This Week's Playlist #69 - the Armenia edition with Arsineh V
This Week's Playlist #69 - the Armenia edition with Arsineh V
Arsineh from Armenia Vibes picks up her favorite 10 current songs from Armenian artists
Hello everyone!
This Week’s Playlist - Season 2, episode 16.
An important celebration tomorrow (or today, Monday 24th, depending on when you read this email - not that I sent this email quite late :-))).
April 24th is a significant day for the Armenian diaspora as it marks the anniversary of the start of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in 1915. The Armenian Genocide was the systematic killing and deportation of millions of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
Some of you may know, in addition to having Armenian roots from my father’s side, I lived there for most of 2006/7. Last year, I wrote about some of the bands I discovered while living there.
This year, I’m focusing on the new generation and let Arsineh, who’s running Armenian Vibes, an online community of local emerging talents, who picked up 10 of her favourite songs.
Enjoy, and see you next week.
TL;DR: I'm running a musical newsletter with a new guest sharing 5 songs each week.
There is a YouTube link for each of the songs on the cover, and here are the playlists for each streaming platform:
Tidal (coming soon)
Deezer (coming soon)
Guest of the week: Arsineh V
Arsineh Valladian has years of graphic design under her wing, including over 30 album designs over 2 decades.
Her career started in the music industry and powers on in parallel with the musicians she boosts with her platform.
As director of Armenia Vibes, a community of talents coming together to promote music for the well-being of listeners and performers, Arsineh continues to champion artists from Armenia, amplifying their reach to the world.
Links
Bambir
The Bambir is a legendary Armenian rock band that was formed in 1989. With a unique sound that combines traditional Armenian folk melodies with punk and rock influences, the band has become a favourite among the younger generation in Armenia and beyond.
Jag (Gagik Barseghian) founded “Bambir” in the 1970s, arranging pieces of Komitas (the Armenian composer) and other traditional poems to music before starting to record their own material.
In the late 90s, Narek (son of Jag) and Arman (son of an original member of “Bambir”) met with Arik 10. They started to play music, extending their parents’ core style to more modern elements.
Arman Peshtmaljian
Arman Peshtmaljan is a composer, arranger, keyboardist/pianist, songwriter and music producer from a jazz & fusion background.
Freedom Is eXpensive
F.I.X. (Freedom is eXpensive) is an experimental electronic power duo (guitar & drums) that takes roots from the infamous Bambir band (cf above). An eclectic mix of cosmic guitar roars with smooth rhythms.
Eleven Green
Eleven Green is Nare Nikoyan’s gorgeous, sultry and soulful voice combined with Khoren Mik Aelian’s skillful guitar. They developed their own Indie Rock-inspired sound with a combination of soft and melodic vocals and rough electronic sounds.
M.V.F. Band
M.V.F. Band (Miqayel Voskanyan and Friends) has composed music for nearly a decade. Centring the 11-string long-necked tar, the quintet draws on polyphonic roots, global rhythms, funk, jazz’s tight grooves and improvisational play.
Tigran Hamasyan
Tigran Hamasyan is a world-renowned Armenian jazz pianist and composer. His music blends jazz, Armenian folk music, and contemporary classical music. Tigran’s music is highly regarded for its innovative use of harmonies, imaginative compositions, and unique approach to music.
Tmbata Orchestra
At first, TmbaTa was a musical educational workshop led by Arik Grigoryan (from the Bambir, cf above). It became, after some years, an independent band.
Tmbata’s music is a new, modern interpretation of traditional Armenian folk music. TmbaTa’s repertoire mainly includes traditional Armenian folk songs mixed with modern influences, creating a new, original genre.
Tiezerk - Yes Saren Kugayi
Tiezerk, which means Universe in Armenian, was founded in 2015. The band includes two girls: Lusine (vocals, flute, pipe, piano, jutar/self-invented instrument, mandolin) and Eliza (vocals, harmonica, guitars). They started arranging Armenian national music and later created music for dance performances.
Until the next time, Godspeed!
Thomas
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