The British singer Yusuf Islam – who flew into the tsunami-hit Indonesian province of Aceh on Saturday will briefly step back into the spotlight recording a charity single “Indian Ocean” and heading a benefit concert in Jakarta on Monday.
The single was recorded with Indian composer and producer AR Rahman, Travis drummer Neil Primrose and A-HA band member Magne Furuholmen. It will be released in February to raise money for children who were left orphans by the deadly waves which wiped out parts of the region.
The track includes the use of instruments, which Islam has avoided since embracing Islam, but he cautioned: “It's not a return to Cat Stevens, I see it more as a natural response to express my concern as a Muslim and as an artist; I believe both can exist side by side particularly when the cause is right.”
Islam will also star in a tsunami fundraising concert next week to raise money for the country's Aceh province.
Islam, who left show business in 1977 when he became a Muslim convert, was due to pray in the devastated region's main mosque before taking a helicopter flight over some of the worst affected areas.
Soon after arriving in Aceh, home to most of the 230,000 Indonesians presumed dead in the December 26 disaster, Islam praised fantastic relief efforts but said more needed to be done. “It also needs to be continued so we just don't give them in a flash for one month and then it's gone. This is going to be a long-term problem,” he said.
The British singer said his own charity, Small Kindness, was setting up a regional office in Indonesia and would work on projects to keep families together by helping orphans in Aceh.
Islam, who had hits in the 1960s and 1970s with songs including “Matthew and Son”, “Peace Train” and “Wild World”, was last heard of in September 2004 when he was deported from the United States on security grounds after being found to be on a US terrorism watch list, but he strongly denied any links to terrorist organisations.
