Zade Dirani
Encyclopedia
Zade Dirani is a Jordan
ian pianist
and composer
whose compositions blend world, classical, and pop music.
He has had great support from King Abdullah II of Jordan, Queen Rania, Princess Haya, and also Queen Noor. He has performed before Queen Elizabeth
, Dalai Lama
, Nelson Mandela
, amongst others. He has been recognized as "Jordan’s leading Cultural Ambassador (who) dedicates his music to building bridges of peace and tolerance."
and the Berklee College of Music
in Boston
. Audiences throughout the Middle East
, Europe
, and the United States
have attended his performances in different places. His albums have reached #3 on the US Billboard chart and is #1 on the Jordan charts. The CD for Zade’s latest epic project: One Night in Jordan debuted on Billboard at #2 on the New Age Chart, #5 on the Classical Crossover Chart, and #11 on the Overall Classical Chart. Zade’s accompanying DVD also debuted on Billboard’s Top DVD/Music Video Charts at #18. Zade has toured extensively throughout the U.S and other parts of the world. His wild popularity in Jordan has helped his albums consistently reach No. 1 on the Jordanian album charts.
Zade has been officially endorsed by YAMAHA pianos thus joining the very select artist roaster of YAMAHA artists, playing and representing the brand's piano exclusively where ever he plays.
, Zade began with much trepidation, a house concert tour across America playing in public places in an effort to create a better understanding of his culture in the West. Ever since, Roads to You
has been performing an average of 200 nights a year.
After more than a year of planning and meeting with organizations all over the world, Zade launched an ambitious project in May 2006 in Washington, DC under the patronage of Queen Noor of Jordan, and in partnership with Berklee College of Music
and Seeds of Peace
.
Titled “Roads to You : Celebration of One World,” Zade lead 40 musicians from 18 countries, in a project that showcased participants from war-torn regions coming together and working in an atmosphere of trust and team spirit. Musicians didn't only perform, but shared their talent and heritage with fellow tour members; participate in more than 100 cultural presentations at educational institutions and community/ civic functions in each city; with their host families and friends; and with their own families at home upon their return. Proceeds will support local charities and causes.
The concert tour featured compositions from Zade’s three recordings which include his latest CD, “Beautiful World” released May 2, inspired by his Middle Eastern heritage. His second CD, "Roads to You", was released in June 2004 in the United States featuring Arabic and Latin influences performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. One of the cuts from the CD, titled “Kingdom of Peace,” was featured at the 2006 Winter Olympics as the Japanese Female Figure Skating Team competed to this song. That song, and the “Roads To You” CD is the collective effort of more than one hundred musicians from different parts of the world, and was recorded in Miami, Beirut, Prague, and Los Angeles. “Roads to You”, remained on the Billboard Charts more than 20 weeks. His debut CD, self-titled Zade, was released in April 2003, and featured a host of guest musicians from the Middle East and the United States including Charlie Bisharat
on Violin, Chris Chaney on Bass (Alanis Morrissette, Jane’s Addiction), Gabriel Gordon on Electric Guitar (Natalie Merchant), and Imane Houmsey on Kanoon (Fairouz, Julia Butros). The album remained on the Billboard Charts for 13 weeks. The CD was supported with performances world wide, and an extensive “house concert tour” in the U.S.
, Jordan
, One Night In Jordan: A Concert For Peace
is a concert performance from Zade. Accompanied by musicians from over 40 nations, including London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, and the London Voices
, Zade shares his message of peace and unity through music in this live concert event. The album was released on February 9, 2010 by ZD Records and distributed by EMI
. The concert DVD was released on March 9, 2010 by ZD Records and distributed by EMI
. The concert was aired on PBS
stations in 2010.
aimed at helping young musicians share with the world a deeper understanding of their cultures by offering them a unique opportunity to expand their roles from musicians to proactive peace builders and future community leaders.
and Queen Rania of Jordan to join them on the official state visit to the United Kingdom
where he performed before Queen Elizabeth
and the British royal family
in London.
In May 2005, Zade performed at the Library of Congress
in Washington DC in celebration of Jordan's National Day by invitation from the Jordanian Ambassador to the United States, Karim Kawar
. He also was invited to perform at the World Economic Forum Extraordinaire 2003 in Jordan. Zade has graced the stage at a tribute to President Nelson Mandela
organized by the United Nations Foundation
and the Mosaic Foundation
in Washington, DC. Other distinctive appearances include "Exploring Jordan" held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
whose compositions blend world, classical, and pop music.
He has had great support from King Abdullah II of Jordan, Queen Rania, Princess Haya, and also Queen Noor. He has performed before Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, amongst others. He has been recognized as "Jordan’s leading Cultural Ambassador (who) dedicates his music to building bridges of peace and tolerance."
Work
He has released three CDs, which reflect his studies of each culture while attending the National Music Conservatory in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
and the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Audiences throughout the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have attended his performances in different places. His albums have reached #3 on the US Billboard chart and is #1 on the Jordan charts. The CD for Zade’s latest epic project: One Night in Jordan debuted on Billboard at #2 on the New Age Chart, #5 on the Classical Crossover Chart, and #11 on the Overall Classical Chart. Zade’s accompanying DVD also debuted on Billboard’s Top DVD/Music Video Charts at #18. Zade has toured extensively throughout the U.S and other parts of the world. His wild popularity in Jordan has helped his albums consistently reach No. 1 on the Jordanian album charts.
