Zein l'Abdin was born in Kenya in 1939, on the island of Lamu. His father and uncle also played the oud, but Abdin was self-taught. His professional career began in 1960, playing weddings and concerts, but also composing his own music. The group that he subsequently formed to play the musical style known as taarab has launched the careers of many Kenyan musicians. (This information has been abridged from an excellent website on Zein l'Abdin's life and work.)