Armenian rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alexander Avetisyan (SARD)

Fire Wall Fest (Bambir 2)

Rock'n'roll as a musical genre, originated in the United States and was adopted and developed through the efforts of musicians from various ethnicities and countries, Armenia being one. Rock was greatly restricted for most of the period Armenia was under Soviet rule, being viewed as a Western anti-socialist influence. Yet, by the early 1970s, there were a range of popular bands in the capital city of Yerevan strong enough to compete with their Soviet counterparts. Among the most recognized groups of this era were: Araqyalner, 1+2, Kaleidoscope, and Bliki. Following the loosening of state control in the early 1980s, a number of Armenian rock bands gained a following in Western Europe, such as Asparez and Ayas. Asparez was the only Armenian rock act to release an LP on the giant Soviet label Melodiya. The bands Tarerk, Thessilk and Maximum had strong followings at home.

In 1982 a band called Bambir won the Folk Music Award at the International Festival in Lida, Belarus. They combined rock with Armenian folk and classical music. A later folk-rock act to follow in Bambir's footsteps was Vostan Hayots.

As the Soviet rock scene grew larger in the late '80s, bands like Asparez and Ayas found international audiences due to the newly introduced style - oriental rock. Ayas formed in 1986, and a year later won best song of the year at Yerevan's Rock, Rock, Rock Festival. They later won the Sisian Rock Festival as well.

On May 5, 1986, a first-of-its-kind Rock Festival was organized at the Youth Palace night club in Yerevan. The following year a second Rock Festival was held on October 18 and 19 at the Velotrack in Yerevan, Armenia.

In the early 1990s, an Armenian progressive rock scene developed. Dumbarton Oaks was one of the first bands to combine rock with classical music, in compositions like "Once Upon a Time There Lived a Cadence". A psychodelic side of prog-rock was presented in the much heavier works of MDP. Artsruni, and [1] Oaksenham presented a quality intstrumental prog at the border of centuries. These two bands subsequently released their albums with the leading French label, Musea [2]. Other popular Armenian rock bands of this era included Breeze, Ambehr, The Kings' Cross, Alter Ego, Lav Eli and Empyray. Former Lav Eli frontman Gor Mkhitaryan is currently involved with the folk rock scene in the USA regularly releasing his albums there.

In the late 1990s and early 2000 festivals organized by ACCEA (Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art) signaled a major rebirth of the Armenian rock music scene, with many new bands and musicians coming from the heartland region of Vanadzor. Among the most popular bands at that time there were also Vostan Hayots, Angels, and punks from Ass Kissers. There was a splash of interest towards very heavy acts such as Beerdigungs Läuten playing quality grindcore metal.

Expatriate Armenian rock musicians in the US during this period were few, with fewer venues for them to perform. Tigran Mousoian, president of The Armenian Musicians & Artists Center, who had organized two festivals in Yerevan, decided to organize an Armenian Rock Festival in Glendale, California. System of a Down - an alternative metal band made-up of Armenian-Americans - was the headline attraction. Armenian acts SARD from Yerevan and Bambir 2 from Gyumri also appeared.

Although the audience in Armenia remains exceedingly small for local rock groups, SARD, Bambir 2 and recently, Vordan Karmir, Reincarnation and a very heavy band Aramazd have received media attention, especially after their videos were televised nationally. Roxygeen is heading the scene of cover-bands. STRYFE is the only Progressive Metal band in Armenia.

The revived MDP and Oaksenham in addition to Bambir 2,Blood Covenant,STRYFE and Empyray today lead the vangard of quality made native. In 2007 were held two "Rock And Dram" festivals,first on April 13 and second on November 23.The second one went unfinished due to a power failure,when The King's Cross began to play System Of A Down's "Toxicity",the power went down. Also on November 23 Arthur Mitinyan(formerly of Ayas) invited Arthur Areskin(also formerly of Ayas) to talk about Ayas' reunion. Armenian rock.