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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/
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/