Dawud Wharnsby (born David Howard Wharnsby; June 27, 1972) is a Canadian Universalist

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television personality. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his work in the musical/poetic genre of English Language

nasheed A nasheed (Arabic: singular ', plural ', meaning: "chants") is a work of vocal music, partially coincident with hymns, that is either sung ''a cappella'' or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within Islam. Nashe ...

and

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...

''Early artistic career''

Born in

Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...

in 1972, David Wharnsby became active in local theatrical productions during his early teens, first performing on a world-class theater stage at the age of 18 in a production of "

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

" (

Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High ...

). Other stage work of his late teens included roles in "

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musica ...

" (

Schroeder __NOTOC__ Schroeder is a North German language, German (from Schröder) occupational name for a cloth cutter or tailor, from an agent derivative of Middle Low German , "to cut". The same term was occasionally used to denote a gristmiller as well as ...

) and "

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...

". At the age of 19 Wharnsby began performing throughout Southern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

as a solo musical artist and as a member of various musical groups. His first professional work as a musician was with folk quartet Crakenthorpe's Teapot, hired to perform on street corners of their hometown. Wharnsby travelled extensively throughout

, England and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

during 1993 and 1994 as a solo busker – singing informally on street corners and in parks to market and share his music. In 1993 he started his own independent recording entity, Three Keyed Maple Seeds, which in 1996 was renamed Enter into Peace and registered with SOCAN as a music publishing entity. During the early 1990s Wharnsby worked as a professional actor and puppeteer for two different educational theater troupes, touring public schools and folk festivals throughout

. At the age of 20 he played lead in a short educational film "To Catch A Thief", distributed nationally in Canada to schools as part of the

John Howard Society The John Howard Society of Canada is a Canadian non-profit organization that seeks to develop understanding and effective responses to the problem of crime and prison reform. It is named after John Howard, a philanthropist and early English pr ...

's anti-shoplifting program.

''Music''

In 1993, ''Dawud (David) Wharnsby'' and fellow Crackenthorpe's Teapot vocalist Heather Chappell began touring and performing as a duo, releasing an independent album (''Off To Reap The Corn'') containing renditions of traditional Canadian and Irish folk music. The recording also featured Wharnsby's original lyrical adaptation of the traditional song "

The Black Velvet Band "The Black Velvet Band" ( Roud number 2146) is a traditional folk song collected from singers in Ireland, Australia, England, Canada and the United States describing how a young man is tricked and then sentenced to transportation to Australia, ...

". His comical version "The Black Velvet Band as Never Before" is still sung in folk music circles. Dawud has released several internationally distributed albums since 1995, including Blue Walls and the Big Sky, ''Vacuous Waxing'' (with Canadian writer Bill Kocher), ''A Different Drum'' (with The Fletcher Valve Drummers) and ''Out Seeing The Fields''. In the mid-1990s Dawud began to work in the genre of English language nasheed (spiritual hymns of a folk/world-beat style, drawn from Qur'anic tradition). He has released over 10 popular albums of spiritual nasheed since 1993, including ''A Whisper of Peace'', ''Colours of Islam'', ''Road to Madinah'' and ''Sunshine Dust and the Messenger'', all released through US based media company Sound Vision.Com. September 3, 2007 Dawud released "Out Seeing the Fields" composed of 12 tracks, co-produced with LA based pianist

Idris Phillips Idris Phillips (January 1958 – July 16, 2022) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, and music producer based in Nashville. In recent years, he was best recognized for his work as a pianist, guitarist and producer for Canadian sing ...

. The 11th track of the album named "Rachel" is a tribute to

Rachel Corrie Rachel Aliene Corrie (April 10, 1979 – March 16, 2003) was an American activist and diarist. A member of the pro-Palestinian group International Solidarity Movement (ISM), she was crushed to death by an armored bulldozer of the Israel ...

who was killed by an

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

(IDF)

Caterpillar D9 The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. It is usually sold as a bulldozer equipped with a detachable large blade and a rear ripper attachment. The D9, with 354 kW (474 hp) of gross p ...

armoured bulldozer The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian b ...

, during an ISM protest against the destruction of Palestinian homes by the IDF in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Army Bulldozer Kills American Protesting in Gaza
New York Times, March 17, 2003 During his career Dawud has collaborated with

Stephen Fearing Stephen Fearing (born 1963) is a Canadian roots/ folk singer-songwriter.

Irshad Khan Irshad Khan (born ) is an Indian classical surbahar and sitar player based in Canada. He is the second son of Imrat Khan and nephew of Vilayat Khan. Irshad's international debut was at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, UK, when he was only 13; h ...

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Mart ...

, Yusuf Islam (aka

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later i ...

