, manuscript no. 346, p., 280a. Musician with
saz in hand Armenia has had a long tradition of folk music since
antiquity. During the Soviet era, Armenian folk music was taught in state-sponsored
conservatoires. In 1978, influential
kanon player and composer
Khachatur Avetisyan founded the folk music department of the
Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. Traditional instruments include the
qamancha,
kanon (
box zither), dhol (double-headed hand drum, see
davul),
oud (
lute),
duduk,
zurna,
blul,
sring,
shvi,
pku,
parkapzuk,
tar,
dmblak, bambir, and to a lesser degree the
saz. Other instruments often used include the violin and clarinet. The
duduk is considered to be Armenia's national instrument, and among its well-known performers are Margar Margaryan, Levon Madoyan,
Vache Hovsepyan,
Gevorg Dabaghyan, and Yeghish Manukyan, as well as Armenia's most famous contemporary duduk player,
Djivan Gasparyan. Notable performers of folk music include vocalists such as
Armenak Shahmuradyan,
Ofelya Hambardzumyan, Vagharshak Sahakyan,
Araksia Gyulzadyan, Varduhi Khachatryan,
Norayr Mnatsakanyan,
Hovhannes Badalyan, Hayrik Muradyan,
Valya Samvelyan, Rima Saribekyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan, Avak Petrosyan, Papin Poghosyan, and
Flora Martirosian. There are also several Armenian folk ensembles, the
Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, founded in 1995 in Yerevan, and others such as the Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble.
Gusan and Ashugh art In ancient and
medieval Armenia, the
gusans () were the creative and performing artists – singers, instrumentalists, dancers, storytellers, and professional folk actors in public theaters. The word
gusan is first mentioned in early Armenian texts of the 5th century AD, such as
Faustus of Byzantium,
Moses of Chorene, and others. In the early
Middle Ages the word
gusan was used as an equivalent to the classical Greek word
mimos (mime). There were 2 groups of gusans: the first were from aristocratic dynasties (feudal lords) and performed as professional musicians; the second group comprised popular, but illiterate gusans. The gusans were both criticized and praised, particularly in medieval
Armenia. The adoption of Christianity had its influence upon Armenian minstrelsy, gradually altering its ethical and ideological orientation. The center of the gusans was the
Goghtn gavar (canton), a region in the
Vaspurakan province of
Greater Armenia that bordered the province of
Syunik. During the late
Middle Ages, gusans were succeeded by popular, semi-professional musicians called
ashughs (), who played instruments like the
kamancha and
saz.
Sayat-Nova, an 18th-century
ashugh and poet, is revered in Armenia. Other Armenian ashughs include
Jivani,
Sheram, , , , and
Folk music in the Armenian diaspora Descendants of survivors of the
Armenian genocide, originally from
Western Armenia, and Armenian emigrants from other parts of the Middle East have settled in various countries, especially in the
California Central Valley. The second- and third-generation artists, such as
Richard Hagopian, an
oud-player associated with the
kef tradition of Armenian-American music have kept their folk traditions alive. This dance-oriented style of Armenian music, using Armenian and Middle Eastern folk instruments (often electrified/amplified) and some Western instruments, preserved the folk songs and dances of Western Armenia. Many artists also played the contemporary popular songs of cosmopolitan Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries from which the Armenians emigrated (termed
surjaran or
café aman, meaning cafeteria), on the
Eight Avenue of
Manhattan, New York City. Bands such as the Vosbikian Band of Philadelphia were notable in the 1940s and 1950s for developing their own style of "kef music", heavily influenced by the popular American
big band jazz of the time. Another oud player,
John Berberian, is notable in particular for his fusions of traditional music with rock and jazz in the 1960s. In the
Lebanese and
Syrian diaspora,
George Tutunjian,
Karnig Sarkissian and others performed
Armenian revolutionary songs, which quickly became popular among the
Armenian Diaspora, notably
ARF supporters. In
Tehran,
Iran, the folk music of the
Armenian community is characterized by the work of
Nikol Galanderian (1881–1946) and the Goghtan Choir.
Examples of Armenian folk music Armenian folk music often accompanies
Armenian folk dances, which vary significantly across regions. Most of the folk songs/dances have ancient or medieval origins. The most popular Armenian folk songs/dances are
Kochari,
Shalakho,
Yarkhushta,
Berd,
Tamzara,
Lorke,
Sari Aghjik, and
Uzundara. Another example is
Mokats Mirza, a medieval folk song. ==Religious music==