The Bambir is 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 ...

rock band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

from

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

. Spanning 4 decades and with more than 50 musicians passing through its ranks, the band has moved into its second generation- as in, sons of the original members are operating as a separate four-piece that is still part of the original ensemble. Founded by Jag Barseghyan in the 1970s in

, Armenia, The Bambir was lauded as one of the best rock groups in the Soviet Union, performing original material, traditional Armenian songs, and modern arrangements of

Komitas Soghomon Soghomonian, ordained and commonly known as Komitas (; 22 October 1935), was an Ottoman-Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, who is considered the founder of the Armenian national school of musi ...

and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Armenian music. Today, Jag Barseghyan records solo albums, ensemble albums, and performs with original members of The Bambir and other international musicians. In 1982 The Bambir won the Folk Music Award at the International Festival in

Lida Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2025, it has a population of 103,262. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuanian name ''Ly ...

, Belarus. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in Moscow in 1998 and in Gyumri at their first Biennial. On their 30th anniversary, they released Armenian Scotch,ARAJINLRATVAKAN
“Album Launch of Bambir’s Armenian Scotch”
1in.am. Retrieved 5 December 2012. an album dedicated to the 140th anniversary of

Hovhannes Tumanyan Hovhannes Tumanyan (, classical spelling: Յովհաննէս Թումանեան, – March 23, 1923) was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the national poet of Armenia. Tumanyan wrote poems, q ...

and the 250th anniversary of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

. A separate but connected four-piece rock band The Bambir (Progressive Ethnic Rock'n'Roll) formed in

later in 1994, by Narek Barseghyan (son of Jag), Arman Kocharyan, Arik Grigoryan and Vardan Paremuzyan. While they started playing together in Armenia, they've earned a reputation in

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 ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the United States,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, Georgia, Lebanon, Poland and beyond. They were based in Ireland in 2012 and toured in the United States in 2016-2017. They write and perform their own music written by Narek and Arik, and are known for their vibrant stage presence in their live shows and unique sound.

Early history

In the sixties Jag began traveling to the city of Gyumri, traditionally Armenia's city of arts and one of the cultural centers of the Soviet Union. While there weren't many people listening to rock music in Yerevan at the time, an underground scene seemed to be thriving in Gyumri. It was there that he began to find like-minded individuals and appreciators of the music he loved. He started jamming with Robert Kocharyan (not the former Armenian president) on bass, Suren Martirosyan on guitar, and Levon "Watts" Nouroyan on drums, calling themselves Angin Qarer ("precious stones", in the Armenian language), playing hard rock. They soon morphed into their folk "bard rock" style, arranging pieces by

and moving on to their own original material, changing their name to Bambir. Performances and many albums followed and they toured Armenia, Russia, Europe and the United States. Members of the original band reunite for special concerts, and Jag continues to actively record and collaborate with local and international artists. He has been awarded by the Armenian Ministry of Culture for his achievements in Contemporary Armenian Music.

Second Generation

Narek (son of Jag) and Arman (son of Robert Kocharyan, an original member of "Angin Qarer"), friends since birth, grew up in

in the creative environment built by their fathers and community.Kavanagh, Paul
“Some Words With The Bambir
chewyourownfat.wordpress.com. Retrieved 5 December 2012. They picked up the guitar and bass at a very young age. They met Arik (flute) when they were nine years old, and their trio began jamming and performing on their own. In 1999-2000 they travelled to Los Angeles and New York, and even recorded an album (never released) in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

but had to return to

, and school. Ashot Korganyan joined them on drums in 2001. As the boys grew up in Gyumri they became better musicians and started playing more and more. The four-piece returned to Los Angeles in 2007, and Ashot left the band upon their return. That same year, the now trio travelled to

Shoushi Shusha (, ) or Shushi () is a city in Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Situated at an altitude of 1,400–1,800 metres (4,600–5,900 ft) in the Karabakh mountains, the city was a mountain resort in the Soviet era. Most sou ...

in Artsakh for a music festival and Narek, Arman, and Arik met Vardan, originally from

Vanadzor Vanadzor (, ) is an urban municipal community and the third largest city in Armenia, serving as the capital of Lori Province in the northern part of the country. It is located about north of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the city h ...

