Berakah Arts (originally the Berekah Project) was a UK-based musical ensemble and charity organisation founded by guitarist, composer, journalist and writer Mohammed Nazam featuring musicians from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith heritage backgrounds.
According to Nazam , this was done to show people from different religious communities, with a history of tension, co-operating and working together in a positive light, against a background of growing unrest as a result of the New York 9/11 attacks and the London 7/7 bombings.
In 2007 they released their debut album "Music for The Heart" which featured compositions fusing Jazz, Classical and Middle Eastern influences.
The real aim though, is to draw audiences from the three faiths so that Jews, Muslims and Christians can sit with each other and enjoy a cultural event and maybe even strike up a conversation.
Having said that I have to make it clear that Berakah can be enjoyed, and is relevant to, people of faith, people of little faith and those of no faith whatsoever"[2]Concerts are held in major music venues such as The Purcell Room's in London's Southbank Centre, but also in places of worship so as to draw people of differing faiths into a place usually associated with another community, therefore helping to build bridges and increase understanding between people's, with music as the facilitating element.To this end, concerts have been held in synagogues (Harrow and North West London Progressive Synagogue, London), churches (St Paul's, Covent Garden, St. Anne's Queens Park) and Muslim community Centres (Southwark Muslim Women's Community Centre).
Again working closely with established community groups in each city, the tour started with a special gala at St. James’ Church in Piccadilly, London.
The choir takes part and performs a set of songs and London is chosen as the place to launch the first Berakah Arts Youth Band.
The youth band plays a spellbinding set and the whole night is brought to a close with rapturous applause for the new music performed by the Berakah Players.