Jordana Delgado is a Vancouver based pianist, composer and singer songwriter who is making quite a stir through her poignant yet classy tracks. She followed various genres right from her childhood and the combination of the emotional style and the romantic prominence was the key to her music.
Her most famous album is “Rainy Times” and many people were touched with the stories that she tells in the songs. The visuals of the album earned the short film over 430000 views on YouTube, showing Jordana’s side of creativity. Some of her successful releases include “Somewhere in My Memory”, “Autumn Leaves”, and “The Cradle” . it is no surprise that “Autumn Leaves” got airplay on CBC Radio.
Now, Jordana is ready to amaze her fans one more time with “The Dancing Pink Flowers”, the leading track from the new EP “Seasons”. The track is based on Bossa Nova with the original piano tune represents spirit of spring in a gentle, tender music. According to Jordana, the feeling when it comes to music is like ‘cherry blossom dancing gently through the soft spring breeze’.
It has been quite a ride for the veteran artist who still has the capacity to leave audiences in awe of her depth and range. It is now time for Jordana to take us through her various pieces, her sources of inspiration and the meaning behind these profoundly touching pieces.
Listen to The Dancing Pink Flowers
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What is your stage name
Jordana Delgado
Is there a story behind your stage name?
It’s just my real name 😉
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration mostly in nature. There’s so much beauty around, it’s magical!
I also find inspiration in live music. Seeing other talented musicians perform is very inspiring.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Yes, when I was born both my parents worked in the music industry. My dad was a touring musician and my mum was a booking agent. I grew up around artists and live music because of their jobs.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Music has always had a prominent role in my life. My parents always had music playing at home and they brought me to lots of live shows. We would go to see my dad play if they played nearby. My dad also brought me to some of his band rehearsals. My mom, because of her job, brought me to every show for children in the city: music, puppets, theater, circus… It was only natural that I showed interest in music very early.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
It happened naturally. It wasn’t a decision that I made one day. I guess it was the musical environment I had since I was born.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
I started singing when I was around 3 and asked my parents for piano lessons when I was 4, but they thought I was too young. At that time, the only music education available was the old-school Conservatory of Music. They knew how hard that can be on young kids, so they let me experiment and have fun with music by myself. I sang, played the recorder, a little keyboard and the guitar. I picked up songs by ear. Those were a few years of experimentation and learning mostly by myself.
When I was 13, my parents saw that I was really serious about music and signed me up for piano lessons and formal music education. I went to the Conservatory of Music and got my degree in piano performance in classical music. After that, and because I also wrote music, I got interested in jazz harmony, so I went to study with a private teacher. I also learnt a lot from playing in many different classical ensembles, world-music bands, pop bands… the more variety the better.
Overall, one has to find the balance between experimentation and education because both are very important.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
Since I was exposed to live music from a very early age, I couldn’t say. It probably was one of my dad’s bands.
How could you describe your music?
At first sight, people say it’s neo-classical music. I can see why they say that: it’s mostly piano solo music. However, I think it’s descriptive music. I tell stories with music and I use any musical element I need in order to serve the story. That means that I can have piano pieces that sound classical, others sound jazzier, others more Brazilian, others more pop… I use any musical style I need to tell my story better. I also write songs and I love to custom-make the piano part so the accompaniment describes exactly what the lyrics say.
Describe your creative process.
My creative process looks different every single time. However, there’s a common element: the storytelling. Music brings stories to my head, I see them! The process could start with an improvisation, or with me wanting to explore some music theory element, or trying to express a feeling or emotion.
It could also start with a title, or a word in mind, or a specific story. The spark could be anything! Once the process has started, the story comes to mind and then I just follow it and see where it brings me. Sometimes the story requires me to do some research and sometimes the music just unfolds before my eyes in real time.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Regina Spektor. I fell in love with her songwriting many years ago. At that time, I only wrote instrumental music, and she’s the reason why I started to write songs.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Of course, totally! I’ve played so many different musical styles: classical, world-music, pop, a cappella, singer-songwriter… and I enjoyed immersing myself in each of those genres for a while. I think that, in my music right now, you can hear little hints of everything I’ve done in the past. Your style keeps changing and evolving as reflection of yourself.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
Myself! I’m not here to compete with anyone. Everyone has a unique path and a unique voice and one should not compare themselves with others. I only compare myself with my past self. Am I improving? Am I moving forward? How can I do this better? That’s all I care about.
What are your interests outside of music?
I like to be outside in nature as much as I can. However, I also like reading, knitting and going to my ballet classes.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
I’d still be involved in the arts for sure. I’d probably be working in the theatre world as a production designer or stage manager.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
How to balance the personal life with the artistic life. As an independent artist, you’re by yourself and you have to do all the work that usually requires a team of people full-time. But you’re alone trying to do everything which usually means that you end up working 12-15 hours a day. And it’s still not enough. It is very challenging to put limits to that so you don’t end up with massive burnouts every so often.
Another big problem is smoke-sellers. Nowadays is easier to release music since we don’t need record labels anymore. However, there are many many people out there trying to take advantage of musicians’ dreams, asking for your money for services that achieve nothing and trying to scam you. There are also very good professionals that actually help you, but one needs to be very careful.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
Musicians shouldn’t play for free, ever! We actually spend more time and money in our training than a doctor or a lawyer. In addition, we need to buy expensive equipment, pay for studio time and a long list of other things. If you wouldn’t ask a doctor or a lawyer to work for free because you value their training and expertise, why would you ask a musician to work for free?
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
My new single is called “The Dancing Pink Flowers.” It’ll be included in my EP “Seasons” as a representation of the spring. When I sat to write it, the theme was clear: spring! And what is more representative of spring than the gorgeous cherry blossom? Pink flowers everywhere, dancing with the wind… so: “The Dancing Pink Flowers”
What are your plans for the coming months?
Right now, I’m working on the release of my EP “Seasons” that comes out on July 26th and also on its release party. For the fall I have plans to finish a project I started in 2022: “The Rainy Times Story.”
For those readers that are new to my world, “The Rainy Times Story” is a 9-episode short film that develops through the tracks of my debut album “Rainy Times”, and that has gained so far over 430k on YouTube. It is a very special story about the pass of time. I released 6 episodes between 2021 and 2022 but for personal reasons I had to stop it. Now, in 2024 is time to bring to life the last 3 episodes!
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans?
I do collaborate with other musicians in the Vancouver community but they are usually one-time collaborations for a specific gig. They’re usually very spontaneous. Right now, I don’t have any serious collaboration in mind. By “serious” I mean recording and officially releasing a song.
What message would you like to give to your fans?
I want to express my eternal gratitude to them! I do what I do thanks to the fans that support me and cheer me on along the way. I wouldn’t be here without them! THANK YOU!!