, Lori region. They continue to work with Jag. The band's notoriety grew as they finished university and continued to gig, and they started to attract international attention. They played in Moscow, Paris, Istanbul, Beirut, Tbilisi, and all over Armenia, placing third in 2010's Eurovoice Competition in Athens. They made the decision to make a go of breaking into the European market, and moved to Dublin in January 2012. Their incredible musicianship and intense energy on-stage made them stand out immediately, and it wasn't long before they were booked for festivals like KnockanStockan,Hot Press News Desk
"Knockanstockan: first acts revealed!"
''Hot Press''. Retrieved 5 December 2012. No Place Like Dome, Body&Soul,Hot Press News Desk

''Hot Press''. Retrieved 5 December 2012. and

Electric Picnic Electric Picnic is an annual arts-and-music festival which has been staged since 2004 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland. Overview It is organised by Pod Concerts and Festival Republic, who purchased the majority sh ...

, as well as special events like launches and Tower Records' 19th birthday.Hot Press News Desk
"Happy Birthday Tower"
''Hot Press''. Retrieved 5 December 2012. They became known for their relentless gigging, sometimes playing 3 shows/night- their final performances in Dublin, 2012 were on Arthur's Day when they played 3 times in The Mercantile,

The Stag's Head The Stag's Head is a Pubs in Ireland, pub on the corner of Dame Court and Dame Lane in Dublin, Ireland. Records of a pub on the site of the Stag's Head date to 1770 (original construction by a Mr. Tyson) and 1895 (extensive rebuilding). The pub ...

, and The Sweeney Mongrel.Hot Press News Desk
"Stag's Head Gears Up For Arthur's Day"
''Hot Press''. Retrieved 5 December 2012.

State State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

called them "Ireland's hairiest and hardest working band," featuring them as part of their 2012 Electric Picnic coverage.White, Hilary A
"Electric Picnic '12: The Bambir"
State.ie. Retrieved 5 December 2012. They appeared on Near FM,near tv production
“Near FM Sessions- The Bambir- July 26th 2012”
neartv.ie. Retrieved 5 December 2012.

Radio Nova 100FM (Ireland) Radio Nova is a radio station licensed by Coimisiún na Meán, based in Dublin, Ireland. It was awarded its broadcasting licence by the BAI in September 2008 and launched on 1 September 2010. It is the only Dublin radio station licensed to trans ...

Dublin City FM 103.2 Dublin City FM (''Previously: Anna Livia FM and Dublin City Anna Livia FM'') is an Independent Local Radio station in Dublin, Ireland, operated by Dublin Public Service Radio Association Ltd, under a sound broadcasting contract from the ...

, and WDAR. While much of their live sets in Ireland are in English, they continue to perform and write songs in the Armenian language as well.CIVILNET TV
“The Bambir have Returned”
civilnet.am. Retrieved 5 December 2012. They toured in the United States in 2016-2017 (Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington,..) performing a
SXSW
and the notoriou
The Viper Room
The band has recorded with international musicians like

Dietmar Bonnen Dietmar Bonnen (born 27 July 1958 in Cologne, Germany) is a German composer and pianist. Life Dietmar Bonnen studied music and fine arts in Cologne and Düsseldorf. In 1981 he founded the avantgarde-rock ensemble Fleisch, with whom he recorded s ...

. They write and perform their own music written by Narek and Arik, and are known for their vibrant stage presence in their live shows and unique sound. From 2019, they’ve embraced the unique sound of Mar Margaryan’s qanun, reputed for her avant-garde way of playing and her diverse collaborations with notorious artists. Together they keep experimenting an
revisiting Armenian folk
Since 2017, Narek and Vardan have been playing as well as a power duo called �
Freedom is Expensive
��.

