Yusuf Islam, celebrated British Muslim educator and humanitarian activist launched his Mountain of Light educational record label and book publications in the Middle East on the last day of school term before press and students at one of Dubai’s leading private schools.
The event, which featured a talk to the students by Mr. Islam and a short performance by South African recording artist Zain Bhikha, highlighted the hugely popular ‘A is for Allah’ album and book of the same name, one of 20 albums and books so far produced by the Mountain of Light group.
The presentation marked the forthcoming commercial distribution of the Mountain of Light recordings and books in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), scheduled to coincide with the Eid Al-Adha holidays. The recordings and books will be available through Virgin Megastores, Magrudy’s Bookstores and other outlets by February 10 and will hopefully be available for students in selected schools at special discount prices.
The Mountain of Light catalogue also includes Yusuf Islam’s bestselling spoken word album Life of the Last Prophet as well as several compilation albums including the recently released Bismillah, which introduces recitations and songs from around the world featuring tracks by Yusuf Islam, Zain Bhikha, the Malaysian group Raihan, Canadian Muslim singer-songwriter Dawud Wharnsby-Ali and other Muslim artists.
The albums feature voice-only tracks with occasional percussion accompaniment. Special editions of Mountain of Light recordings without daff-drum backgrounds are also available for listeners who would prefer to hear the selections without percussion.
For Yusuf Islam, the former rock superstar Cat Stevens who at the height of his musical career sold 40 million albums worldwide, the Mountain of Light recordings are the culmination of a 20-year commitment to Islamic education, which has resulted in the establishment of the first government supported Islamic school in Britain.
In September 2002 Yusuf Islam opened new regional headquarters of Mountain of Light in Dubai Media City, a move aimed at improving the availability and distribution of the company’s products across the Muslim world. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
