The Early Years

Zain Bhikha was born in 1974 in Pretoria, South Africa to Rashid and Mariam Bhikha. The only son, with three sisters, Zain was musically inclined from a young age and often commended for his melodious singing voice.
Zain did not receive any formal music training in his formative years but a natural inclination for writing and composing led him to what eventually changed the course of his life. In 1994, he entered and won a singing competition hosted by ‘702’- a local Johannesburg Radio Station. A simple song that he recorded on his home karaoke system, stood out amongst the thousands of mainly professional participants. After this great accomplishment, Zain was motivated to record a professional album. This materialized with “A Way of Life”, a compilation of basic Acapella Islamic songs, mostly in English, covering the various tenets of Faith. The album was released in South Africa in November of 1994, and received most favorably by an eager Muslim community.