By Madeeha Syed
Sunday, 23 Aug, 2009 | 10:55 AM PST |
Dawud Wharnsby Ali. Photo by Shahzad ‘Shahi’ Hasan
I walked into a recording studio in Karachi recently to find Dawud Wharnsby Ali (formerly known as David Howard Wharnsby), one of the pioneers in the genre of English nasheed on a global level (along with the likes of Yusuf Islam, Zain Bhikha and the more recently popular, Sami Yusuf) in the vocal booth recording his vocals for a local project in which he was actually singing in Urdu. Repeatedly tutored by the music producer there on the nuances of pronunciation, Dawud would eventually get the song right.
A bit of history here: Dawud initially began pursuing music in 1991 in Canada where he began as a solo artiste and eventually collaborating with the band members of the folk band, Crackenthorpe’s Teapot. He ended up releasing two independent albums with the band. An ardent observer of world religions and the concept of spirituality, he was exposed to the Quran in 1993 and decided to study it.
In 1995, he released his first inspirational album, Blue Walls and the Big Sky, through his own independent label and has since then released over 10 English nasheed albums. Not only is he gifted vocally, but he’s also an instrumentalist and has produced music and collaborated with the likes of Yusuf Islam, South African songwriter and nasheed Zain Bhikha, Mumbai-based sitar player Ustad Irshad Khan among others.
He’s also an avid advocate of education for children and has done several television programmes (predominantly for Canada’s Vision TV and the BBC) targeted at educating children worldwide. A prominent feature in the nasheed circles abroad, Dawud, whose wife is Pakistani has now also established his base at Abbottabad which he calls home. As an educator, his wife moved back to Pakistan to help run the school her grandmother established 20 years ago. Dawud himself has established a private trust fund supporting educational programmes in the northern areas of Pakistan.
Here, Images on Sunday talks to this incredibly polite artiste about his perception of music in religion, peace, life in Pakistan, his collaborations and what he has planned in store for the future.
Q. When you embraced the Islamic way of life, did you have any doubts about music?
A. No. I mean, the music that I was involved in up until that point was very personal to me anyway. It was very much a part of my journey into life, my spiritual journey. So I started to see, as I was performing at different venues that music, as faith and knowledge, can be often misused.
When I embraced the Quran and when I read things about humility, integrity and about poets not practicing what they did preach, I felt that this was a sign to me. It wasn’t music that I needed to stop doing but it was something I needed to utilize even more for my spiritual growth. And that’s why I think my shift in the approach of my music changed at that time as well.
I was never doubtful about music being a powerful method for expression or it having a powerful effect on people. I was never doubtful of it as a medium. The only thing I was doubtful of was the environment; where was I going to begin to share my music? How was I going to use it? In an environment which would enliven people, empower people, as opposed to an environment which would let you escape from life.
In terms of the ideological contradictions, or the ideological opinions, I didn’t buy into that from the beginning. I knew that the Muslim community was very sensitive to it. But I attributed that more to cultural approaches to music. For example, people would come to me and would say western music sounds very aggressive. And yet I would listen to music from Uganda and it sounded very aggressive to me. Culturally, some of the rhythms and the loud chanting, it was very aggressive. So it was all very much peoples’ cultural educations and that didn’t scare me.
Q. For seven years you did music in the traditional a capella nasheed style (singing without any musical instrument). Why the change now?
A. I started that way because the recordings I was doing at that time, I was aiming specifically at children. So I wanted to keep them very simple, rhythmic and very lyric-based. They were educational songs and I was also aiming directly at the diverse, multicultural community of Muslims specifically in Canada. And I knew that culturally speaking, people had very different opinions about the permissiveness of musical instruments.
So I thought if I were to use a very traditional approach, just lyrics and percussion, people will… they won’t focus on the debate, they’ll just focus on the words. And that’s sort of why I began that way.
Ironically I recorded all those songs with the guitar, but I just took it out of the mix when I released it.
