Jordanian “Pianist Prodigy” Zade Dirani is in town, and we couldn’t wait to meet him before he heads to Sahel to perform at the Mountain View Diplo Ras El Hikma compound on Friday at 4 pm. Zade’s not just a pianist though, he uses his musical platform to do so much more than just entertain. His music carries the messages of unity and peace, inspiring and moving people constantly.
Music Therapy
Zade started getting into music, playing the piano pretty young at the age of 13 and pursued it since, blending genres and providing the listeners with melodic tunes that are so simple even his “3 year old nephew could hum along to”. Music is not just a tool of entertainment, but a “complete translation” of what he goes through in life, both professionally and personally. To Zade, it’s therapeutic and all depends on the state of mind of the composer.
Blending Genres
Zade is known for blending genres, combining Latin, Mediterranean and Classic music to create something unique and powerful melody. “Part of its appeal,” Zade explained, “is that it’s fresh, but also familiar. Naturally, we want to get access to a lot of people. I don’t sing, so that already eliminates a lot of people.” This is why his melodies remain simple and accessible, easy to hum to and relate to.
Peace and Unity
Coming from a Jordanian background, his strongest support growing up came from the Jordanian royal family. He performed several times in front of King Abdullah and Queen Rania, as well as Queen Elizabeth. Royalty is not unfamiliar to the pianist, and he grew up with the values that the late King Hussein of Jordan instilled through his missions of peace and unity. “It was a realisation from the get go that when people connect with the music, they feel something more. It’s a very powerful thing.” The reason why he chose to use music to spread messages of peace and unity have a lot to do with where he grew up. “By default, with all the events that happened in our part of the world, a very unfortunate part of the world, you think that maybe with the music we can represent something better, to inspire.” He even performed in the Midwest right after 9/11, when he was just 18! He’s probably a musical hero, and if that’s not inspiring, we don’t know what is.
To Aspiring Musicians
When asked what advice he’d give to aspiring musicians and artists, he jokingly said, “get a good lawyer.” But on a serious note, Zade says that “It’s all about the journey, without sounding cliche, because this is it. It’s not about how much money you make or how famous you get because there’ll always be someone richer and someone more famous, so the trick is honestly learning to enjoy the moment”. You heard it here, let your journey be a gradual process and enjoy every single moment, because it sure did work for him.
Check out one of his most watched concerts:
