Salaam by Sami Yusuf

Track List
Happiness
Salaam
Smile
The Source
Dryer Land ft. Ustad Babk
It’s A Game
To Guide You Home
Forgotten Promises
Alabi Dhikrika
I’m Your Hope
All I Need
Hear Your Call
You Came To Me ft. Dato Siti
Wherever You Are (acoustic Arabic)
Without You (acoustic Arabic)
To Guide You Home instrumental
Released
December 22, 2012
Genre
Nasheed, Spiritique

Label
ETM International
Sami Yusuf is a 32-year-old British singer-songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist musician of Azerbaijani origin.
Yusuf released his first album at the age of 23, “Al Mu’allim” in 2003 which sold over two million copies. In 2005 he released his second album “My Ummah”. Yusuf was heralded as “Islam’s Biggest Rock Star” by Time magazine for his success in attracting a relatively young fan base from diverse regions across the world, many of whom were of Muslim backgrounds. Yusuf has sold over 9 million albums. In October 2010, following a five-year hiatus, Yusuf’s third official album “Wherever You Are” was launched, manifesting his self-coined genre “Spiritique”.

Yusuf is involved in humanitarian initiatives, supporting, among others, Islamic Relief and Save the Children.
Salaam is Yusuf’s 4th studio album, featuring 16 tracks in all, 6 of them his previously released singles.

The title track “Salaam” is what you call, put a soothing effect on you. Starts with light music, which then is followed by Sami Yusuf saying “Salam u alekum”. Music stops and his voice calms you dwon with beautiful lyrics.” I dream for a day, when there’ll be, no more misery, when there’s no more hunger, no need for shelter” the ever hopeful lines. Chanting of “Lemme Show My Way…” throughout the song.

It’s a Game is the best track, by far. Sami sings in Arabi, Turkish and Urdu. It’ll sound like a song to you but its really a nasheed. The lyrics tell about Prophet Mohammad PBUH’s time’s ways, “they insulted him when they didn’t know him, they became his followers when they truly knew him”. Great music and chants of “Game Game Game” and “Play, Play Play”

Forgotten Promises is a track which was written for drought-hit Horn of Africa and surrounding places. Sami collaborated with UN World Food Program and released this single. Lyrics tell our worlds sorry tale, about hunger, about people who don’t want to unite. Sami reminds us about brotherhood, unity, about having no regrets, about helping each other. Its another Arabi and English combo.

Smile, can we call it a “Surprising” track? Starts with loud acoustic violin, and Sami saying “To See You Smile, Give It All Away”. It’s a bit like his “My Ummah “, the track which was released in 2005. Music’s ups and down makes it catchier. Great track!

If you haven’t heard about Hear Your Call, then I would say “have you been living in a nutshell?”. This track was written and sung for the flood victims of 2010, of Pakistan. Touching

Make Me Strong is a track which force you to listen to what he is trying to say. The track is slow, with light-music-getting-louder gradually. Video is as always, Sami-Style, simple but perfect. It shows him, doing a concert, at his home and other places. Lyrics goes like “My Lord show me right from wrong, Give me light make me strong, I know the road is long, Make me strong”.

I’m Your Hope is the track for youth. Awesome and must-listen is its other name. The repetition in lyrics “Do not harm me, I am your truth
Do not kill me, for I’m your youth, I am your hope, I am your truth, I’m your faith, I’m your youth” are sung with so much power and firmness which forces you to listen and take in what’s being said. Video is a winner which was made by a youth too in a competition.

Another great album by Sami Yusuf, which makes him more popular and more admired.