why it stopped during years singing songs other than religious. It is not that in 2006 qu ' it decides to leave a new pop album, An Other Cup .

Its conversion with the Islam also caused polemic.
En 1989, when he to him was asked what he thought of the Fatwa marked against Salman Rushdie, he declared being itself opposite with the writings of the writer and not to show any opposition to the fatwa. The controversy raised by this declaration pushed it to specify in an official statement which he did not encourage personally the application of the fatwa (calling with the assassination of Salman Rushdie).
Two versions on this polemic: its remarks, made in front of students, would badly have summers interpreters and deformed. There is true that Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam was, is and will remain probably a man of peace, repeating in connection with the September 11th, 2001 and of its events that Coran " equates the murder off one innocent person with the murder off the whole off humanity" , considers the murder of innocent very as much as if it were about humanity entière.

In 2004 it was in the center of another controversy when, on flight 919 of United Airlines of London to Washington, the American security services made land in the urgency its plane because the computing system () marked its name as recorded on " No Fly List". The American authorities show it to have financed the Hamas but do not provide any proof which justifies this allegation. It is then interdict of entry on the territory of the the United States. At its descent of plane, FBI then places it in detention then returns it to the the United Kingdom a few days later. To date, there remains prohibited of stay on the American territory (the United States). That pushes the ex-minister of the foreign affairs Jack Straw to be carried felt sorry for near its counterpart Colin Powell, Secretary of State American at the time, to the the United Nations. According to Yusuf Islam, the man who is reproduced on the list named Yousef Islam and indicates that Yusuf Islam (itself) was not the sought man.

Discography

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