‘Knowing One Another’ opened Sami Yusuf’s Beyond the Stars live performance at the Dubai EXPO. Composed for the event and arranged for the particular grouping of musicians assembled there, this is the shimmering music, full of yearning and hope, of seekers setting out on a journey of discovery. Inspired by the Quranic verse, “O mankind! Truly We created you from a male and a female, and We created you peoples and tribes that you may come to know one another.” The composition unveils the deep knowing that comes from hearing the music of distant lands, not only in the instruments used but in the way it moves from the pentatonic scale of the first refrain to the harmonic scale of the second refrain to the riveting mugham sections. From Tayyar Bayramov’s stunning mugham solo that foreshadows the treasures ahead, the instrumental piece unfolds in rhythmic melodies moving from santur to tanbur, ney, baglama and erhu, all underscored by the choir’s rich vocalisations. Once onstage, Sami Yusuf delivers a stirring vocal performance in dastagh rast whose grace is matched by its power. The flowing visual effects perfectly reflect the music’s fluidity and sense of movement.

Sami Yusuf’s instrumental composition, ‘The Journey’, was inspired by the music that filled the air of travellers along the Silk Road. Sami Yusuf opens the work with a riveting rabab solo that is followed by subtle interweavings of Chinese erhu, balaban, sitar, and ney solos. Their evocative melodies flow into dramatic surges of rhythmic energy from the rest of the orchestra as a portrait in sound emerges of a journey across lands and cultures. This is a magical piece where ancient musical traditions communicate to today’s listener in a vibrant, timeless space.

Sami Yusuf’s richly nuanced composition, ‘For True Lovers’, was recorded live in October 2021 at Al Wasl Plaza, considered the ‘heart’ of Dubai EXPO. It’s a riveting, multi-layered work by the acclaimed composer with words by beloved Turkish Sufi poet Yunus Emre (d.1328). Composed and directed by Sami Yusuf for a 37-member orchestra, the musician also delivers a passionate vocal performance in Turkish, English, and Arabic in this non-linear piece that evokes a journey through the stations of the spiritual path. Popular Moroccan singer Nabyla Maan performs a stunning Andalusian inspired improvisation using Arabic lyrics by the well-known mystical poet Al-Hallaj (d. 922). The exquisite art of Azerbaijani mugham is heard in the penetrating vocals of Teyyar Bayramov. Baglama, kemanche, ney, and other traditional instruments are heard throughout.

‘The Fire Within’ is the ever-burning flame of love that lives to seek, discover, and ignite. This rich composition and arrangement by Sami Yusuf narrates tales from great Muslim mystics, such as translations from Mansur ibn al-Hallaj and beautiful Arabic verse of Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari sung by Nabyla Maan. Latin poetry by the Christian mystic Hildegard von Bingen timelessly moves the listener from one musical and mystical tradition to another. The union of various musical traditions recounts the story of a love that is neither bound to the East nor West. The composition is performed in the Aeolian with allusions to traditional Andalusian modes.

Sami Yusuf’s exhilarating work ‘I Have Come Alive’ was recorded live at the Dubai EXPO as part of his Beyond the Stars concert. This brand new, multi-layered composition fills the air with intoxicating melodies and intricate rhythms. Lyrics are from a poem by the Sufi poet Jalal al-Din Rumi and are sung in the original Persian as well as in English, Turkish, and Arabic. The composition displays a depth of musical imagination that carries the poem’s mystical meaning straight to the heart of the listener. Sami Yusuf delivers a stunning performance as he is joined by featured artists Seyed Ali Jaberi in a powerful tanbur solo, and Nabyla Maan, who adds an Andalusian flavour with a riveting mawwal.

Sami Yusuf’s instrumental composition ‘The Meeting’ is an intimate and deeply personal work. Direct and non-linear, the melodies, rhythms and vocalisations sustain and support one another flawlessly as the music moves fluidly between the Western aeolian mode and the Persian dastgah shur. Solos by Sami Yusuf on tar, Guo Gan on erhu, and Asad Khan on sitar circle each other to create an embracing ambience where each melodic line is a subtle gem, strong and fragile in equal measure.

Sami Yusuf’s arrangement of the popular Sufi qawwali song ‘Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum’ is an exceptional work of art. A mystical celebration of the source of life, the piece opens in a meditative mood with intensely captivating and intimate vocal solos by Pooja Gaitonde, Tayyar Bayramov, and Nabyla Maan and a sitar solo by the renowned Asad Khan. Fluidly transitioning to the exuberant rhythms and vocals of the outstanding group of qawwali musicians joining him, Sami Yusuf leads a passionate call and response of the centuries-old devotional lyrics.

‘Ya Nabi’ is a Sufi song written in honor of the founder of the Chishti Sufi order, Mu’in al-Din Chishti (d. 1236). It was originally composed by the legendary qawwali group the Sabri Brothers from a compilation of poems and melodies of the Chishti Order of the Indian subcontinent. In this new arrangement with lyrics in Arabic, Sami Yusuf delivers an electrifying performance together with the qawwali musicians who join him on stage.

Sami Yusuf performs ‘Mast Qalandar’ live at the Dubai EXPO. Experience the exhilarating sound of Sufi qawwali music in this version of the song popularised by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and delivered here in a new arrangement by Sami Yusuf and an international ensemble. The lyrics are based on a poem by the Chisti Sufi and musical genius, Amir Khusro, and were later modified by the great Panjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah.

Sami Yusuf’s riveting new work, ‘The Wine of Love’, was recorded live at his Beyond the Stars concert at the Dubai EXPO. The composition is a wedding between a Khorasani sound and ecstatic qawwali music, and the result is breath-taking. As Sami Yusuf delivers his most powerful vocal performance yet, he is joined by Asad Khan on sitar, and featured Indian vocalists Riaz Hussain and Pooja Gaitonde along with other qawwali vocalists and tabla, dholak, and harmonium players. It’s a multi-faceted composition masterfully performed. Mystical Urdu lyrics are by Munna Shaokath Ali.

Sami Yusuf’s composition ‘Nasimi’ is a shining example of the metaphysical wedding of music and poetry that has existed for centuries in the Sufi tradition and that continues today as this work attests. The invocatory melody and rhythms echo the profound lyrics by Nasimi, the 14th-c. Azerbaijani mystical poet, lyrics that point to what lies beyond what we see in creation. This new arrangement was recorded live at the Dubai EXPO and features electrifying performances by featured vocalists Sami Yusuf, Tayyar Bayramov, and Nabyla Maan as well as a solo by the tanbur virtuoso, Seyed Ali Jaberi, and a brilliant performance on daf by Mohammad Jaberi.

Sami Yusuf’s ‘Beyond the Stars’ opens with a mesmerising solo by Moroccan vocalist Nabyla Maan. The shimmering melody is underpinned by minimal accompaniment as Sami Yusuf joins vocalists Pooja Gaitonde and Tayyar Bayramov to weave together a song both tender and inspiring. Written as a tribute to the promise and potential of our human family, the exquisite Arabic lyrics are interwoven with the Swahili refrain, ‘Simama Ju’ (‘Rise Up’).