Dawud Wharnsby profile picture

Dawud Wharnsby

Never let yer studies interfere with yer education

About Me

Inspiring, comforting, eclectic, Dawud Wharnsby’s newest album "Out Seeing The Fields" embodies the hopes of a connected, peace-seeking generation. The same can be said of the artist himself—an established singer/songwriter with Scottish, British, and Canadian roots. Wharnsby, co-producing with American based arranger and composer Idris Philips , casts a reflective glance at life, love, and the relationships that make us who we are. The result is an album that reminds fans both young and old alike why Wharnsby is still in the business after over a decade of making people smile, laugh, and sometimes cry with his music.

A philosophical commitment to grassroots music production and collaboration is what has fueled Wharnsby to create honest, thought-provoking material for his newest album. The rich depth of Wharnsby's lyrics and vocals are set beautifully to a blended backdrop of Phillip's jazz and folk arrangements, acoustic guitar and intricate piano work.

But Dawud Wharnsby is no stranger to producing widely popular music through successful collaborations and synthesizing talents. A multi-instrumentalist himself, Wharnsby has produced music in the past with British artist and peace activist Yusuf Islam (known the world over as Cat Stevens), Canadian percussion ensemble The Fletcher Valve Drummers , and South African songwriter Zain Bhikha . Wharnsby's last album "The Poets And The Prophet" (2006) represented a predominantly co-written effort with long time friend Bill Kocher, and included guest appearances by several celebrated musicians, including Canadian singer/songwriter Stephen Fearing , Mumbai based sitar ustad Irshad Khan , British double bass legend Danny Thompson . The result was a vibrant and culture-bridging tapestry of songs almost defying musical genre classification.

He manages to do what he does best, showcasing his natural talent as a singer/songwriter, in his newest "Out Seeing The Fields" . Wharnsby seizes the opportunity in this album to address themes of honesty, the ephemeral nature of time, and the dynamic between decisions and destiny.

Since Wharnsby’s arrival on the music scene back in 1991, his unique blend of colourful lyrics and catchy musical rhythms have gifted him with international recognition, boasting a devoted listening audience of diverse cultural backgrounds. From his debut solo album “Blue Walls And The Big Sky" (1995), and through strings of successfully diverse spiritual and children’s albums including "Sing, Children Of The World!” (1998) and “The Prophet’s Hands” (2003), Dawud Wharnsby has become a beloved poet and modern-day minstrel with a distinctly recognizable warm voice that carries a social message.

Dawud Wharnsby's approach to artistic expression is multi-dimensional. As a twenty-first century troubadour, traveling the world to share his poetry and songs, Wharnsby's passion for live performance has taken him from busking on street corners of small Canadian and Scottish towns, to playing some of the top theaters of North America and Britain. As a musical pioneer of English-language nasheed he enjoys an enthusiastic following worldwide. As a children’s educational program and music creator, Wharnsby enjoys hosting song-writing workshops and discussion circles at schools and universities across the globe.

An avid world-traveler, you might catch Wharnsby in Malaysia, South Africa, the mountains of Colorado or the mountains of Pakistan - depending on what projects he’s developing or who has invited him to share his songs with their community. What’s for certain though, is that Dawud Wharnsby aims to continue creating poetry and music with words that inspire and touch his listeners for years to come.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 5/2/2006
Band Website: wharnsby.com
Band Members: (at live shows) idris phillips - piano / dale "jamal-ud-deen" marcell (& the fletcher valve drummers) - percussion

The latest album by singer/songwriter Dawud Wharnsby is an intimate collection of songs underscored by acoustic guitar and the intricate piano work of US based composer Idris Phillips . Wharnsby's poetry and voice are in the foreground as usual, with subject matter addressing child abuse, honesty of faith, quest for identity, spiritual growth, and love. Other elements include a tribute to peace activist Rachel Corrie and a semi-autobiographic look at balancing faith with the egocentric music industry.

On sale now WORLD-WIDE here .




Influences: "Music is the nutrition of the soul." - Turkish Proverb

"When the king puts the poet on his payroll, he cuts off the tongue of the poet." - Arab Proverb
Sounds Like:

Live & Intimate

Dawud and Idris perform "Out Seeing The Fields" unplugged at Bristol University, June 3rd, 2008 - Bristol, England.

b e l o v e d - m u s i k a

Get your copies of "The Poets And The Prophet" and "Out Seeing The Fields" on-line now at the Beloved Musika web site by clicking here


Record Label: enter into peace / beloved musika
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS

INSPIRATION OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH 2007:STEPHEN FEARING***Congrats to Stephen Fearing who won a JUNO AWARD for his latest album "Yellowjacket" April 2007***official web siteIt was spring 1991 when, as...
Posted by Dawud Wharnsby on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:45:00 PST

Love this town but I'm on the road again

Dear friends,...Just packing up to head out for a mini tour of shows in the USA.So anyway...last week I was walking near Tahrir Square in Cairo - one of the largest and busiest, bustling city center's...
Posted by Dawud Wharnsby on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:33:00 PST

Off to the USA...

Dear Friends,Had a wonderful - but brief - trip to the UK last weekend for a show at Clifford Chance in Canary Wharf. It was great to see so many familiar faces at the venue and try out a few new tu...
Posted by Dawud Wharnsby on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:13:00 PST

Welcome 2007!

Greetings of peace dear friends,Hope all who drop in here to lend an ear are well and enjoying these first few weeks of the new year as much as I have been.After several weeks of vacation time in Nort...
Posted by Dawud Wharnsby on Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:42:00 PST