Growing up in Jos, Nigeria, I was always told I had ‘strong-head’.  This was by no means a compliment, it was my Mum’s way of saying I was stubborn. It would seem this trait albeit a negative one, had a good side… it meant I was tenacious and persevering. My defense is, I had no choice in the matter… my father named me Hamza (Arabic name meaning strong; steadfast) ✊🏾

My name is Hamza Shuaib and I am a Nigerian-born British Poet and Singer-Songwriter. I sing songs called Anasheed.  Nasheed (singular) is an Islamic song that is either sung a cappella or accompanied by percussion instruments only such as the daff. Simply put, in keeping with traditional Islamic songs, my work is devoid of stringed instruments but comes with a contemporary style of storytelling, quirky songwriting, and songs that are organic and interestingly relatable 😊

When I was younger, I loved to read and listen to songs and was fascinated by the process of storytelling. I started to write my thoughts around the age of 12 and these turned into poetry and eventually became songs by my teenage years.

I have always been aware that it takes a level of self-belief/delusion to convince oneself that any form of creative expression that one comes up with is any good or that it will be perceived as ‘worthy’ by those who come across it 🤓

In words of George Bernard Shaw, ‘“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

If having the passion and drive to make a positive difference to the space around me makes me ‘unreasonable’ then I am guilty as charged and I will gladly do the time…😅

In a world where the arts and songs in particular, are increasingly hedonistic, I am clearly partial to singing and writing songs that express my faith and promote the triumph of the human spirit over the adversities of life. I  humbly seek to engage in the discourse about the purpose of life, as I read and learn about this beautiful journey called life,  I seek to reflect, express and remind… using the beautiful medium that is song

 Come with me on this journey…as there are words and sounds that form a beautiful tapestry that you just might find enchantingly introspective, sometimes unrestrained but ultimately… honest, heartfelt, soothing and maybe if God wills, life-changing.