The Armenian Poets in Song

Several years ago, the Tekeyan Cultural Association had a celebration in New York City, honoring the 75th anniversary of the Armenian writer and poet Khachik Dashtents. I took part in the evening, interpreting two songs that I wrote using the lyrics of his poems. The text of one of these songs, Armenian, which I adapted into the form of an anthem, is included in all handbooks of Armenian literature published in the Diaspora. The audience greeted the song with great enthusiasm. I believe there were two reasons for this. In the first place, its message exhorts students to speak Armenian in the countries where it is threatened with disappearance; and in the second place, I sang it with a little choir of young girls who presumably have gotten the message.
The following year, the contemporary Armenian poet Zahrad, residing in Istanbul, was Tekeyan's guest. I took part in this literary event by singing the poet's Christmas Tree, which I had set to music for that occasion. At the end of the evening, several people suggested that I continue to write similar songs using other poets' lyrics, which constitute the heart of Armenian literature textbooks. Thanks to music, our poetry can more easily gain the attention of students.
Several years passed but I did not do anything in this respect. However, I reconsidered the suggestion each time that I met Zarmine Boghossian, the director of an Armenian school in New York City, who kept asking me to teach her students the song, Armenian. I eventually fulfilled Zarmine's request two years ago when I started to record and produce my songs. The project of creating songs on prominent Armenian poets' lyrics was already one of my priorities.
As for the choice of poems I did not want to limit myself to a young audience. These songs are aimed at audiences of all ages who are fond of poetry and songs that go beyond simple entertainment. Thanks to music, poetry has penetrated many hearts and ears that hitherto were closed to it. In a world where poetry is falling into disuse, the goal of this album is to give the pearls of Armenian poetry a new life, a new possibility, and the power to reclaim the hearts of the masses. The French poet Aragon said "writing songs on poetry is the best mode of literary criticism".
I hope that the English and French literal translations of the poems, included in this album, will be of interest to those who do not read Armenian. But, alas, they will not feel their real value.
I also hope that poetry devotees will excuse me for the few alterations I have made in the poems, such as repeating some verses or some parts of sentences, or, sometimes, changing the order of the words, a common procedure in songwriting. I also hope that Mr. Zareh Khrakhuni will be forgiving when listening to his Magician, where, throughout the poem, I played with his sentences like a juggler. But, God forbid, I didn't change a single word.
I also had the daring to include a song with my own lyrics in this album, next to the classics of Armenian literature. My intention was to introduce myself truly as a singer-songwriter.
All my recognition to all those who helped me and gave me their support for the realization of this album.