Aram Hapeti Asatryan (; 3 March 1953 – 7 November 2006) was an

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n singer and songwriter of Armenian pop and

rabiz Rabiz or rabis ( or ; ) is a genre of Armenian popular music, distinguished by its lyrics and dance-oriented synthesized melodies in time signature with elements of Armenian folk music. Rabiz first emerged in Yerevan in the 1970-80s and was often ...

music, known for his energetic concerts. He is widely regarded as the pioneer of the "rabiz" music genre and to this day remains the most popular rabiz singer of all time.

Biography

Aram Asatryan was born in Ejmiatsin (now known as

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Armenia, 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border ...

) on 3 March 1953 to Hapet Asatryan and Ashken Mampreyan. He was born to a refugee family. Ever since his

childhood A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

years, Asatryan was recognized as a prodigal musician. In 1985, Asatryan formed his own band. Later in life, he gained fame for his distinct voice and musical styling, and was popular both in

and the international community, particularly the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

. Asatryan loved to work and he devoted his life to music. He approached positive things and was confident about himself. His love for his country, the Armenian people, as well as other

ethnic groups An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, rel ...

are expressed in his songs. During the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...

, he performed songs for the soldiers and Armenians in general to generate moral support. Asatryan performed many concerts internationally (

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Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

), and in many cities in

. He wrote over 500 songs and constantly held world tours. Throughout his life, he received many awards such as the "Gusan", which he was awarded on 18 April 2003 by the Cultural Music Ministry in

. The "Gusan" award is the most prestigious award offered by the Cultural Music Ministry in Armenia.

Personal life

Aram Asatryan was married to Nvart Gevorkyan and they had three sons, Artash, Tigran, Setrak, and a daughter, Zvart. Until his death, Asatryan resided in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He believed his music would pass on from generation to generation. His son Setrak (Seto) died in an automobile accident approximately one year before Aram's death. His musical legacy is continued by his two sons, Tigran and Artash Asatryan, his nephew Hovhannes Asatryan, and his three grandsons, Aram, Arman, and Grisha Asatryan.

Death

Aram Asatryan died on 7 November 2006 in Oshakan in the

Aragatsotn Aragatsotn (, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 128, ...

region from an apparent

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. He was at a baptism being the godfather of an Armenian family. He did not show early symptoms of sickness as it was reported that he was in a very good and warm mood. Dying surrounded by his close relatives, he was grieved by fans as he was considered one of the big names in Armenian pop music in modern times, and dubbed the "voice of Hayastan". The entire Asatryan family is considered to be a foremost contributor to the pop music of post-Soviet Armenia.

Discography

Studio albums

*Zhptum Es Qnqush (1974) *Angin Eghbayr (1984) *Asum En Heru (1985) *Kapuyt Trchun (1986) *Vorkan Tsankanan (1989) *Mer Hayrenik (1990) *The Best (1991) *Ankakh Hayastan (1992) *Indz Hamar (1993) *Puj Ashkhar (1993) *Nayir Ashkharin (1994) *Azat Hayastan (1995) *Hay Es Du (1996) *The Golden Album (1997) *Los Angeles (1998) *Super Dance (1998) *10 Tari Bemum (1999) *Yet Dardzek Tariner (1999) *2000 Millenium (1999) *Ashkharoum Inchkan Hay Ka, Aynkan El Ka Yerevan (2000) *The Very Best (2000) *Re Mi X (2000) *Asem Te Casem (2001) *Im Yerke (2001) *Skizb (2002) *Du Ashkhar Ekar (2003) *Anund (2005) *My Sons (2006)

Live albums

*Aram and Armen Live (2000) *Hamalir: Live Concert in Armenia (2005) *Siro Patmutyun (2006)

Compilation albums

*Music With Duduk (1993) *The Very Best Of Aram Asatryan (1998) *Urakh Tsragir 1 (2002) *Urakh Tsragir 2 (2002) *Sweet Memories (2002) *50 Years (2003) *The Best Of Aram Asatryan (2003) *Golden Oldies (2007) *The Legacy Continues (2020)

References

External links

Aram Asatryan
- Aram Asatryan Online Music Playlist
Death

a1plus death report
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Aram Asatryan Music Videos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asatryan, Aram 1953 births 2006 deaths People from Vagharshapat 20th-century Armenian male singers 21st-century Armenian male singers