Zaid Mahmood / Producer

Zaid proudly admits to being a rock n roller in his twenties but like a good whiskey has mellowed with age and is more likely to be chilling out to classical music; jazz and Sufi.  As a teenager growing up in Baghdad, he recalls seeing Boney M and the Gibson Brothers. In addition Zaid was also a regular attendee at Arabic and Iraqi concerts and when he came to England, he thoroughly enjoyed seeing Andre Bocelli at the O2. But the legendary artist he would most like to have seen in concert is Elvis. Not just for his music but the films he made and the man he was – never forgetting his roots and quietly funding projects back in his hometown. As a teenager Zaid’s bedroom was a homage to everything Elvis.

However when it comes to a guest in the studio it would be any Special Educational Needs teacher to explore the daily challenges and motivation that drives a teacher to this highly specialised and necessary area of education.

Spare time sees Zaid In a studio sculpting with a variety of materials. He has exhibited his work and won a couple of commissions. Zaid describes himself as a “soft businessman” and back in 2002 ran a laundry shop in Leatherhead. Zaid’s ideal holiday would be spent exploring the arts, the music the food etc in Spain and Italy. And as his favourite film is The Godfather, Italy would be the place to see it. But Zaid might have difficulty finding somewhere to get his favourite meal  – a meat Biriyani!