We met with singer Aram Asatryan in one of the cafes in Glendale. I
had met him before and we had talked about his songs, and each time I
saw him I sensed a deep pain in his eyes and melancholy. You can feel
that in his songs too. Aram’s songs are now more on a sad tone with a
little longing. True, he is forced to sing his other happy tunes during
weddings. But you can even see his melancholy at weddings. Why is he so
depressed? After all, he is known not only in Armenia and the Diaspora,
he is also very rich. He has a couple of homes, drives the most
expensive cars ranging from $200-600,000 dollars.
Aram Asatryan: “Time passes quickly here. Life just flashes before your
eyes. I just blinked and all of a sudden I am 50 years old. It was
different in Yerevan. There I actually felt how time passes. I had time
to live in Yerevan. Sometimes, and now even more, I ask myself: Why do
I need all the riches if I am away from my homeland?”
“168 hours”: “What’s holding you back from returning to the Homeland?
How did you get here in the first place? I have heard many people say
that one reason was that you were forced to leave Armenia.”
Aram Asatryan: “That is just gossip which, to a certain extent, made me
leave Armenia. That is why I am still here. Of course, there is a more
important reason, but I do not wish to say it.”
“168 hours”: “They say that you have some problems with General Manvel.”
Aram Asatryan: “That is a lie. We are friends until now. We talk on the
phone frequently, not to mention how often we meet each other in
Yerevan. After all, what could National Hero Manvel have against the
goosan (Armenian national singer)? I love and respect him. I have not
had any problems with Vano Siradeghyan either. I was very close with
Vazgen Sargsyan. If we continue with the rumors, I have even heard that
I am dead, but as you can see, I am still alive. As for me being in the
U.S., I don’t see anything extraordinary about that. There are many
Armenians here too who feel the need to listen to my songs.”
“168 hours”: “I agree with that. There are few weddings, baptisms or
other ceremonies that turn out well without you. I have heard that it
is pretty expensive to have you as a singer, something like $2000-3000
dollars.”
Aram Asatryan: “That is correct. I go to 5-10 weddings a week. I know
that sounds like a lot, but that’s just how it is. Now you may be
asking how I manage the time. I just live one day more than others. I
sleep at 3 in the morning and wake up at 6 a.m. I shave in two minutes
and I am ready in five minutes.
“168 hours”: “Do the wedding parties keep you away from writing new songs?”
Aram Asatryan: “Just the opposite-they help me. When I meet new people
at the weddings, that stimulates me to write. The audience is like my
teacher. I sing the way that it has taught me. People always ask me if
I am professional or not. I am not a professional. The interpreter, the
person who does the instrumentation, the musician-they are
professionals. I am a creative artist. For example, my sons sing better
than me, but they can not compare to Aram.”
“168 hours”: “Is work a creative process for you, or just business?”
Aram Asatryan: “Business is the last thing on my mind.”
“168 hours”: “Many people talk about your style of singing.”
Aram Asatryan: “I understand. I am a Rabiz singer and I see nothing
wrong with that. I can say that being a Rabiz singer and an Armenian
national singer are the same. Sayat Nova and Djivan were rabiz too. I
think that Rabiz is part of our daily life. Unfortunately, not everyone
understands that. Armenian national singers sing whatever they feel.
The worst thing is that the “H1” Public Television does not fully grasp
that concept. They show cheap and distasteful European video clips
instead of Aram. Why?-because Aram is a rabiz singer. Some people have
told them that thousands of people come to Aram’s concerts in large
auditoriums and stadiums. Let’s not forget to mention the fact that
Aram has sold more copies of his albums than all Armenian singers put
together.”
“168 hours”: “Let’s get back to the rumors. Is it true that you recently met with the President of Armenia?”
Aram Asatryan: “Now that is not a rumor. I had a concert in Yerevan two
months ago and I had the chance to meet him, despite the fact that I
had met him when he was the President of Nagorno Karabagh.”
“168 hours”: “What ties you with the President?”
Aram Asatryan: “We have fought together”.
“168 hours”: “What do you mean by that?”
Aram Asatryan: “He has fought with his weapon, while I have fought with my song.”
“168 hours”: “Do you have dreams?”
Aram Asatryan: “I want to return to my homeland. That is not a dream,
but rather, a reality. I really will go back. It is just a matter of
time. People still want me to be here. You can’t imagine how many
people I help out in Armenia. I mean, I help out more people here than
in Armenia. At least that’s how it is for now.”