Dunya (Mustafa album)

Background

Mustafa, born in Toronto to Sudanese parents, was raised in the Regent Park housing project, a neighborhood with many immigrants. When he was twelve, he recited his poem "A Single Rose," which caught attention and led to a performance at the Canadian International Documentary Festival in 2009. As a teenager, he performed with the hip hop group Halal Gang, using the name Mustafa the Poet. The video for the song "Ali" won the Prism Prize, which honors the best Canadian music video.

Mustafa has spoken openly about his frustration with Toronto, calling it a "hellhole" and pointing to the deaths of many friends and what he sees as a lack of accountability for crime. After that, he spent most of his time outside Canada, writing and recording in Sweden, the UK, and the US. The earliest songs for his album Dunya came from a trip to Egypt with collaborator Simon Hessman, where they explored new sounds using traditional Arabic instruments like the oud.

In Cairo, he visited a jazz café and convinced local musicians to record with him. Wanting to make a "traditional, minimalist folk album," he reached out to Aaron Dessner of the National and Big Red Machine. Dessner invited him to Long Pond Studio in New York's Hudson Valley, where they spent a week working on songs with help from DJ Dahi and Nicolás Jaar. They used field recordings to build an "electronic element that still felt organic."

Artwork and release

The album cover depicts the application of kohl, a traditional Islamic practice done before people went to war, representing both faith and violence. The Japanese vinyl edition, sold through Big Love Records, includes a limited edition obi and a signed print.

Promotion

Five singles supported the album. The video features his family and tributes his brother. A live performance video of "What Good Is a Heart?," "Leaving Toronto" (with Caesar), and "I'll Go Anywhere" featuring Kibrom Birhane was released to coincide with the tour announcement.

Critical reception

Paul Attard of Slant Magazine called the album "a stunning work of autobiographical reflection," while Jen Long of The Line of Best Fit complimented its "timeless soul and sweeping heart." Kelsey Adams of CBC Music said "Dunya sounds both nostalgic and fresh." Annabel Martin of The Daily Telegraph praised Mustafa for "finding beauty in the ugly." Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone called it "a gorgeous treatise on rage and faith." In a three-star review, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian felt the songs "start to blur into one" due to their slow and melancholy nature.