By Tim Saunders on
Yusuf Islam has released a new peace anthem using the voices of hundreds of fans from across the world.
Yusuf – formerly known as Cat Stevens – invited people to send samples of them singing parts of his new song, My People, and the results have been put together for the final product.
Talking to Spinner.com, Yusuf says that the song was inspired by an Egyptian peace protest: “Most of the things in my career have happened spontaneously, and this is just another one of those things. I had no big plans, but as we were all watching what as going on in Egypt there was this fantastic feeling of support and so we wanted to stretch out a hand to these people who were peacefully asking for change. I was on the guitar and then suddenly this song came out and ‘My People’ had arrived. The mood was simply one of intense admiration for the people who were standing up peacefully.”
According to the star’s website: “‘My People’ was recorded less than a hundred yards from the site of the Berlin wall, the downfall of which symbolized a massive victory in the quest for Freedom by impounded and oppressed people. Yusuf wrote this song to support people around the world still dreaming of being unshackled from harsh authoritarian regimes.”
In 2009, Yusuf used Bono's (RED) to urge people to help children, and later that year recorded a song by George Harrison to help refugees in Gaza. He has served as an ambassador for UNICEF, and founded a charity called Small Kindness in 2000 to help needy children and families around the world.
The song can be downloaded for free from his official website.
Copyright © 2011 Look to the Stars
