Many people assume that Zain Bhikha is from the Middle East but he’s South African. His parents had four children, and he is the only boy.
Drawing on his emotions and personal experiences, many of his songs are highly spiritual in nature and spread messages of hope and peace.
After the release of his first album in 1994, Zain’s career took off. He came to the attention of U.K. musician and Islam convert Yusuf Islam, whose stage name in the early 70s was Cat Stevens. He joined Yusuf in the U.K. in 1999 where they worked together on his album.
Zain has released 12 albums so far, with each listed among the top 10 selling albums by Muslim artists.
He started Zain Bhikha Studios in 2005 with the intention of overseeing the production and release of his material for different markets. He also wants to work with other artists, giving them a platform to help launch their careers.
In 2009, Zain Bhikha was named one of the world’s Top 500 Influential Muslims. This cemented his status as an entertainer who has had a social impact. In 2010 he was invited to attend the Dubai Peace International Convention, joining other prominent Islamic figures.
While he has continued to release albums, Zain Bhikha has also done some work behind the scenes in theatre. He has written and directed plays, which reflect the same messages as his music — messages of hope and peace. He also helped develop a TV series, “Living Islam With Zain and Dawud.”
Zain Bhikha contributes much of the proceeds from the sales of his music to various charities. He is closely involved with youth organizations in South Africa.
In 2012, Zain Bhikha and his son Rashid rode from Vietnam to Cambodia by bicycle — a distance of more than 400 kilometers — for charity. With them was a group of friends and family, as well as people from the U.K. The purpose of the ride was to raise money to provide water to parts of Mali, West Africa.
Zain still lives in South Africa with his wife, Jaheera and their four sons.
