Concert tour presenting Mecca2Medina and Pearls of Islam

4 October 2007, Ramadan Festival, Lloyd Multiplein, Rotterdam, 8.30 pm
For more details please click here
5 October 2007, No Limit, Amsterdam Southeast, 9.00 pm

For reservations write info@imagineic.nl using the subject M2M / Pears of Islam
For more details please click here
6 October 2007, Ramadan Night, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht, 7 pm, including iftar
For more details please click here
Organized by ISIM in cooperation with Kosmopolis Rotterdam and Fatusch Productions. Realized in further collaboration with Mozaiek, Imagine IC, The Ramadan Festival, Marmoucha and Kosmopolis Utrecht.

Mecca2Medina is the most popular Muslim hiphop group in the UK. Hiphop is a progressively popular musical genre among Muslim musicians in Britain. A large number of these artists are black converts, with an African-American, Caribbean or African background. On its website Mecca2Medina states:

"Although Islam is still the fastest growing religion worldwide, it is generally felt that Muslim children growing up in Western-influenced societies, have found it hard to readily recognise the beauty of the gift Allah (SWT) has generously bestowed upon them."

The work of Mecca2Medina expresses self confidence and pride; relates of European as well as transnational Islam. The three British-African band members offer their vision of a good Muslim via the music that fits them best: contemporary hiphop.

Next to raising awareness and pride among Muslim youths, contemporary Islamic artists aspire to promote a positive image of Islam within Western societies as well, and so help to counter the negative image of Islam often diffused by Western media.

This is also the case with Pearls of Islam (supporting act), which represents the new trend of pious Muslimas expressing their religious commitment via music – going against the often heard and debated opinion that women have no place on stage. For the two Caribbean women of Pearls of Islam "their love for their religion is the most important thing." The Pearls play nasheed: songs supported by percussion, a creative way to accommodate the orthodox ban on ‘music’.