Zain Bhikha Zain may refer to: People *Zain (name) *Zain (gamer) Places Business and economy *Zain Group, a Gulf telecommunications company **Zain Iraq, telecommunications company in Iraq **Zain Jordan, telecommunications company in Jordan **Zain Saudi Ara ...

Hadiqa Kiani Hadiqa Kiani (in Punjabi and ur, ) is a Pakistani singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, composer, actress, and philanthropist. She has received numerous local and international awards and also has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and The Kennedy ...

and

Atif Aslam Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam predominantly sings in Urdu, but has also sung in Hindi, ...

''Television, video and radio production''

As a television personality, Dawud has hosted programs produced in conjunction with Canada's

Vision TV VisionTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts multi-faith, multicultural, and general entertainment programming aimed at the 45 and over demographic. VisionTV is currently owned by ZoomerMedia, a company ...

, the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...

, Al Huda TV (

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

) and

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Irela ...

Educational efforts

In honour of author, screenwriter and lecturer

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ...

, Wharnsby (inspired as a child by Serlings' work) is also a supporter of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation and contributor to The Foundation's scholarship fund. Dawud Wharnsby was declared an Ambassador of

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...

by the Scout Association in the UK as of June 2010.

Personal life

In 1993, David Howard Wharnsby embraced the teachings of the Qur'an changing his name to "Dawud" (Arabic: داوود) – the Arabic form of "David" – and added the name "Ali" (Arabic: علي) to his surname. The name "Ali" was dropped from professional use in 2003, but remains a part of his legal name. Wharnsby has identified himself as a

since 1993 and also adheres to the principles of

Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a liberal religion characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed, but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth, guided by ...

. Married in 2003, Dawud Wharnsby, his wife and their two children reside seasonally in the state of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States,

Abbottabad Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourt ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Though family ties do exist, Dawud Wharnsby is not to be confused with film editor David Wharnsby, also a native of the Kitchener- Waterloo area.

In the media

Dawud Wharnsby was named in a November 21, 2008 article by '' The Sun'', as being a primary influence in an alleged conversion to the religion of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

by pop star

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

. The article stated that Wharnsby and fellow musician

were "pals" of

and had talked to him "about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted.". The article was subsequently run by major print and television media worldwide. Following the

death of Michael Jackson On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his home on North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. His physician, Conrad Murray, said th ...

on June 25, 2009 the original ''Sun'' article resurfaced, intensifying rumours surrounding Jackson's religious affiliation and his alleged "conversion" to the religion of

through the counsel of Dawud Wharnsby and Idris Phillips. A June 26, 2009 public statement by Wharnsby, initially presented on his official website stated:

"For the record: Though our professional circles did cross-over slightly... I never had the honour or pleasure of meeting Michael Jackson personally, nor did we ever correspond on matters of our professions, personal lives or faiths."

On the topic of conversion, Wharnsby also stated:

"My approach to faith does not include concepts of "conversion/reversion" or "propagation", so the very idea that I would have even tried to "convert" Mr. Jackson (or anyone else for that matter) to my spiritual perspective, is silly."

In November 2009 Dawud Wharnsby's name was included in the category of "Entertainment and The Arts" on a list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims, compiled by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (Jordan), and published with support of Georgetown University's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Wharnsby was also included on the follow up lists of 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013/2014, and 2014/2015.

Discography

Solo work

CD singles and EP releases

Selected collaborations

Narrative work

Music videos

Published work

*''Nasheed Artist'' (Books 4 Schools, UK, 2005, ) (author/co-illustrator) *''For Whom The Troubadour Sings'' (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2009, ) (author) *''A Picnic of Poems in Allah's Green Garden'' (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2011, ) (author) *''Colours of Islam'' (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2013, ) (author) *''A Whisper of Peace'' (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2014, ) (author)

Television and video appearances

*As Salamu Alaikum! (Sound Vision, 2005) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer) *A New Life in a New Land (Milo Productions/University of

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

/NFB, 2004) (Soundtrack and host) *BBC Schools – Watch Celebrations: Ramadan And Eid (BBC

, 2003) (Host) *Sing, Children of The World (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host) *Stories Behind The Songs (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host) *Rhythm of Islam (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host) *Alif Is For Allah (Sound Vision, 2000) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer) *The Humble Muslim (Sound Vision, 1999) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer) *Ramadan Mubarak (Sound Vision, 1998) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer) *To Catch A Thief (

of Canada, 1990) (Actor)

References

External links

Official website

Dawud Wharnsby Nasheeds , His poetry, works and songs

Dawud Wharnsby Ali feat Atif Aslam Hum Mustafavi Hain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wharnsby, Dawud 1972 births Living people Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Converts to Islam Canadian Muslims Canadian spoken word poets Muslim poets Performers of Islamic music Canadian Unitarian Universalists Canadian expatriates in Pakistan Musicians from Kitchener, Ontario Writers from Kitchener, Ontario 21st-century Canadian male singers