Harout Pambukjyan

[Guest]

Posted by anonymous>>>>

 

 

LOS ANGELES (1973-PRESENT) -AS THE ARMENIAN POPULATION GREW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AN OUTLET WAS

NEEDED FROM THE STRANGE AND DREARY 'FOREIGN' MUSIC BEING PLAYED. IN CAME HAROUT: WITH A FULL

HEAD OF BLACK HAIR, BLACK BEARD AND GOLD CHAINS, HE SHOCKED THE AIRWAVES WITH HIS NATIVE

ARMENIAN STYLE OF MUSIC. ARMENIANS FLOCKED TO HEAR HIM SING AND...BEFORE YOU KNOW IT...HAROUT

BECAME FAMOUS AND A HOUSEHOLD NAME. TODAY, THERE ARE MANY "WANNABE HAROUTS" OUT THERE BUT,

HISTORY WILL ALWAYS SHOW HOW THE BEARDED ONE SAVED THE ARMENIANS OF LOS ANGELES.

 

 

<<ok this was posted at the other Armenian forum that i go to >>

this has become a sours for a big argument ///

 

[This message has been edited by JanFedayi (edited July 27, 2000).]

[Guest]

When growing up, Harout along with Adiss Hamandian and Andre Danik were about the few Armenian singers we would listen to(you can guess what we were listening to arius, Googoosh, Hayde etc. as well as Turkish singers such as Adja and Baris Manco) Listening to his music always brings back good memories, plus he sings with a lot of heart, like he has gone through Hell and back. So what if he has been through drug addiction, what singer hasn't?

[Guest]

posted by >>> Arthur (Sun Jul 23 16:10:11 2000) <<

 

OK, he is not Luciano Pavarotti. He is a folklore singer, and a pretty good one too. He makes people happy - that's his talent that's his

profession. What have you done? What have you achieved?

 

[This message has been edited by JanFedayi (edited July 27, 2000).]

[Guest]

Posted by anonymous>>>>

Sure, he's a folklore singer and yes, he makes people happy. Unfortunately, he's a drug addict which is evident in his hyperactive

actions up on stage and his wife and daughter are floozies.

 

As far as myself, I don't sing nor practice law.

 

[This message has been edited by JanFedayi (edited July 27, 2000).]

[Guest]

Posted by Artur >>>>

 

 

Not a nice thing to say about someone's wife and daughter. That is low.

 

His drug use? Yes, it is worthy of criticism. It is his own stupidity - that is where it ends. I guess he does not know that he will end up

dead young just like Elvis.

 

[This message has been edited by JanFedayi (edited July 27, 2000).]

[Guest]

100% !

I agree about your image logic.

 

However, it is not what Harout does, but it is what those low-life gang-bangers do.

 

Harout's drug use is his private affair until he gets busted.

 

The low-lives who killed the Mexican kid in Hoover High are the ones that should be condemned by all, Armenian and non-Armenian

alike.

 

You see the difference?

[Guest]

ok tesnenk te menk inch enk kartsum iys temayi shurj . !

chmoranam asel vro Harout Pambukjyan@ Axchik chuni iyl trra .

yev miyak Hay Yergishn e yerle vro iskzbane HAyeren Yev Haykakan Yerashtutyun e Yerkel . nuynisk verhcin 10 tarineri @enthatskum yerb bazmativ Hay yerajishtner irenst yerker@ yev yerashtutyuner@ n@mananatsnum en Turkakan kam aveli jisht arevmtyan stilin.

tesnenk menk inch kasenk iys hartsy shurj .

[Guest]

Harut is a joke, not a singer. For God's sake, how can anyone consider him a musician??????

 

lol...ok, so I'm biased. My parents say that when he came to the States he complained of the authorities in Armenia not allowing his sound to get out to the masses because, as we all know, the censors were always doing their job in those days. Well, now that I've heard his sound I can say that the authorities (whoever that was) were absolutely justified in not letting him do whatever it is he wanted to do in Armenia. The only (i repeat, only) reason he became successful in the diaspora is that back then there was a serious shortage of Armenian artists in the States and people craved the "armenianness" he brought along.

