British star Sami Yusuf delights crowd at SIBF

The throng of the crowd surged with delight as Sami Yusuf, a British star of Arabic decent, took to the Social Media Station at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2015 yesterday (Saturday) taking place at Expo Centre until November 14. 

The singer-songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist musician of Iranian Azerbaijani descent was born in Tehran and at the tender age of 23 he released his first album ‘Al-Mu`allim’. “My father was a musician,” he told the assembled crowd, “so music is in my blood”.

Yusuf was recognized by the Guardian as the biggest British star in the Middle East with 34 Million albums sold to date and he had one of the largest live concert gatherings in Istanbul with over 250,000 people attending. 

The singer has a house in the UAE and said he loved this part of the world and visits as often as he can. Speaking to his adoring fans Yusuf said, “In my heart I follow the Islamic tradition, even though I have British nationality, I’m from Persian decent and so I have this ethnic background. I can speak Arabic a little but more like a six year old child.” 

Yusuf said social media was very important to him as an artist. “It is very important, it’s what me and my music is all about, inclusivity, reaching out to people, bringing everyone together. Social media is essential in what I love to do and for connecting with my fans.” 

Yusuf was interviewed by renowned American broadcaster and blogger Jasmine Brett Stringer who had presented an interactive session about blogging prior to Yusuf’s appearance. 

Speaking to the visitors about blogging and its importance, Jasmine Stringer, who is also owner of the lifestyle brand “Carpe Diem”, told those who wanted to start a blog to just do it. “If you’re on social media then you’re already micro-blogging,” she said. 

Stringer took the audience on a journey into the world of blogging, starting with an overview of the kinds of blogs that are available, to the reasons behind blogging and finally her 10 tips for successful blogging. She also covered technical aspects such as the selection of the platform and the use of web analytics applications such as Google analytics to understand the visitors profile and to know which posts worked and what the demographics of the audience are. 

Stringer emphasized the importance of being consistent in terms of the posting schedule and marketing and spreading the word about the blog and new posts. She also encouraged the audience to use their own voice and be authentic while providing quality content and engaging with the audience. 

“Remember to have fun blogging, even if you’re blogging for work. Blogging should be engaging and not boring,” she said.