Sujyan to Represent Armenia at Eurovision

After Armenia’s controversial decision to withdraw from the annual Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) last year due to security concerns over the host country, Azerbaijan, the nation has announced it will return to the singing competition this year. The lead vocalist of the popular Armenian rock band “Dorians,” Gor Sujyan, will be marking Armenia’s comeback to the ESC, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden, in May. The Eurovision Production Team of the Public Television of Armenia selected Sujyan, whose song will be chosen through a national final on March 2.

The son of jazz guitar player Mkrtich Sujyan, the 25-year-old Sujyan has risen to become one of Armenia’s most popular rock singers. In 2010, he was crowned the “Best Male Singer” in the Armenian National Music Awards. His band participated in the first qualifying round of the ESC in 2009, before losing to the sister folk-rock duo, Inga and Anush Arshakyan, who placed 10^th in the final round of the competition. Still, the experience generated publicity for the group, and with it, a broadened fan base.

Dorians’ attempt to break through the Eurovision contest was not successful, leading Sujyan to pursue the challenge on his own. The following year, he was selected as one of the back-up vocalists for Eva Rivas in the ESC in Norway. She ended up placing 7^th in the competition.

Armenia’s record has been quite successful. Since its entry into the competition in 2006 with André’s “Without Your Love,” the country has always placed in the top 10, with the exception of Emmy’s “Boom Boom” in 2010, which did not qualify for the finals. The 2008 participant, Sirusho, shot to European fame with her hit single, “Qélé Qélé,” which received 4^th place in the competition that year.

As powerful as Sujyan’s voice may be, the song can make or break the win. Is there finally an Armenian victory on the horizon?

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Lilly Torosyan

Lilly Torosyan is a freelance writer based in Connecticut. Her writing focuses on the confluence of identity, diaspora and language – especially within the global Armenian communities. She has a master’s degree in Human Rights from University College London and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University, where she served on the ASA Executive Board. She is currently working on her inaugural poetry collection.