Entertainment


‘786’ message of peace


28/ 6/2004

AMERICAN Muslim music group '786' have been promoting tolerance and harmony among Asian youths during a tour of the UK.
The R&B style five-man band who have wowed Muslims in the States with their "unique" blend of Islamic music were in Manchester. They performed at the Eastern Pearl Restaurant in aid of one2one Orphan Relief Appeal as part of their 'Nasheeds 4 the youth' tour.
They also held workshops at Sparrow Hill School, Rochdale and launched their debut album '786' at the annual Muslim students' conference at Nottingham University.
The group is made up of friends, Zafar, aged 25, Shahaab, 26, Saad, 26, Omar, 22 and Saeed, 20 (pictured above) who all originate from Michigan, USA.
The group is comfortable with their Muslim and western identities and utilise both cultural influences in their songs.
The contemporary sounds they generate are directly informed by spiritual Islamic heritage but incorporate cultural influences from their own lives.
In their nasheeds they have absorbed a whole range of music including rap, gospel, R&B, qawwali and even soul hoping their style will appeal especially to young people and different ethnic groups.
Said band member Shahaab: "We are using 786 as a tool for propagating a positive Islamic message to our youth, particularly those who feel alienated and confused by world events and the way they are perceived by others in the community."
"Although we all love to sing, that is not the reason for the group. It is something we do well together and share a passion for, but more importantly, we share a passion for being Muslim. None of us claims to be perfect, or that we do everything correctly, or even try to preach to others. We just want to open people's eyes to what Islam truly is about and to tell the youth that we know what you are going through and simply… we understand."
The group came about when they performed at Saad's cousin's wedding.
The friends decided to perform a love ballad by N'sync called "This I promise you." They were told that the way the five of them sounded together was wonderful, so they decided to do something beneficial with their voices and started '786.'
Long hard days of working on songs and music finally paid off when they first went on stage in Austin, Texas where they became an instant hit.
Said Saad. "It was quite a big thrill to be performing in a different city with your friends. From there we got quite a few offers in different cities to do what we love."
Having worked with a number of producers, Saad has brought vast musical experience, to 786. Along with Saeed, he prepares, and arranges all the music.
He added: "786 has grown quite a bit since the first performance. The guys have not just grown as singers but as people."
The bands debut album can be bought from Meem Music by logging on to their website www.meemmusic.com


Have your say
 
Have your say Got an opinion you want to share?
Register now and have your comments heard.

Register now

Latest stories
 

 
Personal Finance
 

Customers with a 'good' credit profile
Company Typical APR
FirstPlus Exclusive Rate 6.6%
Moneyback Bank 8.4%
Alliance & Leicester 8.7%
Halifax (Semi-exclusive) 8.8%
Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) 8.8%
Barclays 8.9%
Fixed Rate Bonds
Provider AER*
ICICI BANK
HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account 		7.20%
ICICI BANK
HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account 		7.00%
ICICI BANK
HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account 		7.00%
ARRAY(0x131a2014)
 6 Month Fixed Rate Savings Account 		6.60%
Fees may apply