Humble, down-to-earth and deeply spiritual � that was how UK-born Muslim singing sensation Sami Yusuf came across on Wednesday at an exclusive press conference held at the Mount Nelson hotel. The UK born self-professed �musician� jetted into Cape Town for the first leg of his Sami Yusuf World Tour presented by Oasis Group Holdings. Yusuf, who has sky-rocketed to fame in the last fours across the globe, will perform at two concerts in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday at the Bellville Velodrome.

A modest Yusuf told VOC News that his music transcended all social, religious and political barriers and should be seen a as a form of da�wah. He added that he drew his inspiration from people all over the world and his global experiences had been communicated through his music. �I do not consider myself a nasheed artist but rather a musician. While I do sing about Islam, Allah (SAW) and the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), I believe my message appeals to all audiences, no matter what religious or ethnic group,� he said. Yusuf said many countries had been �very accepting� of his music and the response to his numerous global concerts was proof of that. He added that he has never encountered any negative backlash from the global Muslim community or from the media.

*The response from my fans, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, has been amazing. The best experience I remember was in Holland where I saw so many different faces. I also think the response from the media has been fairly good. Im an optimist and do not believe in conspiracy theories so I tend to ignore the bad, he related.

The New York Times has labelled the shy singer as the �biggest Muslim rock-star  a label Yusuf quickly brushed off. People have tried to box me as a rock or pop-star, but I do not conform to any label. I want to be the best and I do what I believe him. I never thought that 20 000 people would come to see me in Istanbul  but it happened. My music has never been for commercial gain  but if it has that success...Alhamdullilah, he said.

Yusuf enthused that his fans considered him to be volatile artistically, as they never new what to expect from him. He said his new album, to be released in  2009, has allowed him to diversify and explore various avenues in his genre. The substance of my music is quite consistent but people always expect something different so I try to give them that. I am in the human chapter of my life and have so many stories to tell I want to share it with the world.�

The 28-year-old songwriter moves to Durban next week where he performs at the Durban ICC Arena on 21 and 22 October. The final concert takes place on 25 October at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg. VOC (Tasneem Mohamed)