programme
Compositions by Sami Yusuf
performers
Cappella Amsterdam
Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra
Sami Yusuf
and others
background
For this special project, When Paths Meet, he is composing entirely new compositions and arrangements. Yusuf and his regular musicians collaborate with Cappella Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. They weave their own traditions into a collective celebration of music that transcends cultural boundaries.
When this concert had to be canceled in 2020, one piece was already realized remotely with nearly thirty musicians in separate studios. ONE, which has now been viewed more than 500,000 times online, was a promising preview for this concert. In 2022, all the musicians finally come together in person.
About Sami Yusuf
Sami Yusuf, the globally successful singer, composer, and musician, is referred to by media such as the BBC and Time Magazine as a “megastar”. With a strong preference for Sufi music, he masters the full range from deeply meditative melodies to pulsing, energetic rhythms. His compositions are inspired by traditional music and mystical poetry. The British artist with Azerbaijani roots sings in multiple languages and explores different cultures because “people around the world are seeking connection, and music enables that profound connection”.
Would you like to hear Sami Yusuf’s music?
Click here to go to Sami Yusuf’s Youtube channel.
About ONE
The German texts are from the 13th-century Christian metaphysician and sage Meister Eckhart. The Arabic texts are by Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari, the 13th-century Andalusian mystic and poet. The words are connected thematically, both visionaries speaking of the Eternal I and the Unity of vision – one seeing, one knowing, one love.
The Making of ONE
Sami Yusuf writes entirely new compositions and arrangements, one track of which can now be seen and heard as a remotely realized world premiere. The melody of the song ONE, he says, came to Yusuf in a dream. He wrote it down as soon as he woke up.
The production of ONE was technically very challenging, with nearly thirty musicians performing in separate studios. The song opens with our choir performing a vocal score reminiscent of Gregorian chant. Moving from Western Europe to the world of Andalusia and North Africa, the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra joins in with sounds of the ney, violin, qanun and percussion, until the dramatic outro seals the ecstatic experience.