Nubian American Artist: Zanib (Zay-nib)
Q: When did you realize music would be a big part of your life?
A: When I played my first concert at a coffee shop with my friend and I saw the audience reaction when I started singing. At the end of the show, one of my best friends at the time came up to me at the end to express feedback from the show. Besides being completely shocked from hearing me sing for the first time, he told me something I will never forget. He said that what I did live that night made him feel human. I realized the power of music in that moment and I knew that was what I was meant to do in the world, it makes people feel more human.
Q: What is the story behind you playing the violin?
A: My older brother played violin and he has inspired most of everything I do in my life. When he went to high school he put the violin down and joined a band instead by playing turntables (which was wildly unique for a punk rock band). When I got to fourth grade, we had the option to do reading hours or do band/symphony. I knew I wanted to follow his footsteps. Since he already had the violin at home, I just picked it up and couldn’t put it down. In fourth grade, the whole class used it as an excuse to get out of reading. In fifth grade, about half the class decided to stick with symphony while the rest went back to reading. By sixth grade, there were three of us left in symphony. Most kids put it down once they got to junior high school but I knew I had to stick with it. There was no way I could let it go.
Q: Where is the best place you have traveled thus far?
A: Nubia. As I am writing this, I am on a cruise ship sailing the Nile River through Southern Egypt from Northern Sudan. This is the absolute most amazing and enlightening travel experience I have had thus far. I am connecting with the roots of my history and ancestry. I am able to travel on the longest river in the world and the only one that streams upward. Along the journey, we are able to stop and see amazing temples, tombs, ancient wonders and pharaonic sites. I have never felt more connected to the roots of my existence than I have now. Being able to experience this with my parents who are truly Nubian and originate from these lands, along with my big brother is an absolute dream. I am beyond grateful for this experience and encourage anyone to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with their roots.
Q: When people listen to your music what do you want them to know?
A: I want people to know they are the light. Energy is contagious. What you put out into the world and consume is what you become. The power of our words and our vibrations is magnetic. We attract what we are. By ejecting music and love into people's lives, people are able to let go of inhibitions and unite. I want them to know the power of freedom and what that means for us individually and collectively. If people can free their minds and hearts by listening to my music, I want to inspire them to do more of the things that make them feel free. Fulfillment comes from self and that is all rooted in passion. Engaging in what you love allows the liberation of hearts and minds. Expression and release of emotion and limiting beliefs will allow us to be more compassionate and united as a human race.
Q: What do you like and dislike about working with others?
A: I love working with others for inspiration and idea sharing. Being an artist can be a lonely process but getting insight and feedback from other creatives is the best way to grow. What is difficult about working with others is timelines. Sometimes I’m focused on getting my own individual projects out so that it can be hard to shift focus to others. It can also be difficult when I have a certain vision and deadline and that cannot be matched. I have always loved collaboration more than anything because that magnifies the energy going into the project. If all parties are equally invested something truly special can be created.
Q: What is the story behind your song Double Life?
A: Double Life is about the duality of being a Nubian American. Balancing my two identities is what really sparked the whole song. I felt like I could never really define who I was by being born in the US and having Nubian parents. Speaking two languages, living in two cultures, being an artist and professional, being all the different intersectionalities that I embody is the root of Double Life. It was really to help explain and validate the idea of being a third culture child. Being not either a part of here nor there but somewhere in between.
Q: What is something you fight for and believe in?
A: I fight for freedom, equality, and basic human rights. It sounds so simple but in this day and age there are so many different factors that divide us as a whole. If we are able to practice the basic principles of what every human should be granted regardless of race, gender, religion or any other identifying factor, we will be much more able to progress. Systematic oppression, racial inequality and all things that are a consequence of hate are the reason our society is so twisted. Getting to the root of this, realizing it, and finding ways to combat it will allow us to embrace the beauty of the world on a more level playing field. I will always fight for another human's right to food, shelter and love.
Q: How do you make culture intertwine with your music and or career?
A: I have learned to embrace my culture with all endeavors I embark on. In music particularly, I have used it as a tool to highlight my culture through Double Life in the lyrics and the video. I am not only able to introduce a bilingual twist through incorporating Arabic and English in my lyrical content but also through the visuals in the music video highlighting pieces of the culture that are truly unique. My career is music. It is evident in all that I do that I am proud of my culture and I want to share that with my listeners that can completely empathize and the ones who have never been introduced to such a culture. Through my name, Zanib, my image and the staple pieces that I highlight through my style, as well as the violin and the approach I use to intertwine the strings and vocal melodies, it is all Nubian inspired.
Q: What is something you want the public to know about yourself?
A: I could never be where I am today without the support of my family. At first, being a singer and musician was such an unstable concept to them but as they saw my approach to use it as a tool for education and empowerment they were nothing but supportive. I would encourage anyone to take a leap of faith on their passions as much as they may hear opposition. Show people your vision rather than trying to tell them. If you are truly passionate and persistent, nothing and no one can stop you.
Q: What is your dream?
A: To achieve ultimate freedom by being able to live love, travel and inspire with my music and my word. My dream is to be able to positively affect different communities around the world to unite. I enlighten and liberate through my voice and sound. I would love to go on a world tour and be able to do a concert in every city, college/university, school, museum, cultural center and any major hub to that particular place. Along with the concert, make the movement a social enterprise by bringing an aspect of community development by working with the people that live there, finding out the biggest need for the community, then helping them fulfill that need.
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