Bambir Members

Present Members: *Gaguik "Jag" Barseghyan (founder) 1978–present *Grigor Mirzoyan -cello-2012–present *Anna Kocharyan -violin-2017–present *Sergo Tonoyan -keyboards-1982-85/2012–present *Narek Barseghyan – guitar, vocals 2002–2017 *Arik Grigoryan – flute, percussions, vocals 2002–present *Arman Kocharyan – bass, vocals 2002–present *Vardan Paremuzyan– drums 2007–present The Bambir Members (Second generation): *Narek Barseghyan – guitar, vocals/1994–present *Arik Grigoryan – flute, percussions, vocals/1994–present *Arman Kocharyan – bass, vocals/1994–present *Vardan Paremuzyan– drums, vocals/2007–present Past Members: *Tatul Yeghiazaryan† 1993 - 1999 *Gourgen Hakobjanyan 1978 -2009 *Gaguik Hakobjanyan 1978 - 1983 *Artash Harutyunyan 1978 - 1983 *Mkrtich Hovhannisyan 1979 -1984 *Vrezh Aramyan 1979-1982 *Grigor Virabyan 1982 - 2001 *Armen Karapetyan 1983 - 1988 *Vardan Varosyan 1985 -1988 *Armen Sargsyan 1980 - 1998 *Edvard Yuzbashyan 1980 - 1984 *Murad Gasabyan bass 1983 - 1993 *Hrant Melqonyan bass 1987 - 1993 *Hakob Yesayan 1989 - 1993 *Vladimir Voskanyan 1997 - 1999 *Artour Hovhanisyan 1986 -1993 *Varouzh Vardanyan 1989-1990 *Ashot Hovhanisyan 1987 - 1993 *Seiran Vardanyan 1998 - 2002 *Levon Davtyan 2002 - 2004 *Ani Arakyan 2009–2015 *Armen Karjyan 2012-2015 *Ashot Korganyan - drums/2001 - 2007 *Mher Vardikyan - guitar/1997 -2002 *Garik Barseghyan 1992 - 1993 Angin Qarer - "Priceless Stones'' *Gagik "Jag" Barseghyan - Guitar 1969-1978 *Souren Martirosyan - Guitar 1969-1978 *Levon Nouroyan - Drums 1969-1978 *Robert Kocharyan - Bass 1969-1978 *Matos Margaryan - 1969-1978

Discography and Releases

Bambir (Jag): * 1999 – "Quake" Album * 2003 - Quake Released by Pomegranate Music Label http://pomegranatemusic.com/recordings/bambir/ http://www.allmusic.com/album/quake-mw0000670482 http://www.globalrhythm.net/WorldMusicCDReviews/MiddleEastNorthAfrica/BAMBIR.cfm * 2003 – "J&G" Album * 2005 – "Blind Alley" Album * 2008 - Alexandropol- recorded with “

" (Live) * 2011 – "Armenian Scotch" Album * 2020 - "Home" Jag.Bonnen.Barz Album * 2021 - "Armabeton" Album Recorded albums, EP sessions, Singles by The Bambir (Second generation): *2003 - "Alabalanitsa" (Nursery Rhymes) Single *2004 - "Dark City Train" Single *2005 - "BBR". Best Folk Rock Album 2005 at the Armenian Music Awards. LA, California, in 2005. *2007 - "The Black" Album *2010 - "Thats Fine with Us" Single *2012 - "Urbane/Urban" Single *2013 - "Do You Love Me" Single *2013 - "Index Sessions" EP *2013 - "Imitate" Single *2015 - "Upsessions" Album *2017 - "Bambir Anthology Vol. 1" Album *2018 - "Arev e Elel" Single *2018 - "Sev Kshoghas" Single *2019 - "Migutse" Single *2019 - "Eveline " Single *2020 - "Gzhi Harsaniq" Album *2020 - "S.O.S" Single *2020 - "2 Kes" Single *2022 - "Sea Inside" Album Awards * 2003 & 2004 - Best Rock Band, Armenian National Music Award (Yerevan, Armenia). * 2005 - Best Folk Rock Album, Armenian Music Awards (Hollywood, California) * 2010
Super Finalist, Eurovoice Music Contest 2010 (Athens, Greece)
* 2015
For music development, Caucasian Music Awards Phoenix (Tbilisi, Georgia)
* 2015
Best Ethnic Project, Zolotaya Gorgulya Awards, 16 Tons Club (Moscow, Russia)

Music videos

* 2003 - "Alabalanitsa
Music video
* 2007 - "Children's games
Music Video
* 2004 - "Dark City Train
Music Video
* 2010 - "Thats Fine with Us
Music Video
* 2012 - "Urbane/Urban
Music Video
* 2013 - "Do you love me
Music Video
* 2013 - "Khio
Music Video
* 2014 - "Black Blouse
Music Video
* 2020 - "2 Kes
Music Video
* 2020 - "Gzhi Harsaniq
Music Video

References