WAKE UP THE SOULS: SERJ TANKIAN EXPLAINS THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE TOUR
11:57, 17 Dec 2014
System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has explained the message
behind the 'Wake Up the Souls' tour.
"We are doing a tour called 'Wake Up the Souls' to further spread
awareness having to do with the Armenian genocide, first genocide of
the 20th century and put pressure on the Turkish Parliament to kind
of come to grips with its own history and deal with the massacres of
the first world war," Tankian told theBillboard.
"We've done the soul shows before, and this is kind of a growth of
that. It will be the first time that we played in Armenia in Republic
Square, giant free show, we're gonna televise that around the world,
or stream it, whatever you want to call it. So it's gonna be really
unique and beautiful, and so we're looking forward to it."
The band just announced an April 6 date in Los Angeles at the Forum.
That will be part of a very brief run. "We're only doing eight
dates, and they're all World War I countries in some ways, which
is interesting."
To Tankian, the actual concerts are a very small part of delivering
their message. "The show itself is only one part of the message,
because the streaming worldwide of a show in Armenia having to do
with the genocide, the press around it, the press conferences we're
going to do in each major capital around it, that's going to reach
probably more people than actual ticket-holders at the show," he
said. "That said, we've talked about this many times: Music's power
of transcendence having to do with reaching people's consciousness
is unique. It's an incredible thing, and you know I've always paid
attention to it and respected it."
As he's gotten older, Tankian has found role models he admires for the
way they mix music and social consciousness. "I didn't have musical
heroes growing up; now I do. I look back at someone like John Lennon,
his simple words, 'War is over' for example, the idea of visualization
combined with music, combined with that type of audience is genius.
And all he was doing is following his vision and being true to himself,
which hopefully all artists are," he says. "Bob Marley was genius
too, making people dance to socially conscious music is like doing
two things simultaneously because the motion of dance is a positive
spiritual existence. And getting the messages through at the same
time is incredible."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/12/17/wake-up-the-souls-serj-tankian-explains-the-message-behind-the-tour/
11:57, 17 Dec 2014
System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has explained the message
behind the 'Wake Up the Souls' tour.
"We are doing a tour called 'Wake Up the Souls' to further spread
awareness having to do with the Armenian genocide, first genocide of
the 20th century and put pressure on the Turkish Parliament to kind
of come to grips with its own history and deal with the massacres of
the first world war," Tankian told theBillboard.
"We've done the soul shows before, and this is kind of a growth of
that. It will be the first time that we played in Armenia in Republic
Square, giant free show, we're gonna televise that around the world,
or stream it, whatever you want to call it. So it's gonna be really
unique and beautiful, and so we're looking forward to it."
The band just announced an April 6 date in Los Angeles at the Forum.
That will be part of a very brief run. "We're only doing eight
dates, and they're all World War I countries in some ways, which
is interesting."
To Tankian, the actual concerts are a very small part of delivering
their message. "The show itself is only one part of the message,
because the streaming worldwide of a show in Armenia having to do
with the genocide, the press around it, the press conferences we're
going to do in each major capital around it, that's going to reach
probably more people than actual ticket-holders at the show," he
said. "That said, we've talked about this many times: Music's power
of transcendence having to do with reaching people's consciousness
is unique. It's an incredible thing, and you know I've always paid
attention to it and respected it."
As he's gotten older, Tankian has found role models he admires for the
way they mix music and social consciousness. "I didn't have musical
heroes growing up; now I do. I look back at someone like John Lennon,
his simple words, 'War is over' for example, the idea of visualization
combined with music, combined with that type of audience is genius.
And all he was doing is following his vision and being true to himself,
which hopefully all artists are," he says. "Bob Marley was genius
too, making people dance to socially conscious music is like doing
two things simultaneously because the motion of dance is a positive
spiritual existence. And getting the messages through at the same
time is incredible."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/12/17/wake-up-the-souls-serj-tankian-explains-the-message-behind-the-tour/