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Singer Sebu Simonian Raises Awareness Of Armenian Genocide

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  • Singer Sebu Simonian Raises Awareness Of Armenian Genocide

    SINGER SEBU SIMONIAN RAISES AWARENESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

    12:00, 16 Apr 2015
    Siranush Ghazanchyan

    By Jesse Hamlin
    SFGate

    The first two things children of Armenian ancestry learn about
    their heritage are that "we were the first Christian nation, and
    the slaughter of 1915," says Sebu Simonian, the big-bearded half of
    the hit-making indie-pop duo Capital Cities. He's referring to the
    Armenian genocide by the Ottoman government that killed an estimated
    1.5 million people.

    "It's ingrained in the Armenian psyche," says Simonian, 37, who
    spent the first six years of his life in Beirut -- where his paternal
    grandfather had fled from southern Turkey in 1915 at the age of 3 --
    before his family immigrated to Los Angeles to escape the Lebanese
    civil war.

    The singer, songwriter and keyboardist will headline a free concert in
    San Francisco's Union Square at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, commemorating
    the centennial of the genocide and celebrating "the resilience and
    endurance" of Armenian arts, artists and culture around the world. The
    Anna and Anaïs Duo (Anaïs Alexandra Tekerianof the Armenian a cappella
    trio Zulal, with guitarist Anna Garano) will also perform, and visual
    artist Kevork Mourad will "paint" the concert as it unfolds.

    "It's important for this atrocity to be recognized by the global
    community," said Simonian, for the United States and other governments
    to officially recognize the mass killings as genocide so that the
    families of the victims can seek legal damages against the Turkish
    government for confiscated land, and from American life insurance
    companies for unpaid policy claims.

    "A crime was committed, and somebody has to pay. All we can do
    is raise awareness. I make music. I thought I could participate
    by providing some entertainment at these events that can stir some
    emotion," says the artist, who hopes that emotion can move people to
    take action. He doesn't plan to give a speech, "but I may say a few
    words between songs."

    He's on the phone from Los Angeles, where the next night he was playing
    on Conan O'Brien's show with one of his heroes, the Beach Boys' Brian
    Wilson, who features Simonian on his new record, "No Pier Pressure." In
    San Francisco, Simonian is playing a stripped-down solo set, probably
    mixing songs of his own that connect to Armenian themes with a couple
    of Capital Cities tunes, and new versions of old Armenian songs. He
    may sing an Armenian lullaby, or orror. (Simonian speaks Armenian,
    and his first job was as an editorial assistant in the English section
    of the Los Angeles Armenian newspaper Asbarez.)

    Simonian formed Capital Cities in 2010 with Ryan Merchant, with whom
    he'd connected on Craigslist a few years earlier, and with whom he
    wrote the 2013 dance-pop hit "Safe and Sound" that really launched
    them. Their band toured with Katy Perry last summer.

    He's not big on labeling his music, but indie-pop "is a good start,"
    says the good-humored musician. "There's funk, there's rock, there's
    electronica in it, and dance." Performing with Wilson "was obviously
    an honor. I'm a big fan and he's a big influence." His top five bands:
    the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,the Doors and Queen.

    Rolling Stone declared last year that Simonian by far had the best
    beard -- "luxuriant, Rasputin-like" -- at the 2014 Coachella music
    festival.

    "It's part of my look at the moment," said the artist, who started
    growing the beard about five years ago "out of pure laziness" and
    was curious to see "how far my genes were going to let my facial hair
    grow." The Rolling Stone pronouncement "was something to smile about."

    The Union Square concert is one of several Bay Area events organized by
    the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, including the "Witness and
    Rebirth: An Armenian Journey" concert April 26 at the Palace of Fine
    Arts Theatre featuring theFresno Philharmonic, Fresno Master Chorale,
    Fresno State Concert Choir, mezzo-soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian,
    violinist Catherine Manoukian, baritoneEugene Brancoveanu and the
    premiere of composer Serouj Kradjian's "Cantata for Living Martyrs."

    http://www.sfgate.com/thingstodo/article/Singer-Sebu-Simonian-raises-awareness-of-Armenian-6202857.php

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/16/singer-sebu-simonian-raises-awareness-of-armenian-genocide/

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