 

Now then, as far as I'm concerned, he can go back to whatever village it is he came from and not annoy the hell out of me with his sheepherder's looks and equally provincial sound. (I've started consciously avoiding Armenian television now because I can't stand his promo on TV!! ugh!!)

 

a bit of bias from

Gayane )

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gayane:


The only (i repeat, only) reason he became successful in the diaspora is that back then there was a serious shortage of Armenian artists in the States and people craved the "armenianness" he brought along.

---

I agree with that totally. That would be my argument in favor of him NOW, but as I said above, when I was younger it was a different story. I'm 36 now and am finding I'm much more open minded about all kinds of music than I once was (I'm listening to Louis Armstrong at the moment).

I genuinely DO like his stuff now. My mom still thinks he's a joke and everything she doesn't like about Armenian men. To my grandmother, he's just more of a cartoon character than anything.

When my son was about 2, he looked at a Harout CD and said, "Daddy". YIKES! Where's those Italian genes when I need 'em?

BTW, you think Harout's bad, you should listen to some of the second tier stuff that came out in the late 70's and 80's. A few years ago, I went to Parseghian Records in Hollywood and bought one of every LP they had laying around (for a buck each, what the hell). OH MAN...


[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited October 10, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited October 10, 2000).]

[Guest]

I was trying to not speak out for quite some time But Gayane "let my dogs run in the loose..."

 

I would also claim that H.P. has nothing to do with Armenian music, and I would say with music, in general.

 

If we would consider him to be musician, especially Armenian musician, why is it that some of us are surprised by the current stage of the morals and the taste of our fellow Armenians in Glendale, or especially Hover High School.

 

What else have these kids seen to be different? H.P.’s music feeds the voracity of these people, who find the meaning of life in eating "khorovats," drinking vodka, and "kef anel," and whose utmost dream in life is driving Mercedes with installed Bosh.

 

His music is cholesterol for the human brain. No wonder he was censored in Armenia. Those in Armenia in good times had good taste.

 

I am not overwhelmed by his charitable activities, either. After all, he returns a very small portion to those people, whose cultural heritage he robs on a daily basis. Good commercialism for him!

 

Sorry for the harsh opinion, guys!

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by MJ (edited October 10, 2000).]

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by MJ:

Sorry for the harsh opinion, guys!

---

Don't be apologetic; I find this all very enlightening. I've never viewed him as anymore than some sort of kef-time club singer. I never considered him to represent any more than that to the community. Apparently, I may be way off in that regard.

Maybe because we're Armenian we expect our "artists" to all be of some high caliber with a purpose. Having grown-up an American-British music fanatic, I don't have those expectations of singers & musicians.

Another problem may be that up until Rouben, the only pop things out there were the Harouts, Adisses, Manuels, and Maxims. Now we have some Beatles to balance out our old KC & The Sunshine Bands?

[Guest]

I also grew up liking pop and rock. My generation of youngsters in Armenia grew up in love with Beatles, Deep Purple, Led Zepelin, Santana, Steve Wonder, Michael Franks, Weather Report, you name it.

 

It is interesting that it takes coming to the US to get liking Pambukjian.

 

I don't have expectations from Pambukjian, at all. But, for better or for worse, I do have expectations from our nation.

 

I love Armenian music. The one which indeed may be called Armenian. I admire the duet of Nune and Djivan, short of Nune

 

I don't think that we have to have expectations for Armenian Pop or Rock. I have spoken out regarding this issue in our forum in the past. I don't mind that some Armenians may be good Pop or Rock musicians, but I think the very moment they try to be Armenian Rock and Pop musicians, they will generate garbage.

 

After all, the language of lyrics, or the lyrics, at all, is not the issue in music, right?

 

Why is it that no other nation can listen to what some call "Armenian Music?" I think not because it is Armenian Folk. I have been surprised many times listening to Djivan' music on FM - the jazz channels. People love it. More or less everybody likes Andalousian folk music.

 

But this one...?

[Guest]

MosJan do you mind if I move this topic to Music section?

 

Gayane I'd like to see your criterias of rating armenian singers (or in general).

With who you compare them to mark as 'joke' or 'musician'?

