Kareem Salama, a Brilliant Country Singer

I highly recommend buying a cd or 2 from Kareem Salama. The son of Egyptian immigrants, Kareem was born and raised in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He spent his childhood immersed in Western United States culture, attending Rodeos and Pow Wows, while simultaneously learning his family's roots in Islam and Arabic culture. With a degree in Chemical Engineering and recenlty finishing Law School, he's on the road promoting his new album, "Generous Peace".

His voice is robust, sexy, and All-American Country soundin'. I love him! His musical sound is open-chord guitar with a lot of grounded piano sound supporting it. His lyrics are not officially "muslim" or "nasheeds" (Islamic gospel songs), but the subject matter is definitely "Halal" (ie for you non-muslims reading this, Halal means religiously permissible, as in the subject matter is about living a good life, it's not about forbidden things and isn't leading the listener to sin - not about adultery, greed, alcohol, or other illicit/amoral activities).

You can listen to various songs from his album on his website.

I broke down and simply cried when I listened to Baby I'm A Soldier.

He was a soldier who’d only been married two or three years ago

And he put his hands on her knees that night and he said I gotta go

She said why would you leave this home and me;

I thought I was your baby girl

And he wiped away the tears from her eyes and said they’re sending me to save the world

And you know I love you and I pray to God that he’ll join us once again

But now its time for this simple man to be one of the few good men

(Chorus)

Cause baby I’m a soldier and I hear those trumpets calling again

And our kings and queens are saying this is a fight we must win

For truth and justice and for the way we live our life

And baby I’m a soldier in front of God I swore I would fight

Across the ocean and miles away there stood another man

Eighteen years, hugging his mama saying I’ll defend this land

Mama held her baby and cried and clutched him telling him not to leave

She said what will I do without my baby boy; son I’m begging you please

He said I love you mama but duty calls;

I’ll write you everyday

She said I lost your daddy like this and I don’t wanna lose you this way

(Chorus)

But Mama I’m a soldier and I hear those trumpets calling again

And our kings and queens are saying this is a fight we must win

For truth and justice and for the way we live our life

And Mama I’m a soldier in front of God I swore I would fight

Well the battle raged and shots rang out the two men fell to the ground

And they looked into the eyes of each other and were shocked at what they found
One man saw the mother of the other in that young mans eyes

And the other man saw the crying and screams of the other mans beloved wife

And the two men stared across that smoky field and whispered to each other

Maybe you weren’t the demon they said maybe you were really my brother

But I’m glad we’re passing cause I don’t think that I could forgive myself

For fighting you but maybe God will and we can live together in bliss

(Chorus)

Cause Ladies we were soldiers and we heard those trumpets calling again

And tell the kings and queens that sometimes there are fights no one wins

But we know for sure that there’s evil out there we must fight

But please be sure that this is one of those times

And please be sure to remember my mama and wife

And please be sure to think of my brother on the other side.