World-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasy next year, in various regions of Turkey is preparing to give concerts in churches. Hamasyan with family-Kars to Ani’s dream, Diyarbakır Surp Giragos Church, Van Ahtamara, the churches in Istanbul and Armenian songs give life to.

MARAL Dunk
is maraldink@agos.com.t

PHOTO: BERGEN ARABIAN

World-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasy next year, in various regions of Turkey is preparing to give concerts in churches. Hamasyan with family-Kars to Ani’s dream, Diyarbakır Surp Giragos Church, Van Ahtamara, the churches in Istanbul and Armenian songs give life to. In 2006, the jazz world’s most prestigious award ‘winning the Thelonious Monk Hamasyan’l to 26-year-old great talent, come to a concert in Istanbul, where negotiations have opinions.

• Life and art begins in Gyumri, is not it?

I was born in Gyumri. I went to three different music schools. I studied classical music for 10 years. Emigrated to the U.S. when I was 16 we moved to Los Angeles. My dad rock music, my uncle was a jazz fan. Dad’s Deep Purple, Queen, Led Zeppelin collections grew up with. I grew up in a wide variety of music. I studied jazz piano. Vahakn Hayrabety was the teacher. Then I was all alone. I have written, I have composed.

• How did you have a life in Gyumri?

Family with heavy … We have a huge difficulty. I was born in 1987, a year after the war began. There was an earthquake. Soviet disbanded. Very difficult years began. Our light, we did not burn. My dad gets up at 5 am, would enter the breadline. I have a brother who’s five years younger. He also artists. My father jewelery, designer clothes, but if my mother was not able to continue their business. Both those days, my life, my art has shaped both. Not only in Gyumri, Yerevan was also the year my.

• When did you meet with the piano?

Whether musicians in Armenia is in everyone’s house piano, every action is accompanied by music, everyone sings. I grew up in my grandfather’s house. I started touching note three years, a year later, the song was playing now. When I was 10 we moved to Yerevan. There are various festivals, I have given concerts. I’d say a few groups. At the age of nine appeared on the scene and a song from the Beatles did. Then we have a family emigrated to the U.S.. My father was there I thought I could develop further. Armenia was not common in jazz. If you are rich you can direct your children to music, but it is really very difficult for a poor family. For this reason, some talented musicians, as well as doing work.

• You’re living in Yerevan for over a year. Why did you come to Armenia?

Because it gives me more of a sense of home, there myself feel happier. This is not just something related to culture. There I am in spiritual wealth. Armenia, myself, to the world where I feel most connected. My family in Los Angeles. I go twice a year to the sides.

• Does Yerevanl family?

Both my mother, my father’s family as well as Kars. After 1915 came to Gyumri. I learned how to escape the Holocaust was a child. My father’s grandfather and grandmother in Gyumri, met in an orphanage. Grandmother’s two brothers were sent to the United States. We have not heard from them.

• Should be the relationship between politics and art do you think?

Politics, art and music mixing do not think that’s right. The art of politics can influence but should not inspire. I love art and still be affected by art. In general terms, the policy was influenced by music when I was doing but it does not provide an in-depth me to create something that I noticed and I walked away from that point soon. My culture and my identity with my music, my comments represent with Armenian folk songs.

• Difficult to interpret traditional songs for a jazz musician, right?

I discovered Armenian folk music at the age of 13-14. In the beginning I was very bad reviews, arrangements remained superficial. A culture thousands of years old which is not easy to get to the bottom of the music. Folk music, and I try very hard to understand what happened when I discovered I loved, he opened the door and went inside. I learned to learn languages ​​such as music. Language was in my blood. Just to jog sense, supposed to evoke.

• In memory as a child listening to lullabies was there?

My my lullaby, Black Sabbath songs. When I learned Armenian lullabies, I’m not a kid anymore.

• In the mother tongue do you feel about making music?

Language paramount. Language, culture. Sad to see that people care about the protection of the language. Learning a new language is very exciting but it would be a pity if you lose your mother tongue. It’s roots come from. Bedros TURYAK can be an exciting thing to read in their mother tongue? This sequence of TURYAK, Charents I’m reading, my mind turns. Nonverbal, I’m making an album consisting of only the melody. My biggest inspiration, their poems.

• Latest album ‘Shadow Theater (shadow theater) Where did the name come from?

Shadow theater people themselves and to understand something about life and monitors. There are only shadows on the stage, not colors. Fake love the idea of ​​an understanding of reality through something. Shadows fact that many hosts. Those who listen to the album, the songs I wanted to explore the story behind themselves, I left it to their imaginations. Traditional Armenian shadow play has also inspired me. I have friends who do it in Yerevan. After recording the album met with them. They did shadow play at a club, then we improvise together on a few songs. It was incredible.

• What are you doing improvisations inspired by?

To improvise, to think, to imagine, but about being yourself. Impossible to describe music without music. The body, the soul, the mind must be in music. All of them, in a balance, improvisation is leading.

• What is the first time you came to Istanbul? How did you feel here?

In 2012, I came to the festival. Tunisian musician Dhafer to Youssef’l stole. Political propaganda was confusing me. Honestly, I thought I’d leave here a moment ago. I did not want to talk to anyone. However, when people tanıştık, how cultures are intertwined and I noticed that I started to feel different. Istanbul, is a combination live, a city that opportunity to communicate. But, of course, where the Turkish nationalism, religion I see the propaganda. Armenians in Turkey were damaging to this land; On the contrary, they built, they did, they set up. Van, Kars, as refer to the regions inhabited by Armenians. Oralardaki structures, would protect culture, would boast, as did the Armenians are trying to destroy. A people, to destroy a culture … they label themselves as religious but how to go against God’s will, I do not know. In a land where my roots are sad to see a trace of myself. Return to my roots, I want to give a concert there.

• Like what you listen and musicians from Turkey Have you?

Hosni Şenlendirici and Erkan Ogur know. I played with Ahmet Egyptians.

• When you give a concert in Turkey?

Next year. Anatolia Kültür’l and talked to Patrikhane’yl. Not only in Istanbul, in Ani in Kars, Van Ahtamara, the Diyarbakır Surp Giragos in the Church, at least seven different places I want to play songs in Armenian. Give life to this church, which formerly vivacious people, cultures want to give the soul. This will be a personal journey for me at the same time.

• Agos readers what you want to say?

Necessary to have wished. Armenian read, write and speak very important. Language, lose, lose identity becomes. Also, where we want to get in touch with the Armenians more. Armenia was attached to the Soviets; Would you live in a state of Turkey. Different grows, we are influenced by different cultures. ‘Diaspora’ even my word hurts. Diaspora, why? However, they were unable to have our own country … not a problem. We are all one, our roots a. Should meet more often, deeper ties should be established. A politically incorrect look at everything from the frame. Policy will die eventually. To the end, it is important that we understand how each other will be.

Serzh Tankian’l duet

“I was amazed System of a Down. Serj Tankian live in Los Angeles. Around that everybody knows each other. Wanted to make an experimental jazz album. He knew me, she did. We played a few songs together. You want to have a piece on the album were from midas’ Garuna chose. Tankian’s vocal accompaniment on the piano in that song would. “