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ARMENIAN POP 101
By Bei Ru
LA Weekly
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-01-27/music/armenian-pop-101/
Jan 27 2011
CA
Raisa Lazarian: She was one of the more prominent jazz/pop vocalists
of the '60s and '70s in Armenia. During a trip to Armenia in 2005,
I found a record that featured her as a vocalist on a couple of
cuts. I was so impressed by her voice and her general funkiness
that I sought out more of her work and eventually found a couple of
her solo records, my favorite being a self-titled album from 1976,
released on the Russian-based Melodiya label. Highly recommended.
Zartong
A four-piece progressive-rock band based in France during the
late 1970s. They released their only album in 1978 under a small,
independent French label called Dom. Only a small number of copies
were pressed, making it really difficult to find in original form
nowadays. I first came across this record through a friend who had
it in her parents' old record collection, and I was lucky enough to
track down a copy some years later. The music ranges from slow and
psychedelic, to up-tempo and percussion-driven, such as featured on
the song "Kele Kele" - an epic cover version of the folk tune written
by legendary Armenian composer Komitas. Makes you wonder how such an
innovative and talented band is still virtually unheard of some 30
years later.
Harout Pamboukjian
Definitely one of the best-known Armenian singers, and with reason. I
found sealed copies of his first few albums at an Armenian record
store in L.A., which currently only sells CDs but had a couple of
boxes of old stock they hadn't gotten rid of in the '70s/'80s. His
first album was recorded and released in Los Angeles in 1976,
and featured Pamboukjian's unique vocal stylings over funky drums,
electric bass lines, violins and some slick keyboard work. Although
the album is a great listen all the way through, his cover version of
"Oor Eyir Astvats" ("Where Were You God") - a song written by Arthur
Meschian about the Armenian genocide - stands out as a great example
of how Pambouk-jian's heartfelt vocal delivery shines on ballads,
as well as funk-influenced party cuts.
The Vosbikian Band
Formed in Philadelphia in 1939. After a number of 78 rpm releases, they
released their first full-length album in 1955, and were notably the
first Armenian-American band to do so. They were known for playing
"Kef," or party/dance music, and were commonly referred to as
"The Fabulous Vosbikian Band" throughout the East Coast. Spanning
generations of musicians, they independently released an album in
1975 called Armenian Dance Favorites, which featured members of the
original Vosbikian Band joined by a younger generation of Vosbikians.
I found the record for just a dollar at a thrift store in Los Angeles,
and didn't think twice about picking it up.
Aram Khachaturian
Khachaturian was a Georgian-born Armenian composer and cellist, most
notably known for his masterpiece Gayane, a suite written for ballet
during the mid-20th century. Khachaturian had a way of combining his
love for Armenian folk melodies with classical instrumentation in a
way that was never before attempted or heard. I was introduced to his
music by my parents, who would constantly play his records throughout
our house, and as I got older I started buying every recording of
his I could find. Gayane - which still stands as my favorite of his
works - has been recorded and played by orchestras all over the world,
so fortunately for us it's pretty easy to find on vinyl. I've always
loved the song "Lullaby" - a stunning, melancholy piece that I reworked
for a song I aptly titled "Gayane," off my own album Little Armenia
(L.A.). Truly beautiful music by - in my humble opinion - one of the
greatest composers of the 20th century. Pamboukjian
From: A. Papazian
By Bei Ru
LA Weekly
http://www.laweekly.com/2011-01-27/music/armenian-pop-101/
Jan 27 2011
CA
Raisa Lazarian: She was one of the more prominent jazz/pop vocalists
of the '60s and '70s in Armenia. During a trip to Armenia in 2005,
I found a record that featured her as a vocalist on a couple of
cuts. I was so impressed by her voice and her general funkiness
that I sought out more of her work and eventually found a couple of
her solo records, my favorite being a self-titled album from 1976,
released on the Russian-based Melodiya label. Highly recommended.
Zartong
A four-piece progressive-rock band based in France during the
late 1970s. They released their only album in 1978 under a small,
independent French label called Dom. Only a small number of copies
were pressed, making it really difficult to find in original form
nowadays. I first came across this record through a friend who had
it in her parents' old record collection, and I was lucky enough to
track down a copy some years later. The music ranges from slow and
psychedelic, to up-tempo and percussion-driven, such as featured on
the song "Kele Kele" - an epic cover version of the folk tune written
by legendary Armenian composer Komitas. Makes you wonder how such an
innovative and talented band is still virtually unheard of some 30
years later.
Harout Pamboukjian
Definitely one of the best-known Armenian singers, and with reason. I
found sealed copies of his first few albums at an Armenian record
store in L.A., which currently only sells CDs but had a couple of
boxes of old stock they hadn't gotten rid of in the '70s/'80s. His
first album was recorded and released in Los Angeles in 1976,
and featured Pamboukjian's unique vocal stylings over funky drums,
electric bass lines, violins and some slick keyboard work. Although
the album is a great listen all the way through, his cover version of
"Oor Eyir Astvats" ("Where Were You God") - a song written by Arthur
Meschian about the Armenian genocide - stands out as a great example
of how Pambouk-jian's heartfelt vocal delivery shines on ballads,
as well as funk-influenced party cuts.
The Vosbikian Band
Formed in Philadelphia in 1939. After a number of 78 rpm releases, they
released their first full-length album in 1955, and were notably the
first Armenian-American band to do so. They were known for playing
"Kef," or party/dance music, and were commonly referred to as
"The Fabulous Vosbikian Band" throughout the East Coast. Spanning
generations of musicians, they independently released an album in
1975 called Armenian Dance Favorites, which featured members of the
original Vosbikian Band joined by a younger generation of Vosbikians.
I found the record for just a dollar at a thrift store in Los Angeles,
and didn't think twice about picking it up.
Aram Khachaturian
Khachaturian was a Georgian-born Armenian composer and cellist, most
notably known for his masterpiece Gayane, a suite written for ballet
during the mid-20th century. Khachaturian had a way of combining his
love for Armenian folk melodies with classical instrumentation in a
way that was never before attempted or heard. I was introduced to his
music by my parents, who would constantly play his records throughout
our house, and as I got older I started buying every recording of
his I could find. Gayane - which still stands as my favorite of his
works - has been recorded and played by orchestras all over the world,
so fortunately for us it's pretty easy to find on vinyl. I've always
loved the song "Lullaby" - a stunning, melancholy piece that I reworked
for a song I aptly titled "Gayane," off my own album Little Armenia
(L.A.). Truly beautiful music by - in my humble opinion - one of the
greatest composers of the 20th century. Pamboukjian
From: A. Papazian