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‘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
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