We are trying to find some music that is about Armenia’s history of migration and the Armenian diaspora and was wondering who you would recommend. We are doing this for an educational non profit web based arts project called Promised Lands, which is about music and migration, and is being hosted here in London by the arts institution INIVA [the International Institute for Visual Arts] We think it would be good to have some Armenian music for this project, and we’d really like to feature some. Here is a link for the project: http://www.iniva.org/exhibitions_projects/2008/promised_lands/introduction.

We hope you find this of interest, and look forward to hearing from you about some good music - modern or traditional, sacred or secular.

Kind regards,

Edward George & Anna Piva

For all those who think there is a lack of talent in Armenia, I can assure you otherwise. Having just produced Mister X’s live concert on Sunday and Monday (Nareg, you should have come to that…) I understand the major issues as far as holding regular live concerts in Armenia. I know this may sound lame, but it all boils down to MONEY. Sound equipment is very expensive. In addition, not all groups carry a full range of equipment (Forte, Ovation, and such). A producer must make selective and wise decisions not to get caught up in a big spending spree.

Recently, Shushan Petrossyan performed Live at the Opera, Lilit Pipoyan, Artur Mesjyan, Haiko, Tata and Andre also did the same, before that Arsen Safaryan and Nune Yesayan. In a few days Yegishe Petrosyan (Arzagank) and then Rouben Hakhverdyan and Sirusho will also be singing live. These are the artists that make the up the Armenian music scene here. So, talent we have, producers with lots of money is where the problem lays.

Mister X was on stage with over 30 musicians (Radio Jazz orchestra). He sang a variety of songs including a masterpiece with Anna Mailyan; Pieta Senore. He will be soon touring North America and during the tour will remove the mask and hopefully also change the name. I, like so many out there, feel that his image (masked man) and his music are not compatible. He has finally agreed and will soon follow through… after that, keep an eye on him as he will be a rising star!

Well, I don’t care if Mister X has a good voice or if he’s going to take off his damn stupid mask anytime in the near or far future. All I care about is the fact that the contemporary music being created only in order for it to be pumped out by a dozen partisan TV stations in Armenia these days is dull, dull, dull.

It’s why, for example, the radio stations instead spend their time playing more Western and Russian pop and rock music rather than anything local. The quality here sucks, the music tedious, and the lyrics so mundane that you couldn’t believe. Therefore, I’m glad to see that Blogrel’s Harmick responds with a comment.

I simply don’t agree that the problem boils down to money. The money is an excuse. I sing, my friends sing , we give concerts using cheap SM 57 mics, cheap PA’s, cheap speakers- and, if the talent is there, it shows.

What is far , far , far worse is when a concert is paid for with advertised singers - and they simply appear on stage, with their CD playing in the back ground , The FUNNIEST part is, after the song finishes, (and often in the musical sections of the song) they shout “Hey! Hey! Dzap ! Dzap!” to make us think they are infact singing! So therein lies the proof, the mic is there, the music is there - the PA is there - what’s not there is the artistic understanding that it is a BIG mistake to lie to your audience.

Mister X may well be talented, but I can assure you that most people would rather go out and buy some random Russian pop CD than purchase his CD. This is because there is no respect in Armenia for local artists. - and until local artists start to realise that they are NOT God’s gift to music, and until they stop hanging out at VIP sections of CAFE’s showing off their mobile phones - and actually engage with their fans, produce music that doesn’t all sound the same, with the same producer - then there will be NO Armenian music industry.

Why do Armenian artists think it is acceptable to produce a song completely using a Casio style keyboard, label it is a “new, special hit!” and then mime it on Rubicon.. This is simply a lie. This “glux goval” tradition is so inherent in Armenian music , and it’s usually the WORST artists who are more to blame.

A true artist would take a basic backing track, and sing live - instantly there is respect. In a similar way, we, as an Armenian audience need to recognise when something is done correctly - I have friends who will happily listen to crap Russian dance music, yet switch off an Armenian song because “oh , shes connected to whoevers uncle, and people pay her for sex”.. probably not even true.

I am sorry, mutual respect is all it boils down to. This is why “Rabiz” as we love to call it, is so much more sucessful, Aram Asatryan ENGAGED with his audiences for years, entertaining weddings, receptions, the people feel close to him - thats why he probably sells more CD’s in a year than all these so called “Estradain” singers in Armenia put together. Rabiz or not, he always sang live, and he respected us.

You too can join in the discussion here.

Incidentally, Lenin’s statue without the head on it is lying calmly in the small backyard of Small Philharmonic Hall at the Republic Square. So it wasn’t moved so far, I wonder where the LCD screen will be moved, to Shahumyan Square??