User:Fursan3

Fursan is a group of individuals who practice the art of spoken word, singing, djembe playing, theatre acting, workshop facilitating in schools and community centres and more.

Fursan is made up of three individuals, Abdula Khir (Aybezee), Farid Hamrat and Abdullah Shariff (DoubLe). These three members were individual artists before meeting one another and thus have made many individual achievements (their individual biographies can be seen on their respective profiles). In 2007 Birmingham saw the emergence of Andre Hesson's ‘Artistic Souls’, a monthly show of a collective of poets. In this collective were Abdula Khir and Abdullah Shariff who soon after became a collaborative duo due to their Islamic background and similarities, performing together in theatre pieces ‘Soulfires’ and ‘Somwhere I Belong’ in Birmingham, while also being booked at various venues around the UK to perform spoken word, becoming part of Isoc events and artists for groups such as RadicalMiddleway, the Arts Council and The Muslim Writers Awards. The duo soon saw a rise to support Def Jam Poet Amir Sulaiman and Isam of Outlandish at various tours.

In September 2008 Ramadan came and saw ‘ The two Abdula’s ’ take part in Itikaf (pious practice consisting of a period of retreat in a mosque) in a Mosque in Birmingham, where they met the third member-to-be Farid Hamrat. Farid was a well travelled artist, who had much experience in rap, poetry and singing in France, West Africa and USA while also playing the Djembe, who had moved to live in Birmingham. There the three met and connected immediately. The three kept in touch and a few months later experimentally mixed their art forms to create a unique sound. Their work was performed and well received by both Islamic and non Islamic crowds, young and old. This response spurred the three to act seriously towards their art and create a group titled ‘Fursan’ which launched in February and since has already performed at various venues, aiding charity events, been part of the Islam, Hip-Hop and Social Change – The Debate tour, host a Spoken Word Poetry show on Unity 93.5 FM and have run literacy and drama/performance workshops in schools.