Author Archives: aratopouzian
Year in Review – buh-bye 2019…hello 2020!
As a general rule, I have never really been fond of these year end type of blog postings as they always seem to be self serving and dare I say – boring. As I grow older (I hit the big … Continue reading
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The Exciting Sounds of the Mal Barsamian Band
Traditional Armenian village music has traveled hundreds of years and has faced major hurdles in order to survive and tell an important story about the Armenian people. So much has been lost due to the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, Middle Eastern music, music, Uncategorized
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The Genius of Komitas, 150 Years Later
Armenians, worldwide, celebrate a significant birthday this year, for a man named Komitas Vartapet. Known throughout all Armenians and musicians alike, as well as composers, and historical scholars as the ‘Father of Armenian Music’. Following a concert of Komitas’ music in … Continue reading
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The Next Generation of Armenian Musicians
A topic of continued discussion has always surrounded the “next generation” when it pertains to industry or when discussing the future of just about anything. Music is no stranger to this conversation as a matter of fact, it is imperative … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, music, Uncategorized
Tagged Armenian, Clarinet, dumbeg, generations, oud, tradition
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The Sarkissian Brothers: Mike & Buddy
Recently on Facebook, someone posted the asked the question to readers to mention the name of a Middle Eastern musician ‘gone but not forgotten’. As Facebook inquiries go, this was actually interesting to see all the names generated in this … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, belly dance, Middle Eastern music, music
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A Musical Refuge for Ronnie Malley
In September, 2018, I had an opportunity to attend ArtsMidwest in Indianapolis. This was a large conference that featured different arts organizations, councils and artists from around the Midwest. As I was scanning the big expo hall filled with different … Continue reading
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Harry Bedrossian: Euphoric Oud Ride
If you have ever met musician Harry Bedrossian I think one of the first things you would say about him is that he loves life, doesn’t take himself too seriously (as none of us should) and is an excellent musician. One … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, art, Middle Eastern music, music, oud
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