Q. What about the general reaction to you picking up your guitar again? Did anyone object?
A. Oh yeah, but nothing heavy duty. People have been very kind. They would send me letters, messages or emails and say “brother I don’t know if you know or not, but you’re going to hell because you play guitar!” and I’d say thank you a lot for the advice. But they were only saying it out of love. When people are certain of their own ideological opinions I think they mean it out of love and sometimes they mean it out of a need for their own validation. And there is a fear that now they’re challenged and suddenly out of that fear they feel the need to instruct or correct you. So I’ve tried to be patient with that.
The people who are genuinely confused, I try to give them a very clear answer. People who are genuinely upset, I try to remind them that they need to be tolerant of different ideologies. For people who want to condescend or judge, I try to remind them that I only believe that there is one being that has the right to judge me and that is my Creator and so their fear tactics don’t work with me.
For the most part I don’t run into too much hassle. The only trouble I run into is when I am invited to an event and where people will say to me “Oh yes brother, whatever you want to share is great” and then 10 minutes before the performance they say, “by the way we’ve had some complaints and you can’t play the guitar, you can’t play the drum.” And I find that frustrating only because it’s a form of censorship. They know my website, they know what I do, they should know better than to try and monopolize my art.
Q. You’ve collaborated with quite a few artistes including Zain Bikha from South Africa. How did that happen?
A. Beautiful. We both had a mutual friend in England, Yusuf Islam. I was invited to his studio, I was aware of Zain’s music, Zain was aware of my music but neither of us had met. We all have a soft spot for children and education for children. Coming together it wasn’t just as artists but as people who had a love for children and trying to see songs come alive more than we had any interest to market them, create a new music industry or seek any sort of support or validation from the community, we really just wanted to create songs that young people could identify with.
Zain and I really clicked and since that time we’ve been working together.
Q. All three of you are considered pioneers in what you do.
A. Yeah, so we all started around the same time. There were plenty of spiritual songs drawn from the Quran before that time but most of them were in Arabic or in Urdu and there wasn’t really much in English. And the three of us did sort of, apart from each other, begin distributing songs.
Q. Considering that you don’t speak Urdu or any of the local languages, has language been a barrier for you?
A. Just where I live. I don’t do much artistic work. That just seems to be the way it is. When I’m home I’m primarily writing/recording. The language isn’t a barrier for me. When I’m in the bazaar or with the neighbours, they’re very patient with my broken Urdu. And if I just keep my mouth shut and wear shalwar kameez everyone thinks I’m Pathan and they’ll ask me where I’m from in Pashto and I’ll say “Canada” and they’ll say “Kandahar?”
Q. You also started your own record label Enter into Peace. Tell us about that?
A. Well it started out as a publishing entity because I’ve always felt very strongly about artistes holding on to their work, not allowing other people to monopolize it or use it to make money off them in commercial ways.
So when I started my first publishing entity back in the early 1990s to really secure the rights to my work. It makes distribution a lot harder because it means I have to actively be on top of who’s distributing. It’s a lot easier now with digital distribution. When you run your own independent label, the networks don’t really take you seriously, because it’s a very “who you know” sort of business.
Q. What inspired the name Enter into Peace?
A. Yusuf Islam, who had explained to me many years ago that “Islam” means “enter into peace” and I thought “what a beautiful concept”. So that’s why when people ask me if I’ve converted, I tell them it’s not about conversion it’s about the meaning, to embrace the concept of peace into your life.
Q. Are you planning to collaborate with any of the artistes you’ve worked with professionally?
A. I am working on a collaborative project with a few other artistes. One of them is Idris Phillips. He’s produced and composed most of the music. I’m doing most of the lyrics and the vocals. Zain Bikha from South Africa, he’s written some incredible songs, very unlike what he’s done in the past. So that’s what we’re working on over the next few months as well. It’s kind of like three way collaboration.
Q. What about your own independent solo projects?
A. I’m working on a new recording now. The actual process will be starting in September. It’ll be my first album recorded in Abbottabad. I’ve been nomadic for the past 3-4 years which is very hard considering my job entails that I travel already. So being at home is very important to me, to finally have a place to land. I really want to utilize that environment. And it seems so ironic because when you hear what happening in the northern areas of Pakistan and we’re so close to it.
