BOSTON, Mass.—The sun never stops shining for the Arev Folk Ensemble.
After 25 years, it glows as brightly as the day it first peeked through a cloud in 1990, thanks to an ensemble of musicians who bring a continuous ray of joy and happiness to the world of Armenian entertainment.
With the amount of kinetic energy that’s transmitted from this troupe, one wonders if there will ever be an eclipse in their repertoire. That may just be light years away if you left it to such mainstays as Martin Haroutunian, who’s been there since the beginning.
The founding member is adroit at playing eight instruments with equal passion, including the duduk, zurna, shvi, dap, and dhol. He’s joined by 15-year members Ani Zargarian (vocals) and Markos Shahbazyan (dhol); 14-year members John Kozelian (oud) and Tamar Melkonian (vocals); 4-year member Fabio Pirozzolo (dhol and percussion); and 2-year newcomer Stepan Megerdichian (bass).
It may surprise you to know that five of the seven ensemble members were born and raised in Greater Boston, while another hails from Armenia and the other from Italy.
If some of those instruments seem strange, it’s only because they represent the classical repertoire that date back to the earliest centuries of Armenia, well before Christianity.
“We’re more like family than best friends,” says Zargarian. “The core of us has been together for 15 years through happy times and sad. We have celebrated and consoled one another, adding a sense of comfort and stability to each other’s life. At the end of the day, it’s our desire to share this music with our communities that binds us together.”
At a recent concert in North Andover, the group performed above and beyond the call of expectation, turning one encore into another, and another. They would have played all night had it not been as a complement to other formalities that preceded their gig.
As typical with the group and its spirited repertoire, the music appealed to an audience that ranged from young children to seniors, who were able to reminisce with the music of their land. It’s not all business, however.
“We catch up on each other’s lives and share a laugh or two,” Zargarian adds. “It’s our way of perpetuating our culture and heritage through music and song. We owe this to our ancestors who fought to stay alive and left a legacy behind for future generations.”
Zargarian and her peers constantly pay tribute to the Boston Hamazkayin organization for its sponsorship and deep-hearted support. The group provides Arev with rehearsal space inside the Hamazkayin Library at the ACEC Library in Watertown each Thursday night. With regard to organizational matters, treasurer Tatoul Badalian has been more than generous with his support.
It’s all about a group of musicians with a heartfelt mission to bring traditional Armenian music to audiences at large in its very purist and most authentic form, whether it’s a couple thousand folks at a water fire concert in Providence or 50 guests at a North Andover shindig.
The size of the crowd doesn’t matter. What really counts is the joy that’s rendered with native Armenian music aimed at keeping the culture intact. In this vein, Arev continues to shed its rays.
“Besides songs that you don’t usually hear in concerts or on our recordings, we try to get a nice mix of eastern and western standards in forming a link between the past and present,” says Zargarian. “The music and lyrics you hear today echo the vibrations of our Armenian ancestors. I’m privileged that as Diasporan Armenians, we’re able to perform this music with such emotion and foresight.”
To hear Zargarian sing is to clamor for more. Toes are tapping. Hearts are fluttering. Voices are singing along. A happy mood is created, just as the artist prefers.
Two CDs later and another in the mind stages, Arev’s spirit hasn’t lost its impetus. At the moment, it’s about the Armenian Genocide Centennial. On March 13, Arev performed for the Chelmsford Public Library, joining author Chris Bohjalian and others in a series of commemorative events for that city.
They’ll be back to Providence over Labor Day for the Armenian Youth Federation Olympics. Other venues are in the burner.
Five highlights are worthy of mention:
— The Christmas Revels: Arev performed a rigorous schedule of 18 sold-out shows during the holiday season in 2002 at Harvard University’s Sanders Theater. The show put them on the map and inspired their first CD called “AREV” with the help of Providence’s Manoog Kaprielian, who provided the momentum.
— Inside a small studio in Newport, R.I., the musicians put that recording together after hours of arranging and rearranging, trials and tribulations. A second CD in 2010 titled “The Return” enjoyed similar success.
— Providence AYF Olympics 2003: The Water Fire extravaganza that had the stadium mobilized. As Zargarian put it, “The stars aligned, the setting perfect, the air clear, in our traditional costumes with emotion and pride in our hearts, we transported ourselves to Van, Mush, and Taron.”
— Armenian Music Awards, Los Angeles: The debut CD was nominated for two awards, Best New Artists and Best Folk Ensemble, by the music industry, culminating with an eclectic performance for the West Coast audience.
— Sharing the stage with such noted artists as Ruben Hakhverdyan, Nune Yesaysan, Karnig Sarkissian, Viza, Element Band, and Zulal.
“Hearing our music on radio stations throughout the world in places like Cyprus, Lebanon, and Armenia has been a personal reflection of our success,” says Kozelian. “A lot of our music appears in various YouTube videos. I find it amazing that someone would use our music as part of their project.”
Zargarian rarely, if ever, uses sheet music. With a repertoire of more than 100 songs, most all is recalled from memory. With the help of Haroutunian, the group’s maestro, songs are chosen for their unique quality.
“Martin is very careful as to how we arrange and present these songs in keeping with the authenticity,” adds Zargarian. “We adhere very much to dialect and intonation. On the other hand, you have to sing from the heart and feed off the audience. We get them on the floor dancing and invite them to join us with the patriotic songs. It’s truly an interactive performance.”
Zargarian classifies herself as a “risk-taker” and “tom boy” who lives precariously. You may find her jumping off a 1,300-foot cliff in Rio, driving fast sports cars, and skiing down black diamond moguls. She’s also a fanatical Boston sports fan. Come play-off time, no interruptions please.
She does have another working life, that of business development and consulting in healthcare technology.
Complementing the singer nicely is Melkonian, who works in finance. When the two of them hook up with a duet, it’s like surround sound.
“Although we each have a specific role, we’re not afraid to take chances,” she says. “Our music tells the story of our struggles, spirituality, and patriotism. It’s fascinating to me that the lyrics I’m singing are the words of my ancestors.”
For Kozelian, a certified financial planner,” being part of “Arev” has enhanced his life, not to mention the many people he has touched with music during his 14 years.
“It’s almost like a history lesson through music,” he feels. “We have the opportunity to teach our culture by narrating our history through these songs.”
Eight instruments do present somewhat of a juggling act for Haroutunian. A regional sales manager, he plies his craft like a true octopus without skipping a beat.
“Not only has Boston Hamazkayin provided us with rehearsal space, it has also assisted us in organizational matters,” Haroutunian points out. “After all these years, there is such a big demand for our music and we’re still performing with loyalty and conviction toward our heritage.”
Tom Vartabedian
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indeed. A wonderful wonderful write up about a group of folks who are talented, are willing to share their gift at the human to human level without any interfarance from egos and happen to love expressing themselves through Armenian folk music.