Armenian Rock | |
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Stylistic origins | Hard rock, Heavy metal, Folk rock, rock and roll, British Invasion, Progressive rock |
Cultural origins | Mid 1960s, Soviet Armenia |
Other topics | |
Armenian Jazz – Armenian music – Soviet music – Russian rock |
Armenian rock describes a wide variety of forms of rock music made in Armenia or by artists of Armenian descent.
Among the most recognized groups of Soviet era were Arthur Meschian's "Arakyalner", "1+2", "Kaleidoscope", and "Bliki". Following the loosening of state control in the early 1980s, a number of Armenian rock bands gained followers in Western Europe, such as Asparez and Ayas. Asparez was the only Armenian rock act to release an LP on the iconic Soviet label Melodiya. The bands Tarerk, Tessilk, 36.6 and Maximum had strong followings at home.
Rock was greatly restricted for most of the period Armenia was under Soviet rule, being viewed by the CPSU as a Western anti-socialist influence. Yet, by the early 1970s, there were a range of popular bands in the capital city of Yerevan strong enough to compete with their Soviet counterparts - Arthur Meschian's "Arakyalner", "1+2", "Kaleidoscope" and "Bliki".
By the eighties, combining Armenian folk music with rock, the Armenian folk-rock groups were founded with notable, and popular even in 2000's, representatives - Bambir, founded 1978 in Leninakan and Vostan Hayots, founded in 1986 in Yerevan. In 1982 Bambir won the "Folk Music Award" at the International Festival in Lida, Belarus. Other more obscure groups were also founded in the same time period like Zartong a short-lived Armenian folk group from France.
As the Soviet rock scene grew larger in the late 1980s, bands like Asparez and Ayas attracted international audiences due to the new popularity of oriental rock these two bands were among original contributors, that was described first time in Melodie und Rhythmus magazine. Ayas was formed in 1986 by a conservatory graduate Artur Mitinyan, and a year later won Best Song of the Year award at Yerevan's "Rock, Rock, Rock Festival". Later they won the "Sisian Rock Festival" award as well. Elips was another important band of the era formed in 1986. In summer 1986 “Elips” went on tour to Latvia, where they played together with a Riga-based group “Pilligrim”. Simultaneously with the fame, the group gained the hatred of the Soviet Communist party nomenclature and was prohibited as an anti-Soviet group. Their most popular song - "Patkeratsrek" (Imagine) remains as one of the hymns of Armenian rock.
In the early 1990s, an Armenian progressive rock scene developed. Dumbarton Oaks was one of the first bands trying to combine rock with classical music, an example of this is "Once Upon a Time There Lived a Cadence". The psychedelic side of prog-rock was represented in the much heavier works of MDP. Though only in the 2000s Artsruni and Oaksenham [1] released their albums with the leading French label, Musea, [2] being the pioneers among local bands releasing albums beyond sentimental market. Both bands boast presence of their albums on iTunes and Allmusic.com. [3] Other popular Armenian rock bands of this era included Breeze, [4] Ambehr, [5] The Kings' Cross, Alter Ego, IF by Hayk F. Gyolchanyan, Lav Eli and Empyray. Beerdingungs Lauten was the only representative of grindcore style. Former "Lav Eli" guitarist Gor Mkhitarian [6] is currently involved with the folk rock scene in the United States regularly releasing his albums there.
A notable example is Deti Picaso a Russia-based folk prog-band consisted of mostly Armenians was noticed and appreciated in Armenia[ citation needed ] and revived interest towards folk music.
In the same early 1990s the Armenian rock bands got to have a fanzine - Mark's Gazette, self-published by Arman Padaryan (aka Mark) for the next 10 years.[ citation needed ]
Expatriate Armenian rock musicians in the US during the 1990s were few, with fewer venues for them to perform. Tigran Mousoian, president of The Armenian Musicians & Artists Center, had organized two festivals in Yerevan, and then planned Armenian Rock Festival in Glendale, California.
