Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #461

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor has announced she has converted to Islam.
The artist, who is best known for her 1990 hit version of the song Nothing Compares 2 U, said she had changed her name to Shuhada'.
In a message on Twitter, she thanked fellow Muslims for their support.
She has said that her decision was "the natural con- clusion of any intelligent theolo- gian's journey" and uploaded a video of herself singing the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer.
On Thursday, Irish Imam Shaykh Dr Umar al-Qadri posted a video of the singer saying the Islamic decla- ration of faith.
It is not the first time O'Connor, who legally changed her name to Magda Davitt last year, has pub- licly spoken about religion.
In 1992, she sparked controver- sy after ripping up a photograph of the Pope live on US television.
Seven years later, she was ordained
by a breakaway church in Lourdes. The Catholic Church, which does not allow women to become priests, did not recognise the cer- emony.
'Connor rose to fame in 1990 with a striking arrange- ment of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U.
Her version of the
ballad topped charts across the world and spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, earning her three Grammy nominations.
The music video, directed by John Maybury, consists mostly of a close up on O'Connor's face as she sings the lyrics.
The visual won
three Moonmen at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, where the singer was the first female artist to win the esteemed prize of the night.
She has released 10 solo albums. In August 2018, the singer released her first song in four years, called Milestones.
"This is just a first demo for fans because they never get to hear a demo," she
told The Irish Sun, which shared the song.
She also revealed that she would be releasing a new album, No Mud No Lotus, "before October 2019".
Sinéad O'Connor Converts To Islam
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine