Dawud Wharnsby - Music

Music

Wharnsby's first musical recording to see independent distribution, was a collection of cover songs entitled Three O'Clock Tea, recorded live in 1991 with the folk quartet Crackenthorpe's Teapot (Wharnsby / Corey Schmidt / Heather Chappell / Bill Kocher).

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". His comical version "The Black Velvet Band as Never Before" is still sung in folk music circles.

In 1994 the duo of Wharnsby and Chappell released a second independent recording through the Three Keyed Maple Seeds entity, entitled Fine Flowers in the Valley.

Dawud has released several internationally distributed albums since 1995, including Blue Walls And The Big Sky, Vacuous Waxing (with Canadian writer Bill Kocher) and A Different Drum (with The Fletcher Valve Drummers). In May 2007 his 2005 album "Vacuous Waxing" was re-issued internationally with an amended track-listing under the title "The Poets and The Prophet".

September 3, 2007 Dawud released "Out Seeing the Fields" composed of 12 tracks, co-produced with LA based pianist Idris Phillips. The 11th track of the album named "Rachel" is a tribute to Rachel Corrie who was killed by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Caterpillar D9R armored bulldozer, during an ISM protest against the destruction of Palestinian homes by the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

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 1996, including A Whisper of Peace (1996), Colors of Islam (1998), Road to Madinah (1999) and The Prophet's Hands (2002), all released through US based media company Sound Vision.Com.

During his career Dawud has collaborated with Stephen Fearing, Irshad Khan, Danny Thompson, Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), Chris McKhool, Sami Yusuf and Zain Bhikha. On the 2007 album Man Ana? by French singer/songwriter Khalid Belrhouzi, Dawud Wharnsby was featured as a lyricist and guest vocalist on the title track.

Wharnsby's songs have also found their way onto the recordings of notable artists. His popular children's songs "Sing, Children of The World!" and "Al Khaliq" were both covered by Yusuf Islam & Friends on the 2004 CD I Look I See and his song "A Whisper of Peace" was included by Canadian children's performer Chris McKhool on the CD "Celebrate!".

Dawud has also frequently collaborated with South African artist Zain Bhikha on recordings, music videos, live performances and television appearances. Wharnsby appeared on Bhikha's album "Faith" in 2001, then again in 2006 on the album Allah Knows, performing a cover version of "Flowers Are Red" by Harry Chapin.

Good Morning Sunday, a 2008 compilation recording presented by popular singer and radio personality Aled Jones, features Wharnsby's song "The Truth That Lies Inside" (from "Out Seeing the Fields") alongside songs by notable performers such as Elvis Presley, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Julie Fowlis, Eric Bibb, Sarah McLachlan, Eva Cassidy, Louis Armstrong, and The Staple Singers. The album was released by Warner Music UK in spring of 2008, featuring material regularly played on the BBC Radio 2 program (also called "Good Morning Sunday") and hosted by Jones.