While I was jetlagged in Egypt, I watched a lot of latenight MelodyHits (don't roll your eyes). Aside from the usual gyrating Christina Aguilera knockoffs, I do recall a very catchy English-Arabic song about the Prophet. Perhaps the equivalent to "Christian Rock", because it had a pop flavour, but the lyrics were purely religious. Made me wonder about the popularity of religion-themed music when compared to the Nancy-Haifa stuff.

Most of these pop songs are quite good and catchy. I have enjoyed Sami Yousif and Bukhatir without particularly being drawn into the lyrics and that is definitely a first for Inshaad. Something that even an apostate can listen to and enjoy, in the same way a Muslim would enjoy Satanic rock.

Hey, I just realized Sami Yousif sang that catchy song I was talking about!

Good god is he ever...um, nice looking.

Married at the age of 22 to a German convert to the distress of many an Arab maiden who obviously thought she was more worthy. A bona fide pop star hearthrob he must be if women are already hating on his wife!

I liked the song about the Prophet, it was kind of pretty, but I find Sami Yousef to be irritating, probably just because I don't like really in your face religiosity and don't like people who make lots of money from being pious on camera. And I am not a big fan of his latest song encouraging women/girls to wear the scarf. I wear the scarf but I am a grownup. Yesterday I had a conversation with an 8 year old who has had the scarf imposed on her by her elder brother. Thanks Sami Yusef and Amr Khaled for making this such a litmus test for women, girls and female babies in Muslim countries.

dear m,

so ... even the religious singers go for the blonde chicks, and preferably the european ones? stereotypes are so much fun when they're re-enforced ...

personally, i'm with anna on this one. transporting a very rigid moralistic message via "eye candy" is vile.

--raf*

I find Sami Yousef to be irritating, probably just because I don't like really in your face religiosity and don't like people who make lots of money from being pious on camera

Ah I was wondering when someone would get to that. I personally find Sami Yousef (and Amr, but that's another matter) supremely irritiating. However, do you and raf* reckon they both would have got their big breaks had they been bearded one-eyed hook-handed middle-aged men?

Well, Yusef Qaradawi is doing OK, though he's not singing. (Thank God for small favors.) As for one-eyed and hook-handed, just wait, I will come up with someone! :)

Seriously though, I am not sure there is anything sinister or calculated about Yousef's promotion of religosity. However one may feel personally about the impact of his works, I do not see why piety and financial gain have to be mutually exclusive, what I do find contradictory is making Islamic lifestyle choices due to media influence.
In a recent Dream TV interview with Egyptian preacher Khaled Abdallah, Khaled expressed annoyance over the fact that females were donning hijab and youths praying for Amr Khaled and not for religious reasons upon which the interviewer retorted, "Didn't they wear hijab 'u khalaas?' Aren't they praying 'u khalaas'?"

Yeah, it's not that he's sinister (meaning Sami Y., not Amr K.). He just is icky to me with all that staring at the camera and filming himself while singing about religion. It seems to me though the words are about something religious the song is about him.

In fact even the regular Arab pop songs tend to have a "here I am wearing a red dress, and here I am wearing jeans, and here I am wearing a white filmy thing" quality to them and they irritate me too, though not as much as Sami Y. does. The song could have lyrics about anything but the point seems to be the singer posing in a bunch of different outfits.

Maybe it's partly the idea that the real anasheed I love are those that don't show the damned singer all the time, only a bit, but show calligraphy, film of religious scenes like Mecca or people in mosques, or nature scenes (like the old and new versions of the 99 names song, and the Muhamad Munir "Madad" song, e.g.)

Are you absolutely positively 100% sure that Sami Yusuf is married?