Zade has been officially endorsed by YAMAHA pianos thus joining the very select artist roaster of YAMAHA artists, playing and representing the brand's piano exclusively where ever he plays.
Roads To You: Celebration Of One World
In the wake of September 11September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, Zade began with much trepidation, a house concert tour across America playing in public places in an effort to create a better understanding of his culture in the West. Ever since, Roads to You
Roads to You
Roads to You is the name of a continued series of cultural workshops intended to promote peace and tolerance through music. The program was founded by Jordanian composer and pianist Zade Dirani.-Origins:...
has been performing an average of 200 nights a year.
After more than a year of planning and meeting with organizations all over the world, Zade launched an ambitious project in May 2006 in Washington, DC under the patronage of Queen Noor of Jordan, and in partnership with Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
and Seeds of Peace
Seeds of Peace
Seeds of Peace is a peacebuilding youth organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1993. As its main program, the organization brings youth from areas of conflict to its international camp in Maine. It also provides regional programming to support Seeds of Peace graduates, known as...
.
Titled “Roads to You : Celebration of One World,” Zade lead 40 musicians from 18 countries, in a project that showcased participants from war-torn regions coming together and working in an atmosphere of trust and team spirit. Musicians didn't only perform, but shared their talent and heritage with fellow tour members; participate in more than 100 cultural presentations at educational institutions and community/ civic functions in each city; with their host families and friends; and with their own families at home upon their return. Proceeds will support local charities and causes.
The concert tour featured compositions from Zade’s three recordings which include his latest CD, “Beautiful World” released May 2, inspired by his Middle Eastern heritage. His second CD, "Roads to You", was released in June 2004 in the United States featuring Arabic and Latin influences performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. One of the cuts from the CD, titled “Kingdom of Peace,” was featured at the 2006 Winter Olympics as the Japanese Female Figure Skating Team competed to this song. That song, and the “Roads To You” CD is the collective effort of more than one hundred musicians from different parts of the world, and was recorded in Miami, Beirut, Prague, and Los Angeles. “Roads to You”, remained on the Billboard Charts more than 20 weeks. His debut CD, self-titled Zade, was released in April 2003, and featured a host of guest musicians from the Middle East and the United States including Charlie Bisharat
Charlie Bisharat
Charlie Bisharat is a Grammy-winning violinistwho has extensively toured and/or recorded with numerous artists. He was a member of Shadowfax who won a Grammy in 1988 for Best New Age Performance for Folksongs for a Nuclear Village...
on Violin, Chris Chaney on Bass (Alanis Morrissette, Jane’s Addiction), Gabriel Gordon on Electric Guitar (Natalie Merchant), and Imane Houmsey on Kanoon (Fairouz, Julia Butros). The album remained on the Billboard Charts for 13 weeks. The CD was supported with performances world wide, and an extensive “house concert tour” in the U.S.
One Night In Jordan: A Concert For Peace
Filmed at one of the oldest Roman Amphitheaters in the world in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, One Night In Jordan: A Concert For Peace
One Night In Jordan: A Concert For Peace
One Night In Jordan: A Concert For Peace, is a concert DVD and album by Jordanian pianist and composer Zade Dirani filmed at the Roman Amphitheater in Amman, Jordan...
is a concert performance from Zade. Accompanied by musicians from over 40 nations, including London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, and the London Voices
London Voices
London Voices is a London-based choral ensemble led by Terry Edwards, who founded the ensemble in 1973...
, Zade shares his message of peace and unity through music in this live concert event. The album was released on February 9, 2010 by ZD Records and distributed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The concert DVD was released on March 9, 2010 by ZD Records and distributed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The concert was aired on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations in 2010.
Zade Foundation For International Peace And Understanding
To continue cross-cultural understanding through the arts, Zade has launched The Zade Foundation for International Peace and UnderstandingThe Zade Foundation
The Zade Foundation for International Peace and Understanding is a non-profit organization whose goal is helping young musicians share with the world a more meaningful understanding of their cultures and expanding their roles from musicians to ambassadors of peace and future community leaders...
aimed at helping young musicians share with the world a deeper understanding of their cultures by offering them a unique opportunity to expand their roles from musicians to proactive peace builders and future community leaders.
Performances For Public Figures
Having been appointed by the government of Jordan as one of the six achievers that are leading the country into its new era, Zade was invited by King AbdullahAbdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
and Queen Rania of Jordan to join them on the official state visit to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where he performed before Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and the British royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
in London.
In May 2005, Zade performed at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington DC in celebration of Jordan's National Day by invitation from the Jordanian Ambassador to the United States, Karim Kawar
Karim Kawar
Ambassador Karim Kawar is the former ambassador to the United States from Jordan, where he served under the title of Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico from July 2002 until January 2007.His...
. He also was invited to perform at the World Economic Forum Extraordinaire 2003 in Jordan. Zade has graced the stage at a tribute to President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
organized by the United Nations Foundation
United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation started up in 1998 with a $1 billion grant from Ted Turner in order to support the United Nations in executing its programs worldwide. The creation of the Foundation was intended to encourage other donors to also support the UN in its activities...
and the Mosaic Foundation
Mosaic Foundation
Mosaic Foundation is a popular roots reggae band located out of Ithaca and Rochester N.Y.The Mosaic Foundation is an American non-profit organization established in 1997 to raise the standard of living of women and children everywhere while also bridging the cultural gap between citizens of the...
in Washington, DC. Other distinctive appearances include "Exploring Jordan" held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.