Just up the road in Mansehra, a couple of weeks ago, a store that sold CDs and music items was destroyed and so a lot of people overseas are like “are you nuts?” It’s going to be very exciting to record it in Pakistan.
Dear Brother Dawud!
I am one of your biggest fans from Pakistan. I can not explain the surprise and delight when I saw you in the Olper’s milk Ramdan ad! Beautiful!
Even before reading the article, I knew you were residing in Abbotabad.
I wanted to ask you if you could please visit our university in Karachi – Institute of Business Administration (www.iba.edu.pk).
It would be absolutely wonderful to have you over and talk about how you see faith and how your nasheeds have evolved.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Comment by Suhaib — August 25, 2009 @ 8:00 am
Wow… Seems like you are having a great time in Pakistan. Saw the Olper’s Advertisment and it is really nice….Wishing you and your family a very blessed and happy Ramadan….And are you still coming to Kalamazoo?
Comment by Abida — August 26, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
Dear Brother Dawud,
You prob may not recall me by my name but I am your fan from my days in Waterloo, ON where we used to share the same mosque. esp. the Eid of ’99 I cant forget when you had gathered children and had sung in the mosque on which a group of people had created an issue (trust some people). If anything, you had gained more respect after that. Recently seeing you in Olpers ad (which is awesome btw) this ramadaan brought back all those memories. Eversince I moved back to Pakistan I lost touch on you. But I am so proud to see that you have done so well for yourself internationally. May Allah take you to the zenith. I just found out that you have moved to Pakistan as well on the NWFP side (or atleast spend a big chunk of time there). I now live in Karachi. Pls let me know if and when you ever visit Karachi. Me and my family would love to welcome you at our home.
Salaamz and all the best.
Comment by Mujtaba Siddiqui — August 29, 2009 @ 6:53 am
Salam alaikum,
The dawn article photo has a caption “Photo by Shahzad(Shahi) Hasan”
Shahzad Hasan was part of Vital Signs and Vital Signs is the reason that I’m a musician today.
And Dawud Wharnsby is the reason I’m proud to be a muslim musician today.
My two worlds have come together.
We miss you out here in the states bro. Hope to see you soon inshallah. Looking forward to having a conversation with you in Urdu
Take care
salam to your family.
Comment by Ali Qazi(Project26) — September 1, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
Dear dawud, I’m from Indonesia. I’ve just listen your ‘Bismillah’. So simple beautiful yet meaningfull. As a nomadic
you should come to our country and inspire more to the world of Islam. Keep walking, keep painting a picture
of the children out playing, in every wall in the word, soon they will be grown, …everywhere. wasalam
Comment by Priyatna Dwinanda — September 3, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
Well i can say you are my find of the day
Being not a avid music follower, did not know of you before. just watched a couple of videos on youtube, the chain reaction started with “Dont talk about Muhammad”. Inspired by your work, i googled your name and came to this website. Firstly, I must congratulate you on your superb work, then i am glad to know the secret behind your work (your Pakistani wife)…remember who is always behind a successful man 
with that i wish you all the best in life,
Ma’assalam
Shahzad
Comment by Shahzad — October 4, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
Dear friends,
greetings of peace and thank you for all the positive feedback to the DAWN News article
Suhaib – Glad you enjoyed the Olper’s ad during Ramadan. It was such an honour to be a part of that project. Thank you for your gracious invitation to visit IBA in Karachi. Earlier this year I spoke at NUST in Islamabad and it was a wonderful experience. It would be equally as nice to visit your university. Simply email Enter Into Peace and perhaps a visit to your school can be arranged for some time in 2010. My schedule for the new year is already filling up with production and travel, so now is as good a time as any to plan in advance.
…and my dear Abida! Good to hear from you – as always! Unfortunately I will not be at the Kalamazoo Music Festival again this year so I will miss seeing you there. Hope you are doing really well!
