SceneNoise x XP Conversations: Ziad Zaza

The fifth annual XP Music Futures in Riyadh served as arguably its biggest and most impactful edition yet, gathering even more of the regional ecosystem under one proverbial roof - and Ziad Zaza arrived as one of its most singular and uncompromising voices.

In the first instalment of SceneNoise x XP Conversations interview series, we sit down with an artist who refuses to be boxed in by the very scene he is helping reinvent. From his formative years in the rural landscapes of Fayoum, Egypt to his current standing on the biggest stages of the regional music scene, Zaza’s trajectory has been defined by an unrelenting habit of pushing boundaries and bucking trends.

Tracing his musical DNA back to the raw, unfiltered energy of Egypt’s mahraganat scene, he credits pioneers like Sadat and Oka & Ortega as cultural architects who proved that the sounds of Egypt’s streets and marginalised youth can command international attention. To Zaza, these legends provided the blueprint for his own approach and philosophy - a mindset that prioritises a grounded, almost visceral connection with ‘the people’ over the restrictive and often sanitised definitions imposed by the mainstream media. 

Viewing his music as a gift and homage to an ever-widening audience of listeners who share his unvarnished reality, his refusal to stay in one lane has bled into a burgeoning acting career over the last year. This move on-camera is not a pivot away from music, but an opportunity to flex a different set of creative muscles, allowing him the chance to explore his knack for storytelling through a new medium.

Whether he is in front of a microphone or a camera, Zaza has evolved into a voice for a new generation of Egyptian artists, one that has committed himself to a constant state of creative reinvention, he ensures that his artistry never becomes stagnant or predictable. Ultimately, Ziad Zaza remains one of the region's most unpredictable outliers - an artist who finds as much purpose in the journey as the destination.

Stay tuned for more SceneNoise x XP Conversations.