Maan Hamadeh (born 29 September 1988) is a Lebanese pianist-composer and musician. He was born and raised in Baakleen, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon. He lives recently in Dubai and made his mark with his spontaneous performance on Für Elise at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport in August 2014. His video, Für Elise in Different Tastes went viral on YouTube getting over 17 million views in two months and racking up more than 30 million until January 2017. Hamadeh was honored within Arouwad Awards 2016 in Beirut as a Lebanese Musician for having a new musical style and being a bridge between different cultures. His Für Elise tops the list of Street Performance Top 10 video collection. He is called ThePianoMaan on social media platforms and Maan is known as an ambassador of Play Me project worldwide. He participated in the launch of the first Pop Up Piano in Dubai and was invited for several public and private events in Europe and Middle East. Hamadeh and the Band first full-evening live concert was in Samqaniyeh el Chouf, Lebanon.
Hamadeh's first online album, Inception was inspired by international fusions mixing different music styles and came out in January 2015. It includes covers by his selection and 2 Arabic soft mood songs composed earlier in 2009. His Christmas Spirit adapted song-collection was the most time downloaded season melody of the leader music streaming platform in MENA region, Anghami in December 2015.
Maan's second album Music Talks was released in April 2016. The concept of the online album is based on the collaboration with Wael Al Wirr guitarist, except the opening song, Only Piano; it is Maan's own composition and solo playing.
ThePianoMaan's third In Different Tastes album name was released in November 2016. It contains the solo playing cover ,,Hello" for Lionel Richie in that he plays several accompanying instruments in addition to the piano. "Mawtini" IDT is the passion for the Homeland as "Ya Hobbi Li Ghab" is tribute to Melhem Barakat (1945-2016). Broken Angel (Arash) mixing Kalimat (Majida El Roumi) cover closes the row of 13 international songs collection in different taste but with the same spirit. Maan Hamadeh recorded his third album accompanied by his guitarist friend Wael Al Wirr.
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Early life
Hamadeh was born on 29 September 1988 in a small village called Baakleen as third youngest son. His father, Maarouf Hamade managed the Shouf National College as director in Baakleen since 1978.
Hamadeh graduated from school in 2006 with General Sciences concentration and in 2010 from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor's degree of Computer Science.
Start of Music Career
Hamadeh played on keyboard in bands since age 14. After finishing the university he started Technology career as System Analyst and Application Developer at Transmed in Beirut (August 2010). In parallel Maan played piano on events and festivals within Lebanon on every weekend and ofttimes weekdays as well. He finished his Album Mixed Moods Effects in 2009, inspired by mainly Arabic style mixed with Turkish and music genres of Western culture however he released just some part of whole composing in public (Inception, 2015) and played its songs in events.
Hamadeh suspended his band performances when he moved to Dubai and started to work as Technology Consultant at Deloitte, August 2012.
Hamadeh built up the basic elements of social media platforms and started sharing mashup compositions via main online music stores. The first music piece Leiliyyi Btirja'a Ya Leil for Fairuz was rolled out on his YouTube channel, 13 September 2013, followed by remix of the Twilight movie soundtrack by Yiruma - River Flows in You cover in October 2013. Next shared videos came from early Mixed Moods Effects album.
Prague Story
Hamadeh spent 12 days in Europe, visiting Mykonos, Budapest and Prague without playing music. While Maan and childhood friend, Rami El Ghoussainy were looking for the gate to board of next flight to Amsterdam at Vaclav Havel Airport, Rami stopped him and pointed toward a piano. He ran to it and stunned the passengers.
In Spotlight
After Prague Hamadeh faced increasing thousands of followers. Several offline and online articles range of television, radio and social media interviews, social-life television talk shows ruined mondial at the same time about his talent and amazing performance.
11 September 2014, when he flew to Beirut for a family visit and performance invitations, a great surprise celebration was waiting for Maan at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport: ring of followers, friends, family members and a Play Me piano for debuting and spreading happiness by passion-leaded magic fingers.
Double career
Hamadeh is also called upon to compose and play personalised music pieces to piano for special events and celebrations.
Maan Hamadeh and the Band, first full-evening live concert was in The Village Country Club, Samqaniyeh el Chouf, Lebanon (5 August 2016). ThePianoMaan's virtuosic playing was accompanied by his friend and musical partner in Weekly Videos, Wael Al Wirr guitarist and drums as well. The concert was held in addition to international interest and success where the audience enjoyed the emblematic Maan Hamadeh's Für Elise version in new instrumentation.
Play Me Performances
Hamadeh got several invitation to joy and launch public pianos. Public audience enjoyed his different tasted performances in Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport, in The House of Music Vienna, in Old Town Hall Bratislava, at Duomo Square Milano. Returning to Prague in August 2015 Maan played in Café Neustadt, owned by Ondrey Kobza, the man behind the 'Pianos in the Streets' movement.
As a part of Play Me project, Maan Hamadeh was invited to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport for celebrating the International Music Day (1 October 2015) where he played different Hungarian pieces part of which were the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Brahms Hungarian Dances, Tavaszi Szél folk song. This trip gave him the chance to experience sounding the revolutionary Bogányi grand piano in Aria Hotel Budapest.
Dubai's first pop-up piano was launched with a performance by Maan Hamadeh and hula-hoop artist Teeba Al Khudairi, who was dancing with a hula hoop to the cheerful notes of Maan's fusion music on an artistic painted piano by Saudi contemporary artist Majid Alyousef in January 2016. All parts of the project represented love and theme "harmony and flow" including the remixed song Ahwak by Abdel Halim Hafez along with used painting style (Majid Alyousef's signature style channelling the Bauhaus style and traditional Arabic calligraphy strokes, imprinting love in Arabic).
Weekly Videos
Since April 2015 Hamadeh has been staying in contact with followers through Weekly (Friday) Videos. First he uploaded Weekly Videos on Facebook via Instagram which added the technical limits to 15 seconds. As his followers used to ask him for longer adaptations, Maan has started to upload full versions Weekly Videos with Vivo Per Lei for Andrea Bocelli by selecting other popular international and Arabic songs since 16 October 2015. Maan Hamadeh recorded his first guitar accompaniment cover with Wael Al Wirr on 5 November 2015 and keeps going on enriching his music by new instruments and conceptions.
New milestone has arrived into Maan's music career when he posted his own composition and improvisation Only Piano on 11 March 2016 as Weekly Video. His fans started to mention him as Lebanese Yanni deservedly, however his style is far different than other great artists.
Awards and Recognition
Hamadeh was an honoree in Arouwad Awards Festival 2016 in Beirut as a Lebanese Musician.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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