Mujtaba, a blast from the past! Thank you so much for keeping an eye on my current activities and dropping in here to post your very sweet and supportive words! How delightful that you are now in Pakistan too. Naturally I’d love to see you and your family at some point. Reading your post brought back some great memories of Waterloo, Ontario. That “event” you mentioned was quite an emotional experience for me. It was the first time I had even sung in a mosque and the angry outburst at my singing by an elder of the community was quite a source of embarrassment and shock to me. All these years later I have felt that the local community in Waterloo must have thought I was such a freak back then. Funny thing though…about six months after that “event” you mentioned, a family I was very close to brought me along with them to a wedding where – low and behold, the father of the bride was the same man who had stood up yelling at me in the mosque during the eid day when I sang a spiritual song! He shook my hand somewhat sheepishly while a hired band with keyboard and synth played Arab dance music, and young men and women all enjoyed the party on a dance floor. Ah yes – “forgive and move on” I always say…..never forget…but “forgive and move on”.
Ali – you are such a friend for always sending me a line while this world tosses me to and fro – making it hard for me to be as in touch as I wish I could be sometimes with peers such as yourself. You can look forward to that conversation with me in Urdu, but you may not got much out of me beyond what you heard me sing in the Olper’s milk ad! “Deen hamara deene maqamal…Indallah!! Indallah!!” By the way Shahzad Hasan is a wonderful chap with a great studio in Karachi! It is always so nice when our heroes turn out to be nice guys too.
Priyatna from Indonesia: What a lovely name and what a kind post. Thank you for taking the time to write. Indonesia is on my list of beautiful places in the world to visit. One day – God willing – I will have the pleasure of visiting your country.
Shazad, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. One can never have too many friends. Indeed – you read through the pretentious lines of my website to find the root of my passion and “success”. My wife is a strong woman who is most patient with me. Without her – I know I would simply be a wreck of a man.
Peace to all,
- DW
Comment by Administrator — October 5, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
Ah, so there is a way to reach you without sending a letter to Waterloo (which strikes me as a strange thing to do given that you’re halfway around the world)! Perhaps I shall do so anyhow, when the time is right.
A belated Eid Mubarak! I pray the family is well. Glad to see you’re working on a new album.
Thought you might enjoy this picture: http://hiddencities.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/tulun.jpg
Comment by Ilyas — December 1, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
Dear Ilyas,
greetings of peace to you and your family. Hope you are doing really well.
Nice to see your sense of Sarcastic Canadian Humour is as cool as usual.
Hahahahah…. Indeed, others too have inquired about how mail sent “directly to me” has a Canadian address…while I now live in Pakistan. One of life’s many mysteries that I shall now unravel: Since Enter Into Peace is a Canadian business (I wish to always remain true to my roots by keeping my business entity in my Home and Native Land) all of my mail goes to the Enter Into Peace office, where it is retrieved by my adorable retired parents who help me a ton on the Home-front. Personal letters are then forwarded along to me – unopened – to my house in Pakistan where only my eyes read them.
So do write that letter sir, it is always great to hear about what you are up to and what you are thinking about these days.
Peace always Ilyas and give my warmest regards to your whole family. It would be good to see you again soon…
Great picture by the way…with great memories attached.
Peace,
dawud
Comment by Administrator — December 5, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
aa,
Nice to talk with you backstage at the Islamic Relief concert in College Park last Saturday We met you after the show when we won the chance to meet you guys backstage, though I grew up with 2 of the 3 Native Deen brothers in the DC/Baltimore area and met you at Mona’s wedding in February 2005, read about it here : http://linkintech.com/wordpress/general/1000-miles-in-24-hours , remember?)Just visited your blog and saw this amazing posting. At first I didn’t get it why the interviewer in the article (didn’t get the Dawn connection until I finished the article, duh!!) why you needed to understand Urdu living in Canada and then later on it dawned on me (no pun intended) that you were residing in Pakistan and that explained the commercial (Olpers, which was awesome)…and the Abttobad and bazaar…
Comment by salman — December 16, 2009 @ 3:42 am
I’ll say “Canada” and they’ll say “Kandahar?”
hahaha brother
that is so funneh!!!