I'm not a big fan of Harout but I like some of his old songs. And I'm not agree with MJ that the situation in Glendale is partly because they feed their brains with Harout's songs. I think he's not as popular among them as you think.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Half Breed:
When growing up, Harout along with Adiss Hamandian and Andre Danik were about the few Armenian singers we would listen to

---

When I was a kid, we always thought he was somewhat of joke with all the hair and the swirling disco lights on Teletime. As I've gotten older, I've realized he is a very important figure in that he's keeping Armenian songs alive. If nothing else, his records document many songs that may not have otherwise gotten exposure in the U.S.

As for the drug use, that's something I did not know about. It seems like a purely personal matter--he's hardly a Michael Jordan, where kids everywhere are looking up to him as a role model. Kinda comes with the musician territory and besides, there are much worse things going on in this world.

[Guest]

Well I don't think his songs can make someone to change his lifestyle. Maybe that would be true for Artur Meschyan's or Rouben Hakhverdian's songs but not for Harout's.

He sings about love, hayreniq and so on and there's nothing that can make his audience to lie, to kill or to hate others. His songs definitely are not against the world.

I'd like to see more arguments that make you think he somehow is connected with the situation in Glendale or somewhere else where the rabiz rules.

[Guest]

A few days ago in interview (TV live talk show of Jugaryan) Harut said "last year I made a few mistakes in Music (in ARVEST), and I will never repeat these mistakes".

What did he mean? Did he mean his song with that two young gay singers? Or he means some of his cheap songs for money?

Does anybody have idea what he ment?

[Guest]

Dear Garo,

 

For me the lyric of a song has no value. One can take the most beautiful Armenian Poetry as a basis for a song, but create such music, that one would even hate the poetry. Sure I am not opposed to his singing about love or motherland. To me the music is about music. It is about the melos, the rhythm section, the harmony, etc. I resent his music because his melody is primitive – just take out the words, live there only the music, stripped off instrumental effects, and see what kind of skeleton and frame is left. His rhythm section is equally pathetic. As far as the harmony is concerned – it is totally absent in his compositions. I wonder if he ever has studied major or minor scales, or arpeggios, and if he knows more than three chords - re major, mi major, la minor And where has he received his musical education, if any?

 

I wouldn’t go as far as to claim that his songs are the reasons of the situation in Glendale, or the criminal activities of some of our youngsters. But I think the filling of the cultural vacuum with his and alike music, with the intensity it is being done, without providing alternative education to the ear and soul of our youngsters is a contributing factor in shaping their personality, the utmost desire of which, as I have written before, seems to be “kef,” “Mercedes,” etc. I think it is a contributor in limiting the aspirations of our young people. I think it is a music of low expectations. My expecatations, as I said are higher. If they shouldn't be, let me know

 

Finally, it is not my place to tell to others what kind of music do they have to listen. If my statements have been insulting, I apologize. Whoever likes him, will continue to do so, and would not even remeber me, next time listening to his music I have expressed what I personally think about him and his music, regardless of who likes or dislikes that music.

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by MJ (edited October 10, 2000).]

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by MJ:
Finally, it is not my place to tell to others what kind of music do they have to listen. If my statements have been insulting, I apologize. Whoever likes him, will continue to do so, and would not even remeber me, next time listening to his music I have expressed what I personally think about him and his music, regardless of who likes or dislikes that music

---

I think this website rules just for this reason. I am fourth generation American-Armenian and have NO ONE to talk about this stuff to. And I live in Glendale, to boot!

My family likes it when I break out my oud and create a din, but beyond that my family and friends have no interest in Armenian music. They don't care, but I do, so it's great Hye Forum is around.

It would s*ck if we all agreed.
Keep it up!

Mike


[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited October 10, 2000).]

[Guest]

I also think that Harout is a joke. It is interesting to note that even though the diaspora had a number of singers/performers/circus clowns or whatever way we could define them. Not a single one was up to the standards of many singers and composers from Armenia that were eventually heard outside.

 

Many of these 70s, 80s artists were appealing mostly to ME Armenians. This type of music passed as "Armenian" music, even though most often than not it was just a cheap copy of already cheap music by Arab singers.

 

One of the many benefits of independence for Armenians in the diaspora was the rising standards in the arts in general, and particularly music, brought about by Hayastantsis.

