By Wael Kurdi, IOL Correspondent
JEDDAH, June 12, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Receiving resounding acclaim for his latest ditties and his meteoric rise, Islamic singer Yahya Hawwa has called for giving Islamic chants a face-lift with entering the video clip world to drift the attention away from a deluge of obscene clips of semi-nude girls dancing around.
“We are living in the TV age and should have our say to wash away the pervasive obscenity out there,” Hawwa told IslamOnline.net Sunday, June 12.
Hawwa, who has just released his new album titled Qalbi Shada (my heart chanted), said many Islamic songs have recently surfaced and gained ground despite a frenzy of insignificant and sensational video clips.
He said Islamic songs have come a long way recently as the state-of-the-art sound engineering technology is no longer exclusive for anybody.
“There are also many sweet voices of promising Islamic singers, who have just made their debut,” he added.
Lyrics
Hawwa, a father of two, said Islamic singers should be selective in choosing their tunes and lyrics, should they want to move their audience.
He said it took him one year to choose the lyrics of Qalbi Shada, the lead song of his new album, and six months more for the tune.
The video clip shot in Saudi Arabia, the song features a comparison between the lives of two groups of youths; one enjoying peace of heart and mind because they are so close to God, while the other leading a meaningless life and disobeying God and his parents only to be shocked later with the loss of his properties and the death of his lover.
“The song shows how the second young man is leading a pointless life and experiencing hard times until he happened on real happiness,” Hawwa said.
The album contains seven tracks with two dedicated to Palestine and another to women’s status under Islam in Arabic and English.
After releasing Mutafael (optimist) album, Hawwa was nicknamed the “optimistic singer” which he is proud of.
During the past seven years, he made four releases produced by Sana Foundation: Jenak (we came back), Qulob Alnas (people's hearts), Kun Ma'ee (stay with me) and Mutafael, according to Hawwa’s Web site.
Hawwa has just finished recording his recitation of the Noble Qur'an, which he learns by heart.
Hawwa, who was born in Syria, city of Hama in 1976, grew up and received his education in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
He moved to Jordan to study Shari`ah and Islamic jurisprudence at Zarqa Private University and graduated in 2003.