Cat Stevens

I think kids relate to me because I have some ability to remain a little bit naive. Even during interviews. Mostly during interviews. ”

I'm a mirror glass for the Muslims as well as the Western world, which looks at me in a slightly different way, but they are looking in the same mirror. ”

I'm afraid that a lot of things that people believe about Islam are totally different from the religion that most of us recognize. I was really fortunate that I got to know Islam before it became a headline. ”

I've returned to being an amateur without any ties or strings attached, which gives me a freedom I never had before. ”

I don't like applause, I must admit. Ultimately, artists are shy creatures; they're introverts. ”

People who want to remember me as Cat Stevens - welcome. Those who want me as Yusuf, you're here. ”

To be what you want to be, you must give up being what you are. ”

The spiritual quest was always the predominant aspect of my life. It's always been there. But there's also an incredible passion connected to it; it's not just a dry investigative process. I have been extremely emotional about it, and that comes out in the songs. ”

Music is a lady that I still love because she gives me the air that I breathe. We need all sorts of nourishment. And music satisfies and nourishes the hunger within ourselves for connection and harmony. ”

Because I don't play guitar any more, African harmonies and rhythms have been an inspiration to me. I love the raw origin of the sound. It complements my voice and words naturally. ”