The first time I heard Maher Zain's 'Insha Allah' almost a year ago, I had tears in my eyes and a swell on my chest. He depicted my feelings and my experiences so well I almost thought he was reading my mind. He started out small (with his first single, can't remember whether it was 'Insha Allah' or "Palestine Will Be Free') in October 2009 but now has turned out to be huge a star through out the whole world, among Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. Alhamdulillah, I believe that Allah has sent him to us in our time as one of His medium of Hidayah (Guidance) to all. Through his songs, many has viewed Islam differently, better inyaAllah.
Here's a short biography of Maher Zain. May Allah repay him with Jannah for his hard work in spreading Islam the best way he can. Let us take example of his good character and learn from his experience, so that we can believe with utmost confidence that as long as there is still life in us, WE CAN CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!! InsyaAllah.
Leaving behind a lucrative career in the mainstream music industry in New York wherein he worked with internationally renowned producer RedOne who has worked with chart-topping artists Akon, Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias and the late Michael Jackson to mention just a few, Maher chose instead to make music which reflects his roots of being both European, Arab and Muslim and he is working with Awakening Records (who launched the career of British artist Sami Yusuf) to inspire the youth across the world.
In early March 2010, Maher's debut album Thank You Allah (released by Awakening Records) was the No.1 highest selling album on Amazon (in the world music section). Maher has already had concerts in Sweden, Canada, Australia, US, UK, France, Egypt, Algeria, and Bahrain to mention just a few. With his passion, incredible talent and unique style, the sky is the limit for Maher.
Maher’s first musical inspiration came from his father, who was a singer himself, performing locally in the beautiful Mediterranean city of Tripoli - Lebanon. Fascinated by the music and instruments, Maher got his first keyboard when he was only ten and ever since music officially became an integral part of Maher’s world. His family moved to Sweden when Maher was only 8, where he continued his schooling, and later entered university and got a Bachelors degree in Aeronautical Engineering. With things changing around him, one thing remained the same - his strong passion for music. He would spend late nights at school with his friends where they would sing, rap, compose and experiment with music in every way. It didn’t take him long to realize that music became an integral part of who he is.
After being involved for a while in the music scene as a music producer, Maher was introduced to RedOne, a gifted music producer who was fast rising in the music scene in Sweden. Maher started working with RedOne and later moved to New York. For a few years he was in the middle of the hot rush of the NY music industry, working with chart topping artists such as Kat Deluna on her debut album including smash hits ‘Whine up’ and ‘Run the Show’.
Maher had what many would describe as a dream job for someone so young in such a glamorous business, but for Maher it felt like this was far from what he would call ‘the dream’, “I loved the music but I hated everything that surrounded it, it always felt like something wasn’t right”.
In January 2009, Maher Zain decided to work on an album that reflects his identity – Arab, Western and Muslim - and signed with Awakening Records. Maher’s debut album Thank You Allah reached the number 1 spot on Amazon’s World Music charts and number 9 on the R&B charts. In January 2010, in a music competition organized by Nujoom FM (Egypt’s biggest music radio station) Maher’s track ‘Ya Nabi Salam Alayka’ was voted as the Best Song for 2009. Runners up included big names like Hussein Aljismi, Mohammed Mounir and Sami Yusuf. Maher has already performed at sold out concerts in Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, England, France, Holland, Sweden, and the US amongst others and is fast becoming the ‘next superstar of Islamic music’.
Maher Zain’s album mixes the sounds of R&B with traditional spiritual, soul and contemporary pop music, not just updating spiritual music and inshad but fearlessly reviving it with contemporary flair. Maher’s debut album Thank You Allah is an instant classic of great power and timeless, unassailably intense spirituality. Maher is fast becoming recognized as one of modern Islamic Music’s seminal voices after his ground-breaking single and animated music video “Palestine Will Be Free,” his music video “Insha Allah” shot on location in London and directed by famous British director Mike Harris who has worked with Coldplay and Madonna among others, and his latest video “The Chosen One” - about the life and the peaceful teachings of Prophet Muhammad - shot in Los Angeles. Maher Zain is clearly poised to take up modern Islamic Music to a new level.
As a supremely gifted artist and producer, Maher brings his music to a wider audience not by watering down his message, but by making songs of supreme power, conviction, and glorious beauty, fusing elements of R&B, traditional spiritual music, pop, Arabic and Turkish music into daring arrangements.
After his experience in the Music Industry, Maher feels blessed to able to finally find the right way, put his talent to its best use, and produce music that is closer to his roots, and he feels like it’s his turn now to help others through his music to do the same: “If I had one thing I’d like to tell people out there it would be that it’s so easy to see the right way if we just open our eyes and look properly; that’s what happened to me.”
