Zaid Adham - Profile Interview

How long have you been playing Music?

I started playing music when I was about 14 years old. That's when I bought my first Aria acoustic guitar. Prior to this, my father's main hobby was playing the keyboards, so I experimented with that for a while and took piano lessons before moving to guitar (to be cool and fit in with the crowd)  and joining my first band.

I can't read notes to save my life, that's why I quit piano lessons and never participated in those silly recorder-playing sessions in elementary school. Everything I know how to play, I've learnt entirely by ear.

How long have you been living in Dubai?

My family moved to the UAE in 1989 when we lived in Al-Ain for a year then moved to Dubai when things got better. So if it's 2007 now I reckon we've been here a good 17.5 to 18 years.

What do you honestly think of Dubai Lime?

Being a person who has been following music both in its commercial sense and in its regional periodic rise and fall over the past few years, I can say it's a great way of meeting musicians and exchanging hopes and ideas in a welcoming environment.

Other websites in the Middle East attempt to bridge that gap but are overcome by a lack of resources or they just can't bothered. Not only am I glad but I am also in awe that the Dubai Lime team is able to organize meet-ups and open mic nights for its members rather than keep them hanging in online forums to no avail.

Can you remember the first time you picked up a guitar?

Yes, I was 14 at the time and trying to imitate a new high school friend of mine. We didn't get along great at first, but we did eventually form a rock band with 4 or 5 other students in school. He's completely disappeared now :-)


Whats your normal day job? What does it involve? 

I work as a television producer in Media City for the Arabic branch of Canadian music channel Much Music. I started in February of 2007 and I'm still doing alright, slight headache today though.

What musical influences do you have, who is your favorite artist or band and why?

Oh goodness, that's a difficult one. If anything, that's because I listen to a wide range of artists and genres and each of them has influenced me over the years. Let's just say I've been listening to Iron Maiden since I was 5 years old but some of my favorite musicians also happen to Bill Withers, Tears For Fears, U2, Depeche Mode, swedish progressive metal band Opeth, and Tool. I mainly listen to a lot of progressive rock actually, it never fails to keep my interest at peak.

If you were not doing your day job, and were not a pro musician what job would you do?

I work in TV now because I enjoy the media arts. Were it up to me though and had an industry been well-established in the Middle East, I would definitely work on a career as an auteuristic director.

And why ;-)

It's been my passion forever. I've always wanted to be involved in the film-making process, whether it was acting or directing. I'm glad I found my niche though.

What is the most important lesson of your life that you can share with readers of your profile?

"Confidence and Faith take you far." That's what I can think of at the moment...I'm sure there's something a lot more elaborate and philosophical than this that I can muster up but this'll do fine for now. :-)

What are the most important things in your life?

My Art, My Family, my Friends, and my future with all of these. In no particular order of priority.

Ok, we all want to know, what is the list of music toys you have. 

Just a few bits and bobs. Nothing special. I have a Casio CT-47 keyboard that dates back to 1990, a 1997 BC Rich IronBird guitar (I believe they've stopped making those), an Egyptian reed flute and a Oud which I haven't played since I bought because I have no idea how to tune it!

What's the best one and why?

That would be my guitar, Elizabeth, Every song I wrote over the past 10 years or so has been on that guitar. It's my permanent muse.

What's the best thing about living in Dubai?

The best aspect of living in Dubai is being able to mingle comfortably with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures. It is truly cosmopolitan.

How many languages do you speak?

Two and a half: I speak English and Arabic, and can make my way through French without accidentally saying "My hovercraft is full of eels!"

When you write your original music, what gets your creative juices flowing?

It truly is completely dependent on the time and place, sometimes it's a repeating riff in my head, other times it is a photo or painting or an emotional state of being. It is very rarely other music though. Other music motivates me to go write my own...but I would never listen to anything if I'm in Writing Mode. It could mean that I don't listen to music for days on end if I could truly resist it.

Do you have any other hidden talents?

Well, apart from music, I'm a photographer, a painter, and a film maker...and I make an excellent self-invented recipe for oven-roasted chicken breasts which I call "Napalm Chicken". Of course I'm always adamant on explaining that no actual napalm was used to make the chicken! :-)

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