Daniel Kidane: “I don’t see why I shouldn’t champion my story”
The composer on assumptions about his music, Eritrean community and tolerance
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to composer Daniel Kidane, who is of Russian and Eritrean heritage. Daniel is one of 40 people in the inaugural year of the PRS Foundation’s POWER UP network, an initiative launched to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector. Representing Black talent across the UK, from all different genres, I’m excited to speak to mixed-Black participants over the next few weeks.
How do you define your ethnicity?
I usually say mixed. My mum is from Russia and my dad is from Eritrea. I was born in the UK, so I have three different cultures in my makeup.
A lot of people see me as a Black guy, which I find interesting because I don’t fully identify as a Black person. I’m 50/50.
Has your sense of self shifted over time?
I’ve always been proud of my heritage. Growing up, my parents were keen to teach me about their countries. For my older sister who came to the UK when she was three years old from Soviet Russia, it was harder for her to integrate into a different culture. People made fun of her accent, but I didn’t go through that, so accepting my background was quite straightforward.
How were you exposed to your cultures?
I was taught Russian, and my mum would read me Russian bedtime stories and play me Russian cartoons. We’d occasionally visit Russia and eat Russian food at home. I was also exposed to Eritrean community culture. My dad didn’t teach me the language, but we’d go to weddings and cultural festivals and know everyone there.
Do people have a different idea of the kind of music you make based on the way you look?
Back in the day, people would say “oh, you don’t look like a composer.” There aren’t many Black or mixed composers, so people have an archaic visual. I think that idea is slowly changing for the better. The other thing people assume is that I’m a jazz musician, but I’m a happy-go-lucky, positive person, so I just ignore it. It probably wasn’t the best thing for people to say, but normally it’s not meant in a derogatory way.
With age, I’ve learnt to champion the cause and educate people in the right way. If nobody calls it out now, we’ll be in the same place in ten years time.
How has your heritage impacted your work?
I’ve always been inspired by bits of my culture, whether it’s from a more technical point of view or more obvious, like my piece Woke from the Last Night of the Proms. There is lots of talk about waving around the Union Jack and singing Rule Britannia which I wanted to challenge, so the idea behind Woke was to try and promote acceptance of other ways of thinking.
There was part of me that wanted to shake the boat a bit. I’m glad I did it – classical music has been championing certain stories for centuries, so I don’t see why I can’t champion things that are close to my heart.
How do you think the conversation around mixed identity needs to change?
People need to be more aware that being mixed is totally different to being of one ethnicity. Being mixed involves lots of different cultures, and from a young age you’re exposed to them which is great. You have a realisation that there’s not just one way that is right. That awareness stays with you for a long time.
The more people understand about other cultures and societies, the more tolerance we can gain. There are fewer places for negative thinking to hide.
Can you sum up your mixed experience in one word?
Proud. My parents have always taught me to be proud through their stories of their culture or my predecessors.
Next week, I’ll be talking to Aux, singer in GRAMN. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox on Monday!
Enjoy Mixed Messages? Support me on Ko-Fi so I can continue to grow this newsletter! My new goal is to amplify the newsletter for the first anniversary of Mixed Messages.
Mixed Messages is a weekly exploration of the mixed-race experience, from me, Isabella Silvers. My mom is Punjabi Indian (by way of East Africa) and my dad is White British, but finding my place between these two cultures hasn’t always been easy. That’s why I started Mixed Messages, where each week I’ll speak to a prominent mixed voice to delve into what it really feels like to be mixed.