Born and raised in New York City, Hooshere is a first generation Armenian-American whose connection to her heritage, coupled with her passion for music, has molded her into one of the very unique newcomers to the world music scene.
Hooshere has been receiving high accolades for her release of her debut album, Provenance. Greg Burk, of the LA Weekly, said "Hooshere is a singer who mixes her deeply melancholy balladry with a modern feel for subtle electronics and wide-open spaces." Mike Clancy, Editor for amNewYork (a NY Newsday publication) said that Provenance is like the soundtrack to a film yet to be made.
Since the release of her debut, Hooshere has already earned several nods from the music industry: one of her original tracks entitled Willow won 1st prize in the 13th annual Billboard Song Contest in the world music cateogy; and second prize in the annual indieTunes song contest, in the Latin/World category. Willow was also featured in a pre-theater audio segment at Regal Cinemas across the county and generated an overwhelming response. Another original track, entitled Somebody Else, was featured in a nationally televised PBS documentary, "The Armenian Genocide" which aired on April 17th, 2006.
Provenance is produced by Hooshere, with co-production by AB+, a talented producer and seasoned French horn player, having performed with such greats as Miles Davis, Lenny Kravitz, Sonny Rollins, and Gil Evans. The album also features well-known guitarist Matt Beck, who is now touring with Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty). Playing bass on the album is Konrad Adderley, who has played with Aretha Franklin and Sonny Rollins, among others, and is currently playing in the band for the Broadway musical "Wicked." The traditional Armenian instrumentation on the album could not have come from a more authentic source, as it was recorded by talented Armenian musicians in Armenia's capital city of Yerevan. Some of the most notable local musicians were enlisted for the album, including Hratjcha Muradian (kamancha), Norair Kartashyan (blul, duduk) and Alik Peloshyan (dhol).
"Recording the album was an incredible journey for me; it started out as an experimental few sessions with AB+, and I quickly realized that I had found a co-collaborator who understood my vision", Hooshere comments.
During the process, she was inspired to write several original tracks, each of which was an evolution all its own. Recording in Armenia was uniquely rewarding, especially while witnessing the Armenian musicians connect with, and interpret her music in such extraordinary ways. Hooshere goes on to say, "The experience of bridging the new and old through the remarkable instruments of my heritage was fulfilling and inspiring. I feel that I have captured some of the most essential elements of the album through the process. The gifted musicians with whom she collaborated, both in New York and in Armenia, each contributed their own unique elements to her music."
Together they achieved Hooshere's vision of creating an inventive, balanced fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, to propel the music of her ancestry into the present day, for a global audience.
