| Feature Item |
| Review of Islamic Reliefs Evening of Inspiration Fri 30 Apr 2004 |
| Overall it was a truly inspiring night out; fun for all the family, even my Gran loved it! It was great to see something that everyone can enjoy, which sends a positive and spiritual message through entertainment, and I hope there are many more events like this to come. |
On Monday 12th April I went into town to the grand Royal Albert Hall, with my family and hundreds of other excited fans from all over the country, to take a look at the new, up and coming vocal talents from the modern Islamic music world. The evening was hosted by the charity Islamic Relief, who promised an enlightening and uplifting evening for all the family, with an impressive line up of entertainment from - Zain Bhikha, Imad Rami, Hassen Rasool, and Sami Yusuf, the famous American rap group, Native Deen and comedian Ahmed Ahmed.
The evening began with Hassen Rasool who stunned us all with his marvellous recitation of the Holy Qur'an delivered with deep passion and emotion. We listened completely spellbound. This was followed by a short introduction to Islamic Relief and the fundraising cause for the evening which was to help children all over the world. Timeless and touching images were portrayed of children from all over the globe; these were shown periodically throughout the show, with the hope that they would move the audience and encourage all to donate generously.
The theme for this evening was 'Proud to be Muslim' and I must say that by the middle of the show I was both spiritually heightened and greatly proud to be a Muslim. Each singer performed at least two songs although Zain Bhikha performed about four and his 12 year old son, also a budding singer, joined him on stage. He mesmerised the audience with his beautiful voice and super smile. However the show was without any doubt stolen by the hilarious Ahmed Ahmed who left the audience aching with laughter.
Being somewhat of a novice to these events, I was completely dumbfounded by the audience participation which was overwhelming. This was the first time that I had witnessed Muslims cheering, clapping and singing along as the Nasheeds (Islamic Songs) were performed.
Overall it was a truly inspiring night out; fun for all the family, even my Gran loved it! It was great to see something with universal appeal, which sends a positive and spiritual message through entertainment, and I hope there are many more events like this to come.
By the end of the evening it was announced that over £100,000 had been raised, so a great success in terms of fundraising also. It's absolutely fantastic to be a part of this new creative expression of Islam, which is clearly drawing a massive youthful fan base. Two thumbs up from me!
Farah Sheikh |
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