Search - Shoghaken Ensemble :: Traditional Dances of Armenia

A rich sampling of traditional Armenian music

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 03/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"1. The Shoghaken Ensemble "Traditional Dances Of Armenia" (Traditional Crossroads, 2004)
2. Hasmik Harutyunyan With The Shoghaken Ensemble "Armenian Lullabies" (Traditional Crossroads, 2004) I have to confess, I know next to nothing about Armenian music, other than a few dour folk-ish albums from the 1960s, and as a result I approached these records with a bit of hesitation. Still, these folks were said to be one of Armenia's premier folkloric groups, representing lost traditions from numerous regions, and I figured -- what the heck -- now is as good a time as any to check this music out! And, sure enough, these albums were both winners. The first eye opener was how much of an Middle Eastern influence there was in the music... I guess this shouldn't be so surprising, what with the whole Ottoman Empire thing and all, but it does leap out at you -- many of the melodies on the "Traditional Dances" album wouldn't be out of place on an album by the Persian ensemble, Ghazal, or even some of the mellower artists of the Arabic world. The Shoghaken Ensemble approaches this material with great authority and assurance, and a bursting vitality that is evident from the first note to the last. Of these two albums, "Armenian Lullabies" may be the most striking, with singer Hasmik Harutyunyan opening the disc with one of the most arresting, incandescent vocal performances of recent years, a voice, like Cesaria Evora or Marta Sebestyen's, that stops you in your tracks and makes you catch your breath. Both albums have the drawback that the songs start to sound alike after a while -- the "Lullabies" album filled with slow, soulful, largely a capella performances, and "Dances" with lively instrumental tunes that zip along at about the same tempo from songs to song -- but just concentrating on each tune and each melody as it comes, this is clearly very rich music, representing a powerful and enduring culture. Definitely worth checking out."