Guides to Armenian music
Plain answers to the questions people ask about Armenian music: what a style is, what plays at a wedding, why a name has three spellings. Every fact has a source, and every song plays free on Armenly.
All 14 guides
- Arno Babajanian (Арно Бабаджанян): the Elegy, the Nocturne, his songs and where to start — Arno Babajanian, born in Yerevan in 1921, wrote the piano Elegy, the Nocturne and songs Muslim Magomayev made famous. Who he was and what to play first.
- Aram Khachaturian: the Sabre Dance, Spartacus, Masquerade and where to start — Khachaturian, born in Tiflis in 1903, wrote the Sabre Dance, the Spartacus Adagio and the Masquerade Waltz. Who he was, his best-known works and what to play.
- Sayat-Nova: the 18th-century bard, his songs, and recordings to start with — Sayat-Nova, born Harutyun Sayatyan in Tiflis in 1712, left about 220 songs. Who he was, the songs people sing most, like Ashkharums, and recordings to play.
- Armenian birthday songs: how to say happy birthday, and the songs to play — Happy birthday in Armenian is "shnorhavor tsnundd." What it means, how to say it, and the most played Armenian birthday songs, led by Mihran Tsarukyan.
- Armenian duduk music: the apricot-wood pipe, Djivan Gasparyan and the tunes to start with — The duduk is an Armenian double-reed pipe carved from apricot wood, on UNESCO's list since 2008. How it works, who plays it, and what to listen to first.
- Armenian love songs: Sayat-Nova, Aznavour, St. Sarkis Day and the words for I love you — How to say "I love you" in Armenian, Sayat-Nova's 18th-century love songs, St. Sarkis Day, and the most played Armenian love songs, from Aznavour to today.
- Komitas: the priest who saved Armenian folk music, and where to start listening — Komitas wrote down over 3,000 Armenian folk songs, among them Chinar es, Krunk and Hov arek. Who he was, what happened to him, and recordings to start with.
- Armenian patriotic songs: the anthem, the fedayi songs and the songs of the homeland — Mer Hayrenik, Zartir lao, Hay qajer and the other songs Armenians sing for the homeland: where they come from, who they honor, and recordings to play.
- Armenian dance songs: kochari, tamzara, yarkhushta, shalakho and the tunes to play — The Armenian folk dances you'll meet at a wedding or picnic: kochari, tamzara, yarkhushta, shalakho and halay, how each is danced, and recordings to play.
- Armenian Christmas and New Year songs: the hymns, the greeting and the hits — Armenian Christmas is January 6. The hymns sung that night, what to say to Armenians at Christmas, and the most played Armenian New Year and Christmas songs.
- Armenian lullabies: what "oror" means, the old songs, and recordings to play tonight — Armenian lullabies are called oror, after the rocking of the cradle. The traditional ones by region, and the most played Armenian lullabies to play at bedtime.
- Rabiz music: what it is, and 15 songs to start with — Rabiz is Armenian folk-pop for weddings and restaurants: clarinet and synth, often in 6/8. Where the name comes from, and its 15 most played songs.
- Armenian wedding songs: the 15 most played, and the dances behind them — The Armenian wedding songs people play most, from kochari to rabiz, with Spotify play counts from the Armenly catalog and the dances each one is for.
- Armenian names in English letters: why one singer has three spellings — Komitas or Gomidas, Jivan or Djivan, Harutyun or Harout: why Armenian names have several English spellings, and how to find a song under any of them.
Free tools
- Armenian to English letters converter — Type or paste Armenian script and get it in English letters, in both Eastern and Western spelling: Կոմիտաս is Komitas or Gomidas. Free, no sign-up.
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