[Guest]

MJ as I said I'm not a big fan of Harout and your or others opinion doesn't insult me at all. I just want to know the criterias you use to rate a singer. Actually I don't care about the singers too much. For me the main thing is their songs. And I'm not trying to separate the lyric from the music. In good songs I think they fulfill each other.

What is important in the song - lyric, the music or the way he/she signs that song? I think it depends on the genre of the song (opera, jazz, rock, rap and so on).

Why should I care much about how primitive is the music in Vladimir Visotski's songs, or what's the meaning of the words when I listen to Pavarotti or Armstrong.

[Guest]

Barev dzez

 

GAro jan yete kartsum ek ( bolort ) iydpes e harmar inchu che terapoxenk,

 

iyn inch vor gitem Harut Pambukjyan`i masin yev inch vor yes em kartsum n@ra masin .

 

Tsnvel metsatsel e Yerevaum /-> Nor- Aresh

Mijnakarg usum -> #43 dprotsum

Yerashtakan k@rtutyun -> iyo - Atesh Stepan

Erebuni Pioner Palati estradayin akumb.

yergel yev nvagel e " Araqyalner " xmbi het , yev halatsvel KJB kormits cenzurayits durs linelu hamar ,

http://www7.ewebcity.com/razbirat/meschian...n/apostles.html

Janachvats er nor areshum vorpes Dzax HArout kam Hippy HArout 68-72 tvakanerin yerkar mazerov yev holyday shalvarnerov , qaraqi tarber akumbnerum yergelov, himnakanum yergel e Nor-areshi Hin kinoyi akumbum ,

terapoxvel e Beyrut 70 tvakaneri s@kzbum, ur hangrvan e gtel AYF sharkerum , yergel yev taratsel e N@ranst yerger@, 70 verchum yekel e USA / Los Angelos / ur i-skzbane yergel e Yerevan restoranum / monte-bello /

iyster eyin yergum nayev Paul bardatlyan@ / Asatur@ / restoran@ janachvats er ir mshtakan tur-u-d@mpotsneri / narkotikneri yev anverj razbiratneri hamar.

 

80akan tvakaneri s@kzbin Dzax Harout@ uner arten 10'its aveli HAykakan dziynagrutyunerov, uner arten ir mshtakan nvagaxumb@ ( "ANI #1" - Keybord- OB-8 Andranik Muradyan - Dhol / drums / - Varamah Vardan Muradyan - astavst hokin lusavori - Bass Guitar - Yergahan - Avo - Solo Guitar -Varujan ) (1991 its "Ani #2 Himnakanum - 3@ Arayin - Avo - Anush ) uner hovanavorner #1 AYF -Barsegyan & PECO records . JAmnaka ar jamanak parahandes- yegur u tes - hamergner himnakanum AYF hamar ,

minchev 82 tvakan@ artden 2rd angam er amusnanum , uner mek Tra,

 

? ardyok Harout PAmbukjyan@ uni ir uruyn ter@ Haykakan " estrada - Rabiz - jorovrtakan " yerajshtutyan mej PAtasxan@ >> IYO

 

? Ardyok Haorut Pambukjyan@ torl e ir azdetsutyun@ Haykakan yerajshtutyan vra patasxan --->>> IYO

 

? portsum en ardyok myus yerajishtner@ linel Haouti n@man - ->> iyo shat shater@,

sksvats Tata Simonyanits minchev GAruty sirvats yergishner@ hima LA bolor@ garutyi sirvats yergishner en .

 

? yergum e artyon urish lezunerov yev kam otar azgeri yerger -->> voch

 

yev i vercho

miyak yergishn e vor ashxarhi vor tsiyrum el hamerg ta dahlij@ li e misht , jorovurt@ sirum e yev spasum ,

inchpes spasum eyin mek shabat arach Hamergi jamanak lep letsun dahlijov ,

miyak yergichn e vor uni e 40 aveli dziynagrutyuner ,

Miyak yergichn e vor mnatsel e magur chi @enkel , otaramolutyan yev arevmtyan yelevejneri yev yergeri katarelov,

yev da e patjar@ vor verchin 5-7 tareinerin nor dziynagrutyuner shat chuni .

