Zain Bhikha

Come and join our Live Dialogue and talk to Zain Bhikha on Sunday March 5, 2006 at 10 GMT. You can send in your questions ahead of time – click here.

Zain Bhikha was born on August 9, 1974, in Pretoria, South Africa to parents Rashid and Mariam Bhikha. The only son, with three sisters, Zain showed a keen interest from a young age in entertaining his friends and family with his beautiful singing.

Zain was not aware of his full potential until 1994 when he won a singing competition on Radio 702, a local radio station. A simple song that he recorded on his home karaoke system brought him out tops among mostly professional participants. After this great accomplishment, he seriously considered recording an album. This consideration was put into action after he was approached by The Pretoria Muslim School, which asked him to write and record their school anthem. Zain took it a step further and composed a full album, entitled A Way of Life. This was a compilation of basic acapella Islamic songs, mostly in English covering the various tenets of faith. The album, which was the beginning of greater things, took Zain only two weeks to complete.

A Way of Life sparked the beginning of many more album releases, namely Praise to the Prophet (SAW) (1996), Fortunate Is He (1997) and The Journey (1998). Zain Bhikha's songs served to be very popular throughout South Africa, especially for young people who found the songs educational and inspiring. Their popularity caused them to filter abroad and come to the ears of world renowned Muslim activist Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens.

Yusuf Islam was working on a momentous project entitled A Is for Allah and believed Zain could contribute by lending his voice to some of the songs. In 1999, Zain flew to the United Kingdom to join Yusuf Islam's Mountain of Light Studios to begin recording. This opportunity was a life-long dream for Zain. To top it off, he was given the chance to perform in seven of the eight songs on the album. Zain, who had no previous formal musical training, also gained much experience from Yusuf Islam. It was during the production of this album that Zain was brought on board as an artist under Mountain of Light's cultural label called Jamal Records. With the backing of Jamal Records, Zain planned the world-wide release of two compilation albums incorporating all the material he had done thus far. These albums were entitled Children of Heaven and Towards the Light, featuring some remixed songs.

Under the guidance of Mountain of Light and the world-wide distribution power of Jamal Records, Zain released his first new album under the title Faith (2001). The songs in this album deal with a broad spectrum of emotions from hardships to happiness but always invoke a constant consciousness of Allah. The album also brought about collaborations between Zain and well-known nasheed artist, Dawud Wharnsby Ali. It also introduced the children from Madressah-Tul-Banaat in Benoni, South Africa on backing vocals.

With his popularity rising and live performances around the globe, Zain Bhikha released Our World in 2002. This album was a portrayal of the unity that Islam brings to all cultures, languages and traditions through the will of Allah. the meldic voice of Zain's eldest son, Rashid, is introduced to us on this album. The title track for his album is a prayer for a better world for all people, one free of prejudice and war.

From the time that Zain joined Mountain of Light, his experience as an artist has grown tremendously, increasing his exposure both at home and globally. His albums have been launched in many countries including the United Kingdom, North America, Malaysia, France, Turkey, the Middle East, and Australia. He has performed live in cities across most continents and has become somewhat of a household name when it comes to Islamic music.

In addition to music, he also writes and directs plays written specifically for schools. One of his many successful school plays, An Orphan's Tale, which he produced in conjunction with the Pretoria Muslim School, was a great success and brought a full house for all three nights that it ran in October 2003.

Zain has performed with a long list of artists such as Dawud Wharnsby, Ashiq al Rasul, Hasan Kalicitan, Khalid Belhrouzhi, Native Deen, Qatrunada, Imad Rami, Sami Yusuf, Dewan Chinekar, Irfan Makki, Khaleel Mohamed, and not forgetting his mentor, Yusuf Islam. In his many local performances for Islamic schools, launches, fetes, and dinners, Zain has performed with local artists like Faeeza Malinga, Ziyaad Patel, Imran Dhaya, and of course, his son Rashid Bhikha.

Zain's songs are mainly written by himself or adapted from poems and traditional Arabic songs. His songs are driven by emotion and the need to reassure people that Islam is the answer of hope and the core for our everyday questions and confusion. Many of his songs represent different times in his life when he was learning and remembering how necessary Allah's presence is. Zain's songs provide young and old with an alternative to the modern music, which often carries a destructive message. His music is Islamic propagation and encourages all Muslims to be proud to proclaim their faith.

Zain confidently adds that much of his support has come from his parents and family over the years. He lives with his wife, Zaheera, and three children in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Come and join our Live Dialogue and talk to Zain Bhikha on Sunday March 5, 2006 at 10 GMT. You can send in your questions ahead of time – click here.