Az Samad began performing poetry before he even learned how to ride a bicycle. As a child, his writing explored themes of pirates, teenage love, societal expectations, and even cats. In later years, he set aside the pen to pursue the guitar, a journey that has since led him to become a three-time TEDx speaker, record with Grammy Award winners Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca, graduate and teach at the Summer Guitar Sessions at Berklee College of Music, and perform across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

After 29 years in music, poetry returned to him as a form of therapy. This led to a project of writing 100 poems in Malay, which he continues to expand upon today. For the Klang River Festival, Az Samad presents a specially curated set that weaves together poetry and music, marking a return to the art form that first sparked his creative journey