Dawud Wharnsby (born David Howard Wharnsby; June 27, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television personality. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his work in the musical/poetic genre of English Language nasheed and spoken word.[2][3]
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,[6] hired to perform on street corners of their hometown.[7][8] Wharnsby travelled 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 renamed Enter into Peace and registered with SOCAN as a music publishing entity.[6]
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.[9]
Music
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.[10]
Dawud has released several internationally distributed albums since 1995, including Blue Walls and the Big Sky,[11]Vacuous Waxing (with Canadian writer Bill Kocher), A Different Drum (with The Fletcher Valve Drummers) and Out Seeing The Fields. In the mid-1990s, Dawud began to work 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 1993, including A Whisper of Peace, Colours of Islam, Road to Madinah and Sunshine Dust and the Messenger, all released through US based media company Sound Vision.Com.[2]
Wharnsby was a founding member of the interfaith, acoustic trio "Abraham Jam”. Formed in 2010,[17] the band (also including David LaMotte and Billy Jonas) incorporates themes of diversity, inclusivity and social harmony into their performances and recordings. Their album "Abraham Jam Live" was released in 2018,[18] and a studio album, "White Moon", was released in 2019.[18] The documentary “Braided Prayer:Abraham Jam and The Making of White Moon” was also released in 2020, screened at the NexGn International Short Film Festival (India), The Hague Global Cinema Festival (Netherlands), San Jose International Short Film Festival (USA) and the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival (USA).[17][19] Abraham Jam’s original composition “Braided Prayer" combining recitations of Muslim, Christian and Jewish prayer, was included in the 2024 Broadway production of Our Town at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.[20]
In honour 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.[22]
Dawud Wharnsby served as an Ambassador of Scouting for the UK Scout Association from June 2010 [23] until 2015.
Personal life
In 1993, David Howard Wharnsby embraced the teachings of the Qur'an[2][3][6][24] changing his name to "Dawud" (Arabic: داوود) – the Arabic form of "David" – and added the name "Ali" (Arabic: علي) to his surname. The name "Ali" was dropped from professional use in 2003, but remains a part of his legal name. Wharnsby has identified himself as a Muslim since 1993 and also adheres to the principles of Unitarian Universalism.[25][26][27]
Married in 2003, Dawud Wharnsby, his wife and their two children have lived at times in Colorado, United States, Abbottabad, Pakistan and in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.[28][29][30] Wharnsby and his family have resided in Nashville, Tennessee since July 2022.
Though family ties do exist, Dawud Wharnsby is not to be confused with film editor David Wharnsby, also a native of the Kitchener-Waterloo area.[31]
In the media
Dawud Wharnsby was named in a November 21, 2008 article by The Sun, as being a primary influence in an alleged conversion to the religion of Islam by pop star Michael Jackson. The article stated that Wharnsby and fellow musician Idris Phillips were "pals" of Michael Jackson and had talked to him "about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted.". The article was subsequently run by major print and television media worldwide.[32][33][34]
Following the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, the original Sun article resurfaced, intensifying rumours surrounding Jackson's religious affiliation and his alleged "conversion" to the religion of Islam through the counsel of Dawud Wharnsby and Idris Phillips. A June 26, 2009 public statement by Wharnsby, initially presented on his official website[35] stated:
"For the record: Though our professional circles did cross-over slightly... I never had the honour or pleasure of meeting Michael Jackson personally, nor did we ever correspond on matters of our professions, personal lives or faiths."
On the topic of conversion, Wharnsby also stated:
"My approach to faith does not include concepts of "conversion/reversion" or "propagation", so the very idea that I would have even tried to "convert" Mr. Jackson (or anyone else for that matter) to my spiritual perspective, is silly."
In November 2009 Dawud Wharnsby's name was included in the category of "Entertainment and The Arts" on a list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims, compiled by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (Jordan),[36] and published with support of Georgetown University's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.[37] Wharnsby has also been included on all follow-up lists published annually until the present date.[38]
Discography
Solo work
Year
Album
1995
Blue Walls and the Big Sky
1996
A Whisper of Peace
1997
Colours of Islam
1998
Road to Madinah
2002
Sunshine, Dust and The Messenger
2003
The Prophet's Hands
2005
Vacuous Waxing
2006
The Poets and The Prophet
2007
Out Seeing The Fields
2011
A Picnic of Poems
2014
Acoustic Simplicitea
2017
A Whisper of Peace/Colours of Islam Anniversary Remaster
CD singles and EP releases
Year
Album
1999
The Letter – Songs of Struggle and Hope
2004
Love Strong
2010
Shady Grove
2010
Twinkle, Twinkle
2010
Welcome to The I.C.E. (Percussion only version)
Selected collaborations
Year
Album
1993
Off to Reap the Corn (with Heather Chappell)
1994
Fine Flowers in The Valley (with Heather Chappell)
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