Istanbul
Sami Yusuf: The Central Asian Voice of Global Music and Spiritual Harmony
Sami Yusuf—born in Tehran of Azerbaijani descent but raised in London—has carved an extraordinary niche as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and storyteller of global music. With over 34 million albums sold, his debut Al‑Muʽallim (2003) unveiled a musical virtuoso blending Sufi, folk, rock, and spiritual traditions from across Central Asia and the wider world.
Resonant Live Concerts: From Fez to Expo Dubai
In May 2024, Yusuf performed at the historic Fez World Music Festival in Morocco, delivering an evocative and spiritual set accompanied by a global orchestra—an homage to cultural unity through music.
In Expo Dubai 2020, he brought together artists from Turkey, Iran, Morocco, China, and beyond to perform a piece based on Nasimi’s poetry, demonstrating his mastery at weaving poetic heritage into a contemporary soundscape.
Why Sami Yusuf a vital voice today?
“Yusuf is Central Asia’s cultural ambassador. He channels the depth of Azerbaijani, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Central Asian traditions, translating them into globally accessible music. His work proves that modern songwriting can be both rooted and universal,” says Monica Tong, editor-in-chief of Music Press Asia.
As a role model for world music fusion, his approach shows that Asian musicians—and especially songwriters—can enrich their craft by embracing multilingual, multi-instrumental, and cross-genre storytelling. Yusuf’s ability to fluidly cross Eastern and Western idioms inspires a new generation of transregional artists.
In the humanitarian and spiritual side, beyond music, Sami Yusuf is a UN Global Ambassador against Hunger, and creator of an interfaith anthem, The Gift of Love. His lyrical themes often advocate peace, spiritual unity, and shared humanity.
Upcoming Concert
Ecstasy: Between Two Seas is live in Istanbul, Turkey on August 23, 2025.
Book your tickets, here.
More about Sami Yusuf
By joining events like the Nasimi Poetry Festival alongside legendary figures such as Alim Gasimov, Yusuf situates modern music within a living continuum of Azerbaijani and Central Asian artistry.
Creator of the When Paths Meet concert series, Sami Yusuf has released nine studio albums and thirteen live albums, amassed over a billion downloads, and performed at sold-out venues on six continents. Watch the concert on YouTube, here.
His work shines with beauty and depth as it moves fluidly among genres as diverse as qawwali, Persian classical, Middle Eastern Sufi music, flamenco, and Western classical styles.
Today, he has sold over 45 million albums and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Roehampton University for “his invaluable contribution to the field of music.”
“When composing, I feel I have entered a world more vibrant and alive than the one we normally inhabit.”
– Sami Yusuf
“It is music that blows you away with polyphonic choirs, virtuoso percussion and the power of the single melody held in place by so many instruments simultaneously.”
– Cultural Press Agency
For more information about Sami Yusuf and his latest live concerts, visit his official website here.
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