WATERTOWN — A concert on Saturday, September 14, at the Mosesian Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m., will take the audience on a tour of Armenian folk music from the Armenian Highlands to the Diaspora. Titled “Echoes of Armenia,” the concert will feature oud master John Berberian and Armadi Tsayn, as well as the Persian ensemble RazAvaz.
At a time when the preservation of Armenian culture is more important than ever, the program will celebrate the generational transfer of Armenian folk music from the ancestral lands.
John Berberian is an oud virtuoso born in the United States to Armenian immigrant parents. His father was an accomplished oud player, as well as instrument maker. He first recorded traditional oud music while he was a student at Columbia University in the early 1960s. He subsequently recorded for a variety of labels including MGM, RCA, Roulette, Verve and Mainstream Records. Notable albums in his discography include “Expressions East” (1964), “Oud Artistry” (1965), “Music of the Middle East” (1966) and “Middle Eastern Rock” (1969), which fuse traditional Middle Eastern folk with psychedelic rock and jazz.
Armadi Tsayn, which means “Sounds/Voice of the Roots” in Armenian, will be accompanying Berberian with an ensemble of talented young musicians. The group pays homage to the rich musical heritage of Western Armenia and the captivating melodies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
This contemporary folk ensemble, founded by Alek Surenian and Sam Sjostedt, both of whom studied under Berberian, is making a name for itself thanks to its blend of traditional melodies and modern influences. Armadi Tsayn has played in major cities including Boston, Worcester, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and Yerevan.
