Since I've come to Armenia almost two years ago, I've heard a wide variety of new tunes. Some of them I legitimately like, some not so much. But taste aside, I'm sure that not to far down the road I'd listen to any one of them for nostalgia's sake when thinking about my time here. Below is a list of
some of the songs that I've either enjoyed, had specific memories attached to, or simply been unable to avoid while here.
The Khorovats Song
Khorovats is Armenian barbeque, usually cooked to perfection over coals from a simple wood fire. At weddings, khorovats is given its own little ceremony, which involves playing a special song while the wait staff usually hold the freshly prepared meat aloft on shiny platters and spin around to the music. It’s the most elaborate ceremony I’ve ever seen in honor of meat, or rather the only one, and let me tell you, it gets you pumped up to eat it. I have been lucky enough to twice now hear this song performed live at Armenian weddings, while the catering staff bring out endless platters of chicken and pork. The first line of the song is “khorovatse shat lav ben e” which literally means “barbeque is a very good thing.” I couldn’t agree more.
"Meghri Mi Pokrik Hayastan" - by Hapet Khackikyan
This is sort of a love song to the region of Armenia I’ve served and taught in, Meghri. “Meghri mi pokrik Hayastan,” translates roughly to “Meghri, a little Armenia.” The song was written by the late Hapet Khachikyan, who was a local artist, educator, community leader, and also one of the most helpful and affable people I’ve met here. He wasn’t the sort of person you meet very often here, and he will be greatly missed in Meghri. In this video, you can see him performing the song to a group of international students, and then at an anniversary for the local college he worked at as director. At the end, his daughter, Shahane, sings another Armenian folk song.
"Dzyunn ir Yergn e Yergum" - by Ruben Hakhverdyan
“Dzyunn ir yergn e yergum” means “the snow is singing its song.” This is an Armenian folk song about a beautiful, still winter night. I was first introduced to this song when a Dutch biker I was putting up and I visited Hapet’s house in Meghri (the same Hapet mentioned above). He played this song for us, after some coaxing from his wife, Lusine. Even if you don’t understand the words, the melody and phrasing is really nice. The speak-singing style is also unique and not something I’ve really head before. Unfortunately, I don’t hear folk songs like this here very often.
"Sharan" - by Tatul Avoyan
This song might be referred to as a “tuyn yerg,” or literally “poison song” in Armenian male youth culture (meant positively of course). Tatul Avoyan is a very popular Armenian “rabiz” singer, which is a style of music most popular with young to middle-aged men in Armenia, but which can be heard at weddings, birthdays, or pretty much any major celebration. Standard elements of the genre are the rapid, continuous “one-two-three-one-two-three” triplet drum pattern, keyboards, sped-up dduks (a traditional Armenian flute instrument), and very emotive male vocals. This type of song will probably always remind me of Armenian male “rabiz” culture, and its defining elements: old, souped-up Russian Ladas (a classic looking, boxy make of car found all over here), chain smoking of skinny cigarettes, eating of sunflower seeds, knock-off Italian style shoes, track-suits, black leather, and brotherhood.
"Anirakan Ser" - by "Erik"
“Anirakan” translates to “unreal” and the chorus “anirakan, serus anirakan,” just means basically “unreal, my love unreal.” The video, like a lot of pop/dance videos around here – i.e. most Russian pop/dance videos –is heavy on fog, lasers, gratuitous choreography, leather, and women dressed an awful lot like hookers. Video aside, though, after hearing this one or two times it was stuck in my head – for good –and something about that catchy synth noise in the background just gets me…not at all kidding. Last fall, this song became the inspiration for an inside joke between a few of my Armenian friends and I at the school, where we’d refer to everyday things as “anirakan” or “unreal” with the same dramatic intonation as in the song. For example “this coffee is UNREAL,” was one of our favorites. Get it? It was really funny for a few days.
"Hents Hima" - by Armenchik
This might be the most pervasive song I’ve encountered during my residence in Armenia. It’s all over radio stations, music video channels, and taxi drivers’ mixes of pirated music. If there was ever a chance of me liking this song, it was ruined a long time ago by relentless overplay. Armenchik (little Armen) is a very popular Armenian pop singer, based out of the affluent Armenian diaspora community near Los Angeles. I guess the novelty of this song is the appearance of fellow LA -area native, Snoop Dogg. Amid footage of Armenchik and his cronies tooling around in their studio, you can see Snoop himself suddenly roll in, and contribute his brief cut for the song, in which he informs us that when you love a girl, you don’t love her “now,” but rather “right now.” Nail a cameo like that, and you can get airplay all over the Republic of Armenia.
"Happy Birthday" - by Armenchik
This is another Armenchik single ubiquitous here in Armenia, which has all Armenian lyrics besides the English “happy birthday to you” in the chorus. This song is pretty obnoxious, and friends I’ve known here like to play it on birthday parties, or just any odd time they feel like it. On my most recent birthday, I was with my Armenian host-family, celebrating both mine and my host-mothers birthday (hers falls just a day before mine) with a bunch of their friends and relatives from the village. We did the usually feasting and toasting, and then started dancing. At midnight, when my 25th year in this world rolled in, my host-father, Andranik, insisted that we play this song, because of course it says “happy birthday” in English and so was perfect for the occasion. It was no doubt thoughtful of him, and when they played it I swallowed both my pride and musical sensibilities at the same time and danced with my Armenian family, Andranik lovingly hollering “heeeeehpphy berrrday Tooooom” at me during the choruses. Mediocre song. Awesome memory.
"Vay Aman" - by Nuri Serinlendirici
Youtube link
When the weather is bad, I’ll usually take a taxi to the nearest town and regional hub, Meghri, instead of going on foot. And one of the drivers who usually takes me up loves to BLAST this song. It’s vintage, bombastic Russian techno pop and sounds great at full volume when hurtling down mountain roads on the way to town. The version I usually hear in the taxi is even more electronic and driving, but here is a version of it LIVE, or at least it has the appearance of being live... I’m not sure what half of that band is doing. I’m looking at you accordion, guitar, and clarinet players...
"Straight to Number One" - by Touch and Go
A ridiculous song produced by some obscure euro-pop artist that somehow, through some dark process of underground music trafficking, found its way into the regular repertoire of tons of Armenian taxi drivers. I recommend you not listen to this song, but if you do, you’ll notice a woman lists off a very...er...suggestive... list, from 10 to 1, over smooth jazz and clogged trumpet noise. The music seems to belong in an elevator and the lyrics are vulgar and dumb. (Anyone else notice that there are no 2 or 3?) Last time I heard this gem, I was in a taxi on my way to my friend’s village by the Iranian border. I'll just say that something seemed a little out of place as we cruised along that very rugged, very imposing stretch of road.
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