The audience in Armenia remains exceedingly small for local rock groups,[ according to whom? ] playing in local clubs in Yerevan and Gyumri. Although "SARD", "Bambir 2", "Vordan Karmir", "Reincarnation" and speed-metal band Aramazd started to receive media attention, especially after their videos were televised nationally. "Roxygeen" was heading the scene of cover-bands, while STRYFE and Sworn are prog-metal bands. The revived MDP and Oaksenham in addition to Bambir 2, Blood Covenant, STRYFE, Sworn and Empyray led the vanguard of quality made native rock in the new millennium. Arthur Meschian had sold-out concerts in Yerevan Opera Theatre and Complex Sports and Concerts Complex. Also the most popular alternative rock band in the world from Armenia is The Beautified Project. The band has played concerts in Armenia, UK, Austria, Germany, France, Russia and Georgia. [7]
Since 2004 International Armenian Music Award [8] announces winners in various rock categories. Among laureates and nominees there were Bambir 2, Empyray, Oaksenham, Hexen, Gor Mkhitaryan, Red Snow and others. In 2009 Lebanese Armenian, Eileen Khatchadourian's album Midan [9] received the award of the Best Rock Album of the year. Another ceremony is Armenia's National Music Awards [10] showcase of the Armenian Television 1st Channel, [11] which claims best performers of the year in Armenia. At the 6th ceremony, which took place on March 27, 2010, the best rock group was announced Dorians, a group featuring a singer Gor Sujyan.
Unfortunately both awards has not gained authority, and are often boycotted by more intransigent Armenian rock musicians.[ citation needed ]
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, festivals organized by the ACCEA (Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art) signaled a rebirth of the Armenian rock music scene, with many new bands and musicians coming from the heartland region of Vanadzor. Among the most popular bands at that time there were "Vostan Hayots", "Angels", and punk rockers "Ass Kissers". There was a splash of interest in very heavy acts such as "Beerdigungs Läuten" playing quality grindcore metal.
In September 2007 Rock4Peace festival concerts organized with participation of Germans from Kultur Aktiv e.V. and Vibrographus were held in Yerevan, Gyumri and Stepanakert. The reunion of Ayas took place after the meeting of the band's core musicians in Moscow, whilst Vostan Hayots continued irregularly appear with club concerts in Yerevan. Armenian rock started to live another wave of revival and yet local rock music does not have an industrial sense, though Armenian rock musicians started to participate in the commercially and politically biased projects such as two "Rock-and-Dram" festivals were held, on April 13 and November 23, 2007.
Tigran Mousoian, president of The Armenian Musicians & Artists Center, organized two festivals in Yerevan, and planned Armenian Rock Festival in Glendale, California.
A range of top-class concerts featuring legendary rock groups has been organized in Armenia by Vibrgraphus in 2009 and 2010 including visits of Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, John McLaughlin and Deep Purple.
Harutyun Ayvazyan (Artyom) was the first Armenian journalist, who published a rock encyclopedia in St. Petersburg in Russian language at Avgust Publishing House. The rock group Vara features an Armenian lead singer.
Progressive rock is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the style was an emergence of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favour of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz, folk, or classical music. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening rather than dancing.
The music of Armenia has its origins in the Armenian highlands, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, and is a long-standing musical tradition that encompasses diverse secular and religious, or sacred, music. Folk music was notably collected and transcribed by Komitas Vardapet, a prominent composer and musicologist, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who is also considered the founder of the modern Armenian national school of music. Armenian music has been presented internationally by numerous artists, such as composers Aram Khachaturian, Alexander Arutiunian, Arno Babajanian, Haig Gudenian, and Karen Kavaleryan as well as by traditional performers such as duduk player Djivan Gasparyan.
Ukrainian rock is rock music from Ukraine.
Rock music has been performed and heard in Lithuania since the mid-1960s. At first, repression by the Soviet authorities meant that rock was performed only at illegal gatherings, while music from the West was available on Radio Luxembourg or smuggled records. As pressure eased somewhat, rock musicals began to be released, such as Velnio nuotaka and Ugnies medžioklė su varovais.
Harout Pamboukjian, known as Dzakh Harut, is an Armenian pop singer living in Los Angeles. His Armenian dance, folk, and revolutionary and romantic songs make him a favorite among Armenians worldwide.
