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The event that I found most inspiring was last Friday Night’s MYNA Session entitled "Turning up the Volume: An Insight from the Artists". This session was moderated by Saad Omar, and featured several talented Muslim Artists from across America from the various Muslim Arts. Saad kept it interactive and allowed time for the audience to ask each artist questions! I personally enjoyed this session because I have been a fan of most of these artists for years and, it was so personally gratifying to see them be acknowledged at such a large setting for their work, and also to see how much they have accomplished and far they have come along since their beginnings, MashaAllah. These artists include Saad Omar, Musa Syeed, Lena Khan, Raef Haggag, Native Deen, and others…

Saad Omar – Although he was the moderator, and didn’t perform (I wish he had), he has been instrumental in the promotion and support of Muslim artists over many years. Mashallah, himself a great poet/songwriter, he has worked with various artists from 786, Dawud Wharnsby Ali, Native Deen, Kareem Salama, and many others. He organized the recent Poetic Vision Tour (see videos here), is the director of The Ghazali Project, and is working on his own album (which you will surely read more about in this blog in the upcoming months) set to release next year inshallah. Also, he has become a good friend of mine and has been generous enough to share many of his poems and articles for this site over the past few years as well.

Musa Syeed – Filmmaker Musa Syeed presented the first few minutes of his multiple award winning film, "A Son’s Sacrifice" at this session. (You can purchase this DVD here!) He also is currently working on two films two be released next year on PBS on Young Religious Leaders in America (The Calling), and a young African American’s woman’s journey to reunite with her father in West Africa (Bronx Princess). He also performed a beautiful poem expressing his love for his mother.

Lena Khan – Is another talented writer/ film maker from California. She has been featured in several publications including the State Department Journal, The USA Today and the NYTimes for her films including the award winning Bassem is Trying, and of course, the 2007 LinkTV Grand Prize winning, Kareem Salama’s A Land Called Paradise! In fact, there was a young man in the audience who gave an Islam-awareness workshop to a US military base, and he mentioned how showing Lena’s video impacted the young soldiers in ways no lecture or pamphlet could. She soon will begin work on a series of commercials endorsing our next president, Barack Obama inshaAllah!

Raef Haggag – Is the lead singer/writer for Raef, an alternative rock band that makes ‘cool music’. They performed a couple of their own songs "Bread and Circus", and "Lets Be Grateful", one of Saad Omar’s "Robin Hood’s Tune", as well as beautiful covers of a couple of Yusuf Islam’s "The Bright Moon Rose Over Us", and Native Deen’s "M-U-S-L-I-M", and "Intentions", which I especially loved. It was a great feeling sitting behind Naeem and Abdul Malik from Native Deen and watching them enjoy Raef’s rendition of their songs J. I first heard them at the recent MAS Youth Tour where they opened for Outlandish. I picked up a copy of their Demo CD after their session and I look forward to their future albums. You can purchase their demo CD from their website.

Native Deen – Although no longer up and coming, Native Deen is a well established world-renowned Hip-Hop group from Washington DC who performed a couple of songs (without Joshua Salaam unfortunately who wasn’t able to attend). They also answered questions and gave a short talk. They too were impressed at the talents of their young Muslim brothers and sisters and encouraged them, as well as all other aspiring artists in the audience audience to pursue their artistic endevours! Check out Native Deen’s latest Album here.

Mona Haydar – is a young Arab American poet– who captivated the audience with her spoken word poetry. I believe she recited "Tear" and another poem whose name I cant remember, but it was about the beauty of the Quran’s recitation. Of course much of it went over my head after hearing it for the first time, so I purchased her book of poetry, and look forward to reading though it inshallah. (If anyone has a link where it can be purchased online please let me know so I can share it here)

As a community, I hope that more of us continue to support our talented Muslim brothers and sisters in the various artistic fields. We too often hear about the American culture being incompatible with the Muslim way of life, and many of our youth are dealing with questions about belongingness and are dealing with double-consciousness issues (which Imam Suhaib Webb and Dr Abdal Hakim Jackson among several other scholars talk about regularly). Lectures and books can only go so far. There is nothing like the language of music or film in conveying the messages we live day to day as Muslims in America. Mashallah, in these young artists I believe we are finally seeing American Muslims address the Cultural Imperative that Dr. Umar Faruq Abdallah refers to. Inshallah let us all keep these artists, and future Muslim artists in our duas and support them in every which way possible!