Album Release Date Set for Dec. 29, Khatchadour Slated to Perform at Armenian Music Awards at the Nokia on Dec. 13
BURBANK, Calif.,–Khatchadour Tankian, father of System of a Down’s lead singer Serj Tankian, will release his debut record “Inchbes Moranank” through his son’s record label Serjical Strike on December 29, 2009.
This collection of music features new recordings of traditional Armenian folk songs that Khatchadour has sang for the majority of his life, along with 2 brand new songs in “Hrant Dink” as well as the title track “Inchbes Moranank”.
Produced by his son Serj with new arrangements from famous Armenian composer Andranik Mouradian, the album is a collection of 11 songs that brought the father and son team back to yesteryear, when the love of singing was passed on from father to son.
On December 13 of this year, Khatchadour will perform on of the tracks from the album, “Martigi Yerke” at the Nokia Theater as part of the Armenian Music Awards with the band Visa and a very special guest.
“Growing up as a kid, he would sing and I might sing along with him. So, I think in some ways, he put the love of music in me and more specifically the love of singing.” explains Serj of his father.
The father and son team filmed a very special video performance of the song “Bari Arakeel”, showcasing the two of them singing the song together. It was featured twice on the Thanksgiving day Armenia Fund Telethon broadcast worldwide last week.
Khatchadour is no stranger to lending his voice to an audience as his singing career started much earlier than his son’s, beginning at age 6 in his birth town of Aleppo, Syria into his teen and early adult years performing at various Armenian weddings, baptisms and other community engagements.
Due to familial circumstances, Khatchadour had to reserve all his singing engagements beginning in 1960, and instead shifted his focus into the profession of shoe design and manufacturing to provide a stable financial situation for his family. Recently, he sold off his successful business and in his retirement, has freed up his time, and thus reawakened his zest for singing and sharing his voice with those outside of his family.
Although he relishes in singing the more traditional Armenian songs like “Im Balik” and “Heratsads Engerner”, he is most proud of presenting the two newer songs on the record.
He explains, “The songs and lyrics [of “Inchbes Moranank”] are new and they both have big meanings behind them…If you are Armenian, no matter what you believe in, you are part of the Armenian cause.
The song “Inchbes Moranank” is dedicated to those that perished in the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink is a man whose beliefs and actions I truly respect and a man who showed true bravery knowing that his beliefs and actions were a danger to his life.”
After Andranik Mouradian finished up the arrangements for the songs on the album, Khatchadour and his son went into the studio and worked hours on end to get the best possible vocal recordings to complement these new interpretations of traditional songs.
In talking about these recording sessions with his father, Serj admits, “It was a big pleasure to produce his vocals and the record overall. He dove into it and he worked really hard in making this happen so that it could be quality music.”
In turn, Khatchadour goes on to say, “It was a great pleasure for me to work with my son and I consider this record a part of our family’s history now and I’m proud of it.”
It only feels appropriate then that at some point during the recording that these two singers, this father and son, would sing on a couple songs together, including the song
“Bari Arakeel”. The song is a traditional folk song that Serj rearranged and stripped down to just acoustic guitars and vocals. It is a song they would sing together when Serj was a kid and in a way, the recording of this song and the work put into producing the album overall is Serj paying ode to his inspiration, his father.
Khatchadour’s most revealing statement as to why he wanted to record and release “Inchbes Moranank” was unveiled when he said, “I’ve made a record that everyone can enjoy. And a lot of the youth that purchase the CD, will most likely buy it for their parents, but will find that they will like it too…It would be great to me if every Armenian family owned a copy of this CD. The meanings behind the songs on this album play out like a story in a book, only you get to also listen to them.”
“Inchbes Moranank” tells quite a story, and Khatchadour Tankian has quite a lot to sing about.
Websites: www.myspace.com/khatchadourtankian , www.serjicalstrike.com, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000349331301 For Khatchadour Tankian interview requests please send all inquiries to: george@serjicalstrike.com
Getzess Serge. We’re proud of you. Keep up the good work.
We love you, Serj!