JEDDAH: Fans of the Macedonian singer Mesut Kurtis went up close and personal with him at the Virgin megastore as he signed copies of his latest album “Beloved” on Thursday.

The singer will be spending a couple of days promoting his latest album. “I believe the media is key to publicizing this album. I am glad to be in Jeddah especially as it’s one of the prominent cities in the Gulf countries,” Kurtis said, adding that he will be able to let people know more about the project.

Kurtis, originally Turkish, was born and raised in Macedonia and educated in Britain. He showed a strong interest in Islamic nasheeds (chants about God and the Prophet Mohammed — peace be upon him) from a very young age.

His passionate voice was noticed very early on, leading him to join several nasheed groups in Macedonia that performed locally.

He also made several visits abroad, which included performances in Turkey and neighboring countries.

“I was so active in this type of music when I was in primary and secondary school. I always wanted to deliver positive messages through my music,” he said.

The singer’s career took off professionally after he graduated from university in Britain.

“I signed a contract with a record company called the “Awakening” in 2003, released my first album in 2004 in the UK and around the Arab world and Turkey in 2006,” Kurtis added.

As part of his first album tour, Kurtis visited many Arab countries, which he believes have exposed him to different cultures.

Kurtis is also a gifted multi-linguist, fluent in five languages, and this is utilized to great effect in his first album “Salawat” (“Prayers”), which features songs that seamlessly

combine Arabic, Turkish, and English.

Kurtis was inspired to sing Islamic songs on societal and people issues.

“I sang a lot about the Prophet and I tried to present the songs in a way that encourages the youth as well as Western society to understand more about the Prophet. I also sang about the Palestinian situation and about wars.”

Kurtis has been one of the main artists who have contributed in taking Islamic music into the mainstream.

His contribution, along with artists such as Sami Yusuf, Maher, Nazeel and Hamza Robertson, have allowed many around the world to become fans of the positive messages associated with Islamic music.