The culture of Armenia encompasses many elements that are based on the geography, literature, architecture, dance, and music of the Armenian people. Armenia is a majority Christian country in the Caucasus.
Arto Tunchboyachyan is an Armenian American avant-garde folk and jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer of Armenian descent. He fronts his own group called the Armenian Navy Band, and is also a member of the instrumental quartet Night Ark.
Bambir is an Armenian rock band from Gyumri. Spanning 4 decades and with more than 50 musicians passing through its ranks, the band has moved into its second generation- as in, sons of the original members are operating as a separate four-piece that is still part of the original ensemble.
Oaksenham is an electric and acoustic progressive rock band established in 2001. Oaksenham’s core consists of experienced musicians that have played in a range of influential Armenian rock bands: Vahagn Papayan and Ashot Korganyan from the same progressive band very popular in 1990s in Armenia.
Anastas Alekseevich Mikoyan, also known professionally as Stas Namin is a Russian rock musician, known as the leader of the popular Soviet music group, Tsvety. He is also a composer, actor, record producer, and director, and lends his name to the theatre he created in Moscow, the Stas Namin Music and Drama Theatre.
Gor Mkhitarian is an Armenian singer and songwriter who started his musical career in Armenia. He immigrated to the United States and now is based in Los Angeles. In Armenia, he started with the rock formation Lav Eli. He developed his solo career starting in 2001 with a number of albums in various genres including pop, rock, and folk music. He sings both in English and Armenian.
Stormy Six were an Italian progressive and folk rock band founded in Milan in 1966. They performed and recorded until 1983, mostly as a sextet but occasionally as a quartet, a quintet and a septet. Although their line-up changed considerably over the years, founding member Franco Fabbri remained with the group for its entire duration. In May 1993 they performed at a re-union concert in Milan, which was recorded and released on a CD, Un Concerto (1995).
Ara Gevorgyan is an Armenian musician, composer and musical producer. In 2004 he was awarded the Honorary Artist of the Republic of Armenia title by the President Robert Kocharyan.
Vahan Artsruni is a modern Armenian rock musician, singer, composer and artist.
Arthur (Artashes) Meschian is an Armenian architect, musician, composer, poet, singer and painter. He is also known as one of the founders of Armenian rock. He was the founder and the lead singer of Apostles, the first rock band performing songs in their native language in the history of the Soviet Union. He is the author of different architectural projects, including Guest House and the new building of Matenadaran in Armenia.
Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex, also known as Demirchyan Arena, Sports & Music Complex, or simply Hamalir, is a large multi-purpose sports and concert complex with 184 stairs leading up Tsitsernakaberd hill which dominates over the western parts of Yerevan, near the Hrazdan River gorge.
Hayk Gyolchanyan is an Armenian-American record producer, musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder of the Armenian prog-rock band IF as well as a record producer and the founder of RedPoint Records. During his career he worked with many representatives of Armenian and Russian show business as a composer, session musician and record producer. After moving to New York City Gyolchanyan started his solo career in United States with his first single Melon Fields released on February 20, 2020.
Dorians is an Armenian rock band founded in June 2008 by Vahagn Gevorgyan. In February 2009 the band participated at the first qualifying round of the international Eurovision Song Contest, which brought popularity to the band.
Nemra is an Armenian rock band established in 2012 in Yerevan. Led by songwriter Van Yeghiazaryan on vocals and guitar, Vaspur Yeghiazaryan on bass and backing vocals, keyboardist and backing vocalist Marianna Karakeyan, and drummer Marek Zaborski. The band's music draws from the alternative and indie rock genres. They also perform cover versions of Armenian folk songs.
Swallow Music Awards is an annual national music awards ceremony first held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 25 March 2017. The awards are created and sponsored by RA Ministry of Culture to appreciate and spur the activities of individuals and creators of various genres of Armenian musical art, as well as to display the significant achievements in the field of music to the broader layers of society. The awards consist of four parts: achievements in classical genre, folk genre, mass pop genre, and special/other awards. During the ceremony artists are given the awards designed by Armenian painter and designer Arman Nur. Each year, the award ceremony airs live on Public Television company of Armenia.