Karo Tchalikian
Since 1970 Mr. Karo Chalikian, an architect by profession, has been studying the Armenian musical legacy kept at the Matenadaran, which is one of the oldest and, with collection of about 17000 manuscripts, richest book depositories in the world. He has deciphered the khaz notography, restored spiritual music pieces existing in oral form, qualified them, and defined their authorship, reestablishing the theoretical system of Armenian music.
Mr. Chalikian's work of 25 years has produced major results and opened new perspectives and possibilities for deciphering ancient Armenian music originals. In the Matenadaran archives Karo Chalikian found records of thousands of spiritual songs by Armenian composers of the fifth to fifteenth century. In order to promote the richest legacy and to present Armenian spiritual song masterpieces, Mr. Chalikian founded in 1975 "Avetis" Choir that quietly grew in popularity due to its unique repertoire and a brilliant interpretative manner. He also headed the St. Geghard Monastery Choir and "Shnorali" String Quartet. Mr. Chalikian's arrangements for the best musicians of the country got highest appraisals and awards at various international contests. Besides doing theoretical research and practical work, Karo Chalikian traveled throughout Armenia for more than 10 years (1970-1980) and collected about 8,000 songs enriching the treasury of Armenian musical folklore. Some of that songs are presented on this CD.
In 1992 Mr. Chalikian founded "Nerses Shnorhali" Ancient Armenian Music Choir and became its artistic director. There are thirteen female and nine male singers in the choir; they are professional pianists, violinists, and musicologists. Evangelical figures from Medieval Armenia inspired Karo Chalikian to make sketches for the singers' costumes. They use fabrics of the eighteenth to nineteenth century collected by Mr. Chalikian during his numerous folklore expeditions and include brocade, silk, velvet, and rug cloth. The Choir's repertoire embraces musical compositions by more than 40 Armenian authors, as well as folklore pieces. The main goal of modern national culture is a replenishment of the inexhaustible treasury of the Armenian folklore music, which undoubtedly will make its worthy contribution to the golden fund of world culture.
The Shoghaken Folk Ensemble
The Shoghaken Folk Ensemble was founded in 1991 by dudukist Gevorg Dabaghyan in Yerevan. The group uses only traditional Armenian instruments, maintaining an authentic sound with the duduk, zurna, dhol, kanon, kamancha, shvi, and other instruments. Singers Hasmik Harutyunyan and Aleksan Harutyunyan are known throughout Armenia, the former Soviet Union, and Europe for their unique interpretation of Armenian folk and ashoughagan (troubadour) music.
In 1997, Shoghaken recorded folk music for Celestial Harmonies in the Music of Armenia series. The ensemble also had success in the Armenia Festival in Die, southern France, representing Armenia in the folk music tradition.
Shoghaken was involved in several recordings in 2001. In May, Shakeh Avanessian, of London, and Laura Shannon, of Scotland, recorded an album of Armenian dance melodies in Yerevan. Avanessian and Shannon are professional dancers who present traditional dance in concerts and seminars in Europe and the Middle East. The recording, Gorani: Traditional Dances from the Armenian Homeland, is named for “Gorani,†a song and dance from the Moush region of Historic Armenia.
We Sing Turkish Songs!!!
Turks Dance Armenian Dances
How to do this all in a more literate manner and reach a real cultural dialogue. An interview with composer Artur Shahnazaryan:
Question: Can we speak today about Armenian-Turk cultural dialogue? What means cultural dialogue in general?
Answer: As you know, our “Gayane?? ballet was staged in Turkey and had a great success. The Turks like the Armenian dances, but most often presents them as their own. I happened to see a book published in Turkey, where dances, music were described very well. The book includes a map of Turkey, where on the territories of Mush, Van, Sassoun cities "the dance circle of the round dances" is marked, beyond the limits of which the round dances are not danced. The dances are titled with Turkish letters, but they are named by their real names: "Msho shoror", "Yarkhushta", "Kotchari", "Lorke", "Msho par", "Sasna par". In many regions in Turkey you can even listen to Komitas in Turkish words. This is a dialogue on the level of folk culture.
Q: To what extent is Turkish music popular in Armenia?
A: Here also people listen to Turkish music, but such a one that Turks themselves usually do not listen to. Initially these songs were in Armenian, and then they were transformed also into Turkish. Turkish and Arabic music sounds both at cafe's and wedding parties. If you ask Turks they will say that a huge mass of people in Armenia listens to Turkish music and propagandizes it.
Q: The Armenian and Turkish artists, are they cooperating?
A: As to more serious relations, we should note that intellectuals all over the world are connected to each other like the members of a cultural family. Recently, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Genocide, many Turk intellectuals came to Armenia, risking everything. There are also people in all the nations who distort both their and other nations' culture.
Q: Relations of what quality are there with folk culture of our other neighbour, Georgia?
A: I should note that there are Georgian moves, too, in our dances, they are especially numerous, for example, in the dances of the State dance ensemble. But the moves of our dances are not presented in Georgian dances. Even if they have danced an Armenian dance, it was presented as Caucasian one. Dancing stretching the hand horizontally aside or applauding falling on knees are moves which do not correspond to our character, but today many Armenian ensembles widely practice such moves in dances presented as "Armenian". As to the other, larger cultural activities, then, let's say, according to the former Georgian Minister of Culture, during the post-Soviet period, the cultural centers are well preserved in Georgia; moreover, their number has even grown: Metekhi fortress has become a cultural center. Today they have founded Theater of Myths, which propagandizes their legends, and we do not have such a thing, unfortunately.
We have an interior problem of culture, our TV propagandizes Arabic, Turkish music: I am not against it at all, but, at the result of it, ours is neglected. It seems to those observing from outside that the Armenians are cooperating with the whole world. But when a nation having rather a high culture adopts the cultural "good" of low quality of another, it only harms itself by this.
From this aspect the situation of the Turks is better: they are adopting the Armenian culture and, developing, are improving their culture, because it is a culture of millenaries. For example, at the Olympics they danced Hamshen dance, which found a big response.
Q: Is it possible to reach a dialogue between states (countries) through a close cultural cooperation.
A: If one says that cultural cooperation sole can solve any question, I do not believe in that. A more complex approach is needed, and the cultural dialogue will form a significant part of it.
Interview by Astghik Karakhanyan
Komitas : see here
Arev: see here
Kilikia : see here
