Zena Aly was born in 1982 in Kilosa, Morogoro region. But her parents come from Songea and she is Ngindo by tribe. She started to paint in 2003. Her teacher was Mussa Wasia, her husband, and Daudi Tingatinga, son of Edward Saidi Tingatinga, who started the tingatinga style paintings. It is no coincidence, because her sister married Daudi Tingatinga. (Unfortunately the wife of D.Tingatinga passed away). She married Mussa Wasia in 2004 and they have one child, Zachia Mussa.