Sirouhi *Sirusho* Harutunyan
Sirouhi *Sirusho* Harutunyan was born on January 7, 1987 to two very known and successful parents in the music field as well as acting and directing. Sirusho's first encounter with singing and music was when she was ten months old. Yet, it wasn't long before she started to sing full songs, being two years old. One of the songs that Sirusho performed as a child was "Qele-qele", an Armenian folk song written in the early 1900s by Komitas. Her first appearance in front of an audience was in Canada when she was seven years old. At the age of 9 she received an award for her song "Lusabats". She took piano lessons in a Sayat-Nova musical school and currently studies diplomacy in Yerevan State University, majoring in International Relations.
At the age of 7 Sirusho began to write her own music, as well as lyrics in Armenian and English. She was 8 years old when she greeted her first big crowd. At the age of 9 the song, she had composed, brought her an award at the Contest of Young Talent. At age 10, she successfully competed in a contest with older participants, eventually winning first place. She released her first album "Sirusho" when she was 13, gradually becoming one of the most favored performers in the Armenian community. Some of the best Armenian composers have written the music for the various songs she has written lyrics for. She has toured around many countries, bringing vibrant Armenian pop and folk music to Canada, United States, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Lebanon, Egypt, Georgia, Russia, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Poland, and elsewhere. She is one of the most successful and most entertaining Armenian talents around the world.
Awards:
Best Album of the Year at the Armenian National Music Awards. (2005)
Best Female Artist of the Year at the Armenian National Music Awards. (2005)
Best Female Artist of the Year at the Armenian Music Awards. (2007)
Best Female Artist award at the 2008 Armenian National Music Awards. (2008)
Accomplishments at Eurovision 2008.
Sirusho was chosen as Armenia's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song Qele Qele. The song entered the first semi final on May 20 and advanced to the final which took place on May 24.Even though she came in 4th place in the final with 199 points, she was awarded the maximum amount of 12 points the most times of all the contestants (8), with the winner, Russian Dima Bilan receiving the maximum amount of 12 points seven times.During the official afterparty following the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 the four winners of the Marcel Bezençon Award 2008 were announced and prizes were given out. A newly introduced award was presented this year, the Fan Award by Swedish website Gylleneskor.se[1]. Readers of the site had the opportunity to vote online for their favorite 2008 artist under the age of 25. Thousands of votes were casted and the winner was Sirusho Harutyunyan who represented Armenia with the song Qele Qele.
