A ROOM full of Irish people is rarely quiet, but you could hear a pin drop when a sean nós singer took to the stage at the Labour Party Irish Society’s annual St Patrick’s Day reception.
Muhammad Al-Hussaini, a London Imam, captivated the audience with gentle lilts and lifts in his tone, singing Caoineadh na dTrí Mhuire to the packed room at Westminster last night.
“Though from an entirely non-Irish background, I have always had the privilege of growing up with Irish boyhood friends and had a deep affection for Irish traditional music, and its people and culture,” said Mr Al-Hussaini.
While his day job is within the Muslim clergy as an Imam, by night he can be heard performing in the London Irish Centre.
A musical talent from a young age, he played the fiddle from the age of seven and went on to play in orchestras at university. However, it was Irish music that drew him in.
“I didn't feel 'entitled' to participate, until a couple of years back I attended the London Irish Centre where I started to study Irish fiddle with the brilliant Karen Ryan,” he said.
Now Mr Al-Hussaini is a regular performer on the Irish music scene in London.
Listen to a recording of his version Caoineadh na dTrí Mhuire here.
See More: Featured, Labour Party Irish Society, Sean Nós
