Even before it was published, Cat On The Road To Findout by Yusuf/Cat Stevens was controversial.
The Guardian reported on October 6 that “pro-Palestine musician Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) has been forced to cancel his book tour in North America in October after he was not granted a visa for the US in time”.
Had the tour gone to plan, it would have covered Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as Toronto in Canada.
No decision was given for the cancellation, but in the past, the music icon has been refused entry to the US and Israel because of his criticism of Israel and his devout Muslim stance.
Having topped the charts in the 1970s with his poetic, whimsical and melodic singer-songwriting, Stevens’ career was suspended when this already very spiritual soul adopted Islam, having discovered the faith through the study of the Koran.
This autobiography reveals that he has not been idle since then, and while he has not enjoyed much recent pop chart success, he has achieved a lot, not least in furtherance of his Islamic faith.
Having grappled with whether his performances and the playing of musical instruments are at odds with Islamic teaching, he is now back to performing material old and new.
We live in an era of shortened attention spans and hasty judgments, when it is convenient and comforting to be able to instantly categorise someone as a terrorist sympathiser based simplistically on their religious beliefs, but humans can be far more complex than that.
This absorbing, extremely well-written book gives a more detailed, well-rounded portrait of who Stevens is and what he believes, and it helps to tear apart the suggestion that he is anything other than a fearless, consistent advocate for peace.
The chapters devoted to his childhood in post-World War 2 London are fascinating and entertaining, as he excelled in drawing and then moved into composing and performing music. All the while, he was a typically naughty young lad, a bit shy with the girls, but rooted in a loving family.
“My background and origin were not very clear: Dad (from whom I must have got my black hair and dark-brown eyes) was from Cyprus, Mum was fair-eyed and from Sweden; our dominant culture and language at home were English and, on top of that, we lived above our café, which had a French-sounding name — in London,” he writes.
As his life and focus changed, so did his name. Steven Demetre Georgiou, the schoolboy, became Cat Stevens, the pop sensation, and then, with a change of faith, he became Yusuf Islam.
Stevens was one of a group of singer-songwriters who released magical and enduring recordings in the 1970s. There was also James Taylor, Carole King, Al Stewart, Elton John, Janis Ian and Carly Simon, with whom Stevens had a fling.
He writes: “The affair enriched both our repertoires. Her memories are reportedly encapsulated in two songs: Anticipation and A Legend in Your Own Time. I never understood the endless hide-and-seek of finding out who You’re So Vain was about, bro!
“Naturally, I knew it was me! We had proverbial star-hopping fun, singing, recording, and jetting around, meeting together in various cities, including New York and London.”
It has also been suggested that Simon’s enigmatic, vain chum was Warren Beatty.
While one’s initial impression of this author may be that of a serious, bearded and devout follower of the Islamic faith, this book shows Stevens as a man of humour and wit, as seen when he relates how he would strive for anonymity when on tour.
“Keeping a private, personal space, away from unwelcome disturbances, was necessary, especially during tours. I tried to remain incognito and avoid the exhausting intrusion of press or fans. My agents would book me in under the name Mr Ivon Toby Allon. It was a great insider joke; when a call came through via the reception, the announcer would call my name over the loudspeaker in the lobby.
“‘Attention! Mr I-von-to-be-alone, please come to the front desk, there is a call waiting for you.’ The result was hilarious: we would all yelp with laughter.”
Having covered his childhood and initial career, the book tells how Yusuf Islam decided to devote himself to God after he went for a late-night swim. And nearly drowned.
“Death filled the horizon and stared directly into my fragile soul again, catching it half-naked and totally unprepared in the sparse vastness of the ocean. Bolts of fear shot through me. The battle to stay alive was on.
“In a split second of the rapidly dwindling moments that remained of my life, I looked up to the sky and prayed, ‘O God, if You save me, I’ll work for You!” No sooner had those words flown from my heart, then a gentle wave rose behind me and nudged me forward.
“God was right there.”
Setting aside his musical and artistic projects, which have not had the same commercial success as his first wave of hit recordings, Stevens has had some magnificent successes, not least in raising a loving family in the face of a growing tide of inaccurate barbs against him.
While he says he never supported the fatwah against Salman Rushdie over The Satanic Verses — a book Stevens nonetheless condemns for its depiction of the prophet Muhammad — it was reported in the UK tabloids that he had done so.
Certainly, since 9/11, there has been less tolerance and understanding of Islam, and it is undeniable that attacks in the West by Islamic terrorists have fuelled the fires of prejudice and hatred. Stevens has also been a consistent advocate for his religion, despite this rise in hostility.
“Attacks against Islam and Muslims were on the increase everywhere through direct military aggression, political double standards, and the relentless barrage of agitated media reportage. It was clear that the root of the problem emanated from centuries of mistrust and hatred, based on the spread of racist misinformation and ignorance of what Islam spiritually meant and stood for in the evolution of God’s religion,” he writes.
Stevens’ work has included the founding of the first school for Muslim children in the UK and a Muslim charity. He has contributed considerable time and funding to both projects.
He reveals an admiration for SA, where he has performed and been involved in some musical recording projects.
“SA was literally a goldmine; it beamed with natural musical talent. I used to say you could place three South Africans in a room, and a few seconds later they’d be clapping and singing a three-part harmony, in perfect pitch.
“The country thrived on the power of song; the apartheid system could never have been gumbooted out without it. Music helped drive the spirit of the anti-apartheid movement and was a core element in Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom. He once said, ‘It is music and dancing which makes me at peace with the world, and at peace with myself.’”
Having had homes in Brazil and Cyprus, Stevens now has a base in Dubai, a country where he is under less scrutiny for his religious beliefs.
“The Gulf … was a place where the family could enjoy a relaxing time away from the stifling pressures of Islamophobia in the UK,” he suggests.
Now much more at peace with himself and with his outlook on the world, Stevens seems willing to continue his efforts to gain understanding and acceptance of his religion.
“As Cat Stevens, more so as Yusuf Islam, I had a significant role to fulfil. I was uniquely positioned to become a glass portal through which the West could see Islam, and Muslims could see the West. Having passed through the exhaustingly complex maze of everyday Western life and culture and then been granted invaluable insight into the often-veiled ‘otherness’ of the Qur’anic view of the universe, I naturally wanted to share it.
“That didn’t make me a teacher, but more of a potential specimen for those who are searching for and pursuing happiness on all sides of the divide. Believe me, folks, it’s out there!”
Stevens is a remarkable artist. He has now written an absorbing, informative and uplifting book, and is an example to us all.