Sa ir xoskern en " aveli lav e bemits ijnem kan yergem tarkmanvats yerger, aveli lav e 4 tarin mek 70-akan tvakaneri gortsikavorumov dziynagrvem kan arevmtyan yelevejnerov ltsnem yerger@ "

 

miyak yergichnerits mekn e vor tsankatsats jamanak patrast e ir masnaktsutyun@ berelu tsankatsats Hayan@past hamergi - dramahavagi - dzrioren )

 

 

i vercho HArout@ mnum e Harout Odum jrum yev tsamakum , nuyn 70 tvakanieri Araqyal@ nuyn moruk@ nuyn b@rbej mazer@ uni ir probpemner@ / bajanvats e knojits , yev erevan restorani sovorutyun@ , xoranal petq che.

 

yev vstah em var @ aravot yerb mi nor CD durs ga Haorut Pambukjyani kormit s mezanits shater@ chnayats vor chenk sirum iren arnelu enk vortev Harout Pambukjyan e

[Guest]

Garo, I don’t have any questions about the personality of H.P., to a degree that he keeps it private. His personal life is off limits for me. Whether he has personal problems or not, I don’t care, because I think it is not the issue here, as long as he is not communicating them to me through his music, or other means.

 

It is hard for me to give a formal criterion for rating a singer, since I am not a professor of musicology, or an experienced jury of music contests.

 

I think music is an emotional expression of human character, mentality, psychology, inner culture, etc. Music is also media of communication. Now, what kind of emotions and character is he bringing up, and what is the message of his communication? I don’t get any good, tasteful manifestation of noble, cultivated human character, emotions, etc out of his music. As I have said before, I find his music to be one of low expectations, and unpolished and unsophisticated personality. But I do believe that the music is supposed to be the most sophisticated media of communication.

 

I didn’t quite follow your last statement. If you are saying that Visotski’s songs are primitive, I can only add that they disgust me not any less. And I really don’t care about the lyrics. As you understand, I don’t know Italian, and when Pavarotti sings, I don’t understand the words, but it changes nothing. Most of the time, when Gohar Gasparian sing Anush’ area, unless I read the libretto, I wouldn’t even understand her words. The words don’t come clearly in music, frequently.

 

Dear Movses, with all due respect, I cannot consider someone with musical education of “pioner palat” to have the right to be called musician. You can say that Sayat-Nova was not educated much either, but I think there is a mountains of distance between the two of them – I am sure you would not argue with this. When I listen to Sayat Nova, I feel nobility and purity coming out of his music. When I listen to H.P., I smell corruption, and I sense shallow culture. By the way, never have bought his CDs, and don’t believe will ever do it

 

P.S. I have no opinion regarding moving this subject to the Music section.

[Guest]

Garo,

 

I don't think that he has such an overwhelming influence on Armenians in Glendale, either. But I said, if we have to consider him to be an Armenian Musician, then we should not be surprised by what we witness in Glendale.

 

[This message has been edited by MJ (edited October 10, 2000).]

[Guest]

Pambukjyan

 

I have a couple of his songs. "Ampec korav lusnkan" is ok. And some qochary-s. But I think the song are good themselves and Harout has nothing to do with it. Never listened to his original songs, though I've heard there are some.

 

At present he is not popular in Armenia. Especially among the youth. Well, they know his name but nothing more. He is history.

 

The guy to blame for the turik-arabic-qef-khorovats-BMW-etc influence is Aram Asatryan. If I compare Harout with him, Harout sounds totally Armenian.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Berj:

But I think the song are good themselves and Harout has nothing to do with it.

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Yes. That's the main reason I think he had/has some importance in the US. Without him, alot of us wouldn't have heard and learned those songs.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Berj:


At present he is not popular in Armenia. Especially among the youth. Well, they know his name but nothing more. He is history.

---

That doesn't surprize me. Following my point from above, why would he have much value in Armenia?

What are the current popular groups/singers in Armenia that sound Armenian (whatever that is! ). On TV in Glendale, all I get exposed to is one cookie-cutter piece of crap singer after another. I swear they all use the same producer who has one synthesizer and drum machine. Are any of the current groups there using actual instruments? I think one of the best things about Nune's second album was the use of real instruments.