Comment by sheroo weirdo — January 26, 2010 @ 6:49 pm
Salaamu Alaikum, I am so interested in your experiences in Pakistan! I have met many other wives of Pakistanis but never a gora husband. We are big fans of you in our house & our 3 year old son specifically requests your songs all the time. Thank you for such great music!
Comment by TheGoriWife — April 15, 2010 @ 3:44 pm
Dear GoriWife,
(very cute User Name by the way)
Thank you for your kind words – glad to hear your son enjoys my work. There is a new project on the way specifically aimed at children your son’s age…so do watch for that. I’m completing work on it this month and then it will be off to the publisher (Kube Publications in UK) and onward to release by next year if all goes well.
Indeed, us gora (“whitie”) husbands are a rare breed. Testimony to my wife’s very wonderful, unique, culturally accepting and open-minded family. Their daughter not only married a gora, but a gora who’s a musician too! God bless ‘em.
As for my experiences in Pakistan: I simply love where I live here in Abbottabad. It is my belief that the whole world and all its people have wonderful things to teach us, if we remain open, accepting and gracious wherever we go.
Pakistan has (like all nations) it’s struggles, challenges and difficulties – but it is my aim to always seek goodness and beauty wherever I go. If it gets hard to find such goodness and beauty – I try my best to create some. It has always been my dream to live a simple life in a rural or semi-rural environment. Since child-hood I have loved fields, goats and forests and have had my heart set on living in a place where I may be close to nature, grow vegetables and farm bees
Since my wife is from Pakistan, since I enjoy the culture, cuisine and community feel of the quiet mountainous area of her home-town, and since life here still remains somewhat simple – I am very content to be residing in the NWFP. We embrace somewhat of an extended-family-life-style where our daughter spends time daily with her great grandparents. Being on the out-skirts of town, she is also free to roam out-doors to explore gardens and wave at local insects, birds and live-stock. At the moment we are also sorting out some land where we may grow our own food and build our own little home “off the grid” (powered and sustained by alternative sources of energy).
Contrary to what may be broadcast on English news channles about specific regions in Pakistan where tragic violence is indeed occurring for very complex reasons – life here in Abbottabad is peaceful day-to-day for us simple folks who just value peace, community and human dignity. Those of us who do not desire to live beyond our means and who seek to help others struggling to meeting their needs.
People are very accepting of my being here, very warm to my inter-racial marriage, very supportive of my work as an artist and very tolerant of my personal approach to spirituality. If anything, what raises the confused eyebrows of others the most, is not that I am a Canadian, or a “gora” married to a Pakistani, or a musician….but the facts that I reject the informal economic apartheid which exists here in Pakistan, as well as the capitalism of other countries which so many elite Pakistanis seek to embrace. We do not use domestic servants (in our home, my wife and I do all our own laundry, cleaning, shopping, home/clothing repairs etc…chores I believe all capable people should have the pleasure of doing for themselves). Of the groceries we must buy, we stick to locally made and grown products as much as possible. Though we have been blessed with a comfortable abode, we make the best effort possible to ensure that we live simply – reducing, reusing, recycling, composting, avoiding the purchase of plastic whenever possible and trying to minimize the amount of “stuff” we collect, store and disregard.
Just last week I went from sitting in my little home-studio tracking demos for new songs, to picking up a scythe and going out to harvest wheat by hand with my friend… Having the freedom to live in a place that gives me such diversity in life’s experiences is very exciting for me.
Just yesterday a new friend of mine here asked me “So what exactly is your work?” I told him in my broken Urdu: “I sing. I write. I read. I do laundry. I clean my house. I play with my daughter. I teach her that bugs are cute and money is dirty. I travel. I learn. My work is my life and my life is my work – and it’s all fun!”
…and so the adventures of the gorahubby continue. Thanks for your interest in my world and be sure that my ongoing adventures will inspire more of my songs, my poems and my two-bit philosophy.
Peace always,
davie
Comment by Administrator — May 29, 2010 @ 8:50 am