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Dawud Wharnsby Ali
Dawud Wharnsby Ali (born David Howard Wharnsby, June 27, 1972) is a
Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television
personality. He is best known for his pioneering efforts in the
musical/poetic genre of English Language nasheed.
Early artistic career
Born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1972, David Wharnsby became active in local
theatrical productions during his early teens, first performing on a world
class theater
 stage at the age of 18 in a production of "Jesus Christ
Superstar" (Annas). Other significant stage work of his late teens
included roles in "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" (Schroeder (Peanuts))
and "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead".
At the age of 19 Wharnsby began performing throughout Southern Ontario as
a solo musical artist and as a member of various musical groups. His first
professional work as a musician was with folk quartet Crakenthorpe's
Teapot, hired to perform on street corners of their hometown. Wharnsby
traveled extensively throughout Ontario, England and Scotland during 1993
and 1994 as a solo busker - singing informally on street corners and in
parks to market and share his music. In 1993 he started his own
independent recording entity, Three Keyed Maple Seeds, which in 1996 was
re-named Enter Into Peace and registered with SOCAN as a music publishing
entity.
During the early 1990s Wharnsby worked as a professional actor and
puppeteer for two different educational theater troupes, touring public
schools and folk festivals throughout Ontario. At the age of 20 he played
lead in a short educational film "To Catch A Thief", distributed
nationally in Canada to schools as part of the John Howard Society's
anti-shoplifting program.
Music
Wharnsby's first musical recording to see independent distribution, was a
collection of cover songs entitled Three O'Clock Tea, recorded live in
1991 with the folk quartet Crackenthorpe's Teapot (Wharnsby / Corey
Schmidt / Heather Chappell / Bill Kocher).
In 1993, Dawud (David) Wharnsby and fellow Crackenthorpe's Teapot vocalist
Heather Chappell began touring and performing as a duo, releasing an
independent album (Off To Reap The Corn) containing renditions of
traditional Canadian and Irish folk music. The recording also featured
Wharnsby's original lyrical adaptation of the traditional song "The Black
Velvet Band". His comical version "The Black Velvet Band As Never Before"
is still sung in folk music circles.
In 1994 the duo of Wharnsby and Chappell released a second independent
recording through the Three Keyed Maple Seeds entity, entitled Fine
Flowers In The Valley.
Dawud
has released several internationally distributed albums since 1995,
including Blue Walls And The Big Sky, Vacuous Waxing (with Canadian writer
Bill Kocher) and A Different Drum (with The Fletcher Valve Drummers). In
May of 2007 his 2005 album "Vacuous Waxing" was re-issued internationally
with an amended track-listing under the title "The Poets And The Prophet".
September 3, 2007 Dawud released "Out Seeing The Fields" composed of 12
tracks, co-produced with LA based pianist Idris Phillips.[3] The 11th
track of the album named "Rachel" is a tribute to Rachel Corrie who was
killed by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Caterpillar D9R armored
bulldozer, during an ISM protest against the destruction of Palestinian
homes by the IDF in the Gaza Strip.
 In the mid 1990's Dawud rose to international recognition for his
pioneering efforts in the genre of English language nasheed (spiritual
hymns of a folk/world-beat style, drawn from Qur'anic tradition). He has
released over 10 popular albums of spiritual nasheed since 1996, including
A Whisper of Peace (1996), Colors Of Islam (1998), Road To Madinah (1999)
and The Prophet's Hands (2002), all released through US based media
company Sound Vision.Com. His spiritual songs for children are sung and
taught in schools world wide.
During his career Dawud has collaborated with the likes of Stephen
Fearing, Irshad Khan, Danny Thompson, Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), Chris
McKhool, Sami Yusuf and Zain Bhikha. On the 2007 album "Man Ana?"by French
singer/songwriter Khalid Belrhouzi, Dawud Wharnsby was featured as a
lyricist and guest vocalist on the title track.
Wharnsby's songs have also found their way onto the recordings of other
notable artists. His popular children's songs "Sing, Children of The
World!" and "Al Khaliq" were both covered by Yusuf Islam & Friends on the
2004 CD "I Look I See" and his song "A Whisper of Peace" was included by
Canadian children's performer Chris McKhool on the CD "Celebrate!".
Dawud has also frequently collaborated with South African artist Zain
Bhikha on recordings, music videos, live performances and television
appearances. Wharnsby appeared on Bhikha's album "Faith" in 2001, then
again in 2006 on the album "Allah Knows", performing a cover of "Flowers
Are Red" by Harry Chapin.
"Good Morning Sunday", a 2008 compilation recording presented by popular
singer and radio personality Aled Jones, features Wharnsby's song "The
Truth That Lies Inside" (from "Out Seeing The Fields") alongside songs by
other notable performers such as Elvis Presley, Beth Neilsen Chapman,
Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Julie Fowlis, Eric Bibb, Sarah McLachlan, Eva
Cassidy, Louis Armstrong, and The Staple Singers. The album was released
by Warner Music UK in spring of 2008, featuring material regularly played
on the BBC Radio 2 program (also called "Good Morning Sunday") and hosted
by Jones.
Television, video and radio production
As a television personality, Dawud has hosted programs produced in
conjunction with Canada's Vision TV, the National Film Board of Canada
[5], Al Huda TV (Saudi Arabia) and BBC Scotland.
Most notably, the internationally distributed documentary series "A New
Life In A New Land: The Muslim Experience In Canada" (produced in Canada)
and the educational children's program "Watch Celebrations: Ramadan"
(produced by BBC Scotland) often air on television stations in their
respective countries - both programs hosted, and partially scored, by
Wharnsby.
