Musician Nader Khan: from homeless in Dubai to successful recording artist

In 2007, only a few people in the UAE knew of the hard times that musician Nader Khan was facing.

The Canadian nasheed artist was a cash-strapped business analyst in Dubai internet City and was going though a difficult first marriage – a period he recalls as being exceptionally tough.

“I was working full time and homeless,” he says. “It was very expensive to live in Dubai at the time, and my kids, who were still living in Canada, needed the cash. So instead of getting a place to live, I got a pricey gym membership and lived out of a rented Mitsubishi Lancer. I showered and shaved every morning at the gym before going to work.”

Khan managed to get back on his feet when he returned to Canada and remarried. He says his four-year UAE experience provided the inspiration for a collection of Islamic devotional songs that would eventually end up on his debut album, Take My Hand.

The 2008 release received acclaim through word of mouth and led to tours of the United Kingdom, North America, South-east Asia and Australia.

Khan has now returned with his follow up, Water. Like its predecessor, the album was recorded without any string instruments, all 15 tracks featuring Khan’s bluesy tenor and percussion.

Don’t let the bare-boned arrangements fool you, however – western music lovers will detect traces of the blues and R&B in Khan’s powerful vocals.

Original article by Saeed Saeed

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Musician Nader Khan: from homeless in Dubai to successful recording artist