artist Dawud Wharnsby

Inspiring, comforting, eclectic, Dawud Wharnsby’s newest album "Out Seeing The Fields" embodies the hopes of a connected, peace-seeking generation. The same can be said of the artist himself—an established singer/songwriter with Scottish, British, and Canadian roots. Wharnsby, co-producing with American based arranger and composer Idris Philips, casts a reflective glance at life, love, and the relationships that make us who we are. The result is an album that reminds fans both young and old alike why Wharnsby is still in the business after over a decade of making people smile, laugh, and sometimes cry with his music. A philosophical commitment to grassroots music production and collaboration is what has fueled Wharnsby to create honest, thought-provoking material for his newest album. The rich depth of Wharnsby's lyrics and vocals are set beautifully to a blended backdrop of Phillip's jazz and folk arrangements, acoustic guitar and intricate piano work. But Dawud Wharnsby is no stranger to producing widely popular music through successful collaborations and synthesizing talents. A multi-instrumentalist himself, Wharnsby has produced music in the past with British artist and peace activist Yusuf Islam (known the world over as Cat Stevens), Canadian percussion ensemble The Fletcher Valve Drummers, and South African songwriter Zain Bhikha. Wharnsby's last album "The Poets And The Prophet" (2006) represented a predominantly co-written effort with long time friend Bill Kocher, and included guest appearances by several celebrated musicians, including Canadian singer/songwriter Stephen Fearing, Mumbai based sitar ustad Irshad Khan, British double bass legend Danny Thompson. The result was a vibrant and culture-bridging tapestry of songs almost defying musical genre classification. He manages to do what he does best, showcasing his natural talent as a singer/songwriter, in his newest "Out Seeing The Fields". Wharnsby seizes the opportunity in this album to address themes of honesty, the ephemeral nature of time, and the dynamic between decisions and destiny. Since Wharnsby’s arrival on the music scene back in 1991, his unique blend of colourful lyrics and catchy musical rhythms have gifted him with international recognition, boasting a devoted listening audience of diverse cultural backgrounds. From his debut solo album “Blue Walls And The Big Sky" (1995), and through strings of successfully diverse spiritual and children’s albums including "Sing, Children Of The World!” (1998) and “The Prophet’s Hands” (2003), Dawud Wharnsby has become a beloved poet and modern-day minstrel with a distinctly recognizable warm voice that carries a social message. Dawud Wharnsby's approach to artistic expression is multi-dimensional. As a twenty-first century troubadour, traveling the world to share his poetry and songs, Wharnsby's passion for live performance has taken him from busking on street corners of small Canadian and Scottish towns, to playing some of the top theaters of North America and Britain. As a musical pioneer of English-language nasheed he enjoys an enthusiastic following worldwide. As a children’s educational program and music creator, Wharnsby enjoys hosting song-writing workshops and discussion circles at schools and universities across the globe. An avid world-traveler, you might catch Wharnsby in Malaysia, South Africa, the mountains of Colorado or the mountains of Pakistan - depending on what projects he’s developing or who has invited him to share his songs with their community. What’s for certain though, is that Dawud Wharnsby aims to continue creating poetry and music with words that inspire and touch his listeners for years to come.

Dawud Wharnsby Singer/Songwriter/Guitar
Idris Phillips Piano/Guitar/Co-Writer