Since the mid 1990's, Dawud Wharnsby has been a regular free-lance writer,
actor, assistant puppeteer and musical soundtrack producer for video
products produced by Chicago based educational media entity Sound
Vision.Com (primarily, the globally popular children's video series
"Adam's World").
Dawud has also hosted community talk radio programs in both Canada and the
USA. In 2004/2005 he was a music director, pre-recorded segment
producer/narrator, guest and occasional on-air host with the daily
talk-radio program Radioislam, 1450 AM, in Chicago, Illinois.
Educational efforts
Due to the popularity of Dawud's educational recordings for children, he
frequently visits schools world-wide between his larger concert tours.
Through music and unique discussion, Dawud's motivational primary and high
school level presentations promote tolerance, diversity and social
cohesion. Wharnsby has performed at schools in Canada, the United States,
the United Kingdom, Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia and South Africa.
As a social activist, Dawud Wharnsby Ali also lectures internationally at
community events and universities, speaking on topics related to social
justice, disability awareness, music, spirituality or Qur'anic philosophy,
tradition and ideology.
Royalties from many of Dawud's musical recordings feed a private family
trust supporting the Al-Imtiaz Foundation and school, located in
Abbottabad Pakistan.
In honor of author, screenwriter and lecturer Rod Serling, Wharnsby
(inspired as a child by Serlings' work) is also a supporter of the Rod
Serling Memorial Foundation and contributor to The Foundation's
scholarship fund.[6] The fund is awarded annually to a student of
Binghamton High School (in Binghamton, NY) who possesses skills in
creative writing.
Personal life
Married in 2003, Dawud Wharnsby Ali, his wife and their one child reside
seasonally in Colorado USA, Abbottabad Pakistan and in Waterloo Ontario
Canada[7], Wharnsby's base for his music publishing entity Enter Into
Peace. The couple have also lived in , Damascus Syria (2005) and Cairo
Egypt (2006).
Though family ties do exist, Dawud (David) Wharnsby Ali is not to be
confused with film editor (and husband of actress Sarah Polley) David
Wharnsby, also a native of the Kitchener-Waterloo area.Other notable
Canadian talents linked to Dawud Wharnsby-Ali are sports writer Tim
Wharnsby and former Canadian hockey player, sports announcer and member of
parliament Howie Meeker.
In addition to his full-time work as a professional musician and writer,
Wharnsby also operates a private investigation and research agency based
in Denver Colorado.
Religious philosophy
Since the early 1990s Dawud Wharnsby has participated in numerous events
and contributed overwhelmingly to the development of Islamic educational
materials. However, his song-lyrics, lectures and poetry openly challenge
and criticize institutions and movements of organized spirituality. These
facts, when factored against misinformation about Wharnsby by unofficial
biographers and quotes taken out of context from Wharnsby's numerous
interviews, have lead to much controversy as to his religious affiliation.
In 1993, David Wharnsby embraced the teachings and philosophy of the
Qur'an, changing his name to "Dawud" (Arabic: داوود) - the Arabic form of
"David" - and adopted the name "Ali" (Arabic: علي) to his surname.
Wharnsby makes a strong differentiation between the application of
Qur'anic teachings to his life-style and what he perceives as a general
misconception that he "converted" from the "religion" of "Christianity" to
the "religion" of "Islam" in 1993.
Rejecting the concept of organized religion in his teens, Wharnsby's
music, writings, performances and numerous interviews consistently
propagate an opinion that the development of spirituality should be
intimate, personal and free of institutionalization. Wharnsby's views,
however, on the implementation of positive social action (inspired by
well-balanced spiritual development) should be collective, non-exclusive
and community focused.
Though his writings and life-style openly reflect his respect of
scripture, a belief in God, and implementation of Qur'anic teachings,
Wharnsby does not consider himself a "member" of any organization,
institution, movement or dogmatic school of thought. Since 2005 Dawud
Wharnsby has lectured frequently on his personal spiritual philosophy and
Qur'anic interpretation which define "islam" as an Arabic gerund, derived
form the Arabic root word for "peace" (describing and implying the action
of "willfully surrendering to God" as a means of achieving and
establishing peace holistically in one's life). While Wharnsby has, since
1993, consistently stated public testimonies of belief in One Creator and
an acceptance of all Prophets named in the Qur'an (Shahada), he has also
openly criticized the use of the word "islam" as a noun, or the proper
name of a religion, organization and dogmatic institution. While he does
not shy away from describing himself as a "muslim", he has explicitly
maintained, in public forums that his acceptance of the title, or personal
use of the word "muslim" in relation to himself, is based upon the literal
meaning of the Arabic word "muslim" (which he interprets as: "one who
surrenders, submits or enters into peace") and does not signify that he
accepts all of what has become associated with all those who call
themselves "Muslims" or to all of the "traditions" associated with the 7th
century Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). A Frequently Asked Questions
section of his official website clearly states Dawud's religious ideology
as being "Inspired by transcendentalist philosophy and scriptures from all
times and all places," including "the wisdom of Native American
spirituality, Unitarian Universalism, teachings of the Buddha, the
philosophy of Tao (“The Way”), the words of Al Qur’an and most
importantly, through daily self-reflection and connection with nature.
Dawud Wharnsby's support of humanitarian efforts world-wide sees him
working regularly with diverse institutions rooted in various traditions
and faith communities. In the past, Wharnsby has been affiliated with, or
assisted in fund raising efforts for, Red Cross/Red Crescent
(Qatar/Pakistan), Islamic Relief (U.S./UK), Habitat For Humanity and the
Mennonite Central Committee (Canada). Often associated with efforts to
fight domestic violence and better the circumstances of women and
children, on July 16th, 2008 Dawud Wharnsby and fellow musician Idris
Phillips performed at and inaugurated the Anderton Park Children's Center
in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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