Dunya

Amina Ahmed

Mustafa Ahmed, better known by his stage name “Mustafa the Poet,” is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Canada. Born to Sudanese parents, Mustafa grew up in Regent Park, one of Toronto’s oldest housing projects. His experience with poverty, death, and grief inspired a lot of his poetry at a young age and later in his songwriting. He has written many hit songs from big name artists such as: The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Jonas Brothers and many more. Most recently, he released his album “Dunya,” an Arabic word (دنيا) that means “world” but alludes to the complexities and challenges muslims face in the life we live in today prior to the afterlife.

Mustafa’s album is filled with vivid imagery and creative storytelling. With his soft melodies coupled with whimsical guitar strings and mediterranean music, Mustafa takes his audience on a lyrical journey filled with religious allegories. Although Mustafa touches briefly on questioning his faith, the album ultimately shows how it is the one thing that grounds and centers him in all aspects of his life. This is most exemplified in his song “What happened, Mohamed?,” which is in reference to the murder of Mustafa’s brother during a day shooting, and how his faith guided him through his grief and pain. The way Mustafa reconciles all his loss through his faith and music in the album is both beautiful and heart wrenching, a true indicator of a groundbreaking artist.