Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia , is a sovereign state in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located in Western Asia,[20][21] on the Armenian Highland, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. The Republic of Armenia constitutes only one-tenth of historical Armenia.
Armenia is a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation-state with an ancient cultural heritage. Urartu was established in 860 BC and by the 6th century BC it was replaced by the Satrapy of Armenia which was one of Satrapies of Persian Empire . In the 1st century BC the Kingdom of Armenia reached its height under Tigranes the Great. Armenia became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion.[23] In between the late 3rd century to early years of the 4th century, the state became the first Christian nation.[24][25][26] The official date of state adoption of Christianity is 301 AD.[27] The ancient Armenian kingdom was split between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires around the early 5th century. Under the Bagratuni dynasty, the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia was restored in the 9th century. Declining due to the wars against the Byzantines, the kingdom fell in 1045 and Armenia was soon after invaded by the Seljuk Turks. An Armenian principality and later a kingdom Cilician Armenia was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between the 11th and 14th centuries.
Between the 16th century and 19th century, the traditional Armenian homeland composed of Eastern Armenia and Western Armenia came under the rule of the Ottoman and Iranian empires, repeatedly ruled by either of the two over the centuries. By the 19th century, Eastern Armenia had been conquered by the Russian Empire, while most of the western parts of the traditional Armenian homeland remained under Ottoman rule. During World War I, Armenians living in their ancestral lands in the Ottoman Empire were systematically exterminated in the Armenian Genocide. In 1918, following the Russian Revolution, all non-Russian countries declared their independence after the Russian Empire ceased to exist, leading to the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia. By 1920, the state was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, and in 1922 became a founding member of the Soviet Union. In 1936, the Transcaucasian state was dissolved, transforming its constituent states, including the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, into full Union republics. The modern Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Armenians have had a long tradition of folk music from the antiquity. Under Soviet domination, Armenian folk music was taught in state-sponsored conservatoires. Instruments played include qamancha (similar to violin), kanun (dulcimer), dhol (double-headed hand drum, see davul), oud (lute), duduk, zurna, blul (ney), shvi and to a lesser degree saz. Other instruments are often used such as violin and clarinet. The duduk is Armenia’s national instrument, and among its well-known performers are Margar Margarian, Levon Madoyan, Saro Danielian, Vatche Hovsepian, Gevorg Dabaghyan and Yeghish Manoukian, as well as Armenia’s most famous duduk player, Djivan Gasparyan.
Armenian folk musicians
Earlier in Armenian history, instruments like the kamancha were played by popular, travelling musicians called ashoughs. Sayat Nova, an 18th-century Ashough, is revered in Armenia. Performers such as Armenak Shahmuradian, Vagharshak Sahakian, Norayr Mnatsakanyan, Hovhannes Badalyan, Hayrik Muradyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan, Papin Poghosian, and Hamlet Gevorgyan have been famous in Armenia and are still acclaimed. The most notable female vocalists in the Armenian folk genre have been Araksia Gyulzadyan, Ophelia Hambardzumyan, Varduhi Khachatrian, Valya Samvelyan, Rima Saribekyan, Susanna Safarian, Manik Grigoryan, and Flora Martirosian.
Armenian emigrants from other parts of the Middle East settled in various countries, especially in the California Central Valley, and the second- and third-generation have kept their folk traditions alive, such as Richard Hagopian, a famous oud-player. Another oud player, John Berberian, is noted in particular for his fusions of traditional music with jazz and rock in the 1960s. From Lebanon and Syria, George Tutunjian, Karnig Sarkissian and others performed Armenian Revolutionary Songs which quickly became popular among the Armenian Diaspora, notably ARF supporters. In Tehran Iran the folk music of the Armenian community is characterized by the work of Nikol Galanderian (1881–1946) and the Goghtan choir. (by wikipeda)
And this is a very rare album with music from Armenia, recorded in France during the 70`s.
It´s maybe a music we never heard before, but it´s an unique piece of music … and you know I call my blog “many fantastic colors” (of music) … so enjoy this beautiful trip to Armenia … it´s a magic trip !
Personnel:
Samvel Adiarian (guitar)
Michael Boyadjian (tenpouk)
Yervant Harounian (mandoline)
Levon Minassian (mandoline)
Gilbert Kulbastian (guitar)
Jean-Pierre Mazloumian (guitar)
Antranik Minassian (vocals)
Helene Ohanian (vocals)
Nelly Vemian (piano)
Hovcep Yeghiazariab (mandoline)
Orchestra conducted by Philippe Boyadjian
Tracklist:
01. Tek Daneïn (Traditional) 2.42
02. Odar Amaï (Meserlian/Issahakian) 3.50
03. Ain Kicher (Manassarian)
04. Sirounik et danses des chevaliers (Traditional) 7.33
05. Haïastani Dzov Ginin (Haroutyounian) 3.19
06. Mama (Amirghanian/Ohanian) 3.01
07. Tou Im Hebard Haï Artchik (Porian/Arménian) 2.48
08. Im Anouch Davir (Avedissian/Haroutyounian) 4.26
09. Enzeli (Spendiarian) 2.13
ManyFantasticColors 