Khatchadour Tankian
The expression ‘like father, like son’ takes on a whole new meaning in the case of Khatchadour Tankian and his son Serj Tankian. While it is true that most people are more familiar with Serj’s signature voice in the songs he helped make famous as the lead singer in System of a Down, the love of singing is a family trait that his father Khatchadour Tankian holds a 25 year head start in. 65 years after he first began lending his vocals to many traditional Armenian songs, Khatchadour finally had the free time to actually make his own record of music earlier this year showcasing his own very unique and distinguished voice.
“Inchbes Moranank” is the debut album of songs sang by Khatchadour Tankian. This collection of music features new recordings of traditional Armenian folk songs that Khatchadour has sang for the majority of his life, along with 2 brand new songs in “Hrant Dink” as well as the title track “Inchbes Moranank”. Produced by his son Serj with new arrangements from famous Armenian composer Andranik Mouradian, the album is a collection of 11 songs that brought the father and son team back to yesteryear, when the love of singing was passed on from father to son.
“Growing up as a kid, he would sing and I might sing along with him. So, I think in some ways, he put the love of music in me and more specifically the love of singing.” explains Serj of his father.
Born on October 10, 1937 in Aleppo, Syria, Khatchadour was asked to sing at the Armenian school he attended at age 6 when a guest from Armenia came to visit the classroom. His natural gift became apparent to the visitor from Khatchadour’s ancestral homeland, as the man embraced the young Armenian boy in Syria upon the child finishing the last note of the traditional folk song “Giligia”. On that day, a singer was born, and Khatchadour has had the spirit of music in him since. Appropriately, the song “Giligia” was recorded for this debut album and Khatchadour’s love of the song still exists 65 years later.
This affinity for singing was strengthened in Khatchadour throughout his youth and after moving to Beirut, Lebanon at age 16, he decided to form a band with some of his friends. Being that the recorded music industry was still very much in it’s own infancy and not readily available to a teenager living in Lebanon, Khatchdour’s singing talents were relegated to the weddings and christenings of the various Armenian families living in the Diaspora region or Beirut. His talents got him invited to sing in Lyon, France in the year 1959, where he sang at a celebration event to honor the anniversary of the Armenian “Tashnak” movement.
Due to familial circumstances, Khatchadour had to reserve all his singing engagements upon his return to Lebanon in 1960, and instead shifted his focus into the profession of shoe design and manufacturing. Just as he was successful with crafting his voice, Khatchadour found success in the shoe business, owning his own factories in Beirut and later in Los Angeles where the sales of his handcrafted shoe designs provided for his family for decades. For the next 45 years, this added responsibility of having to provide for his parents and siblings and subsequently his wife and children only permitted for Khachadour to sing at a limited number of his own family’s outings and events.
Recently, Khatchadour sold off his successful business and in his retirement from industry, has freed up his time, and thus reawakened his zest for singing and sharing his voice with those outside of his family. Although he relishes in singing the more traditional Armenian songs like “Im Balik” and “Heratsads Engerner”, he is most proud of presenting the two newer songs on the record.
He explains, “The songs and lyrics (of “Hrant Dink” and “Inchbes Moranank”) are new and they both have big meanings behind them…If you are Armenian, no matter what you believe in, you are part of the Armenian cause. The song ‘Inchbes Moranank’ is a song dedicated to those that perished as part of the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink is a man whose beliefs and actions I truly respect and a man who showed true bravery knowing that his beliefs and actions were a danger to his life.”
After Andranik Mouradian finished up the arrangements for the songs, Khatchadour and his son went into the studio and worked hours on end to get the best possible vocal recordings to compliment these new interpretations of traditional songs. Additionally, they knew it was important to put a strong and heartfelt voice to these brand new songs that will be released for the first time on the album “Inchbes Moranank”.
In talking about these recording sessions with his father, Serj admits, “It was a big pleasure to produce his vocals and the record overall. He dove into it and he worked really hard in making this happen so that it could be quality music.”
In turn, Khatchadour goes on to say, “It was a great pleasure for me to work with my son and I consider this record a part of our family’s history now and I’m proud of it.”
It only feels appropriate then that at some point during the recording that these two singers, this father and son, would sing on a couple songs together, including the song “Arakil”. The song is a traditional folk song that Serj rearranged and stripped down to just acoustic guitars and vocals. It is a song they would sing together when Serj was a kid and in a way, the recording of this song and the work put into producing the album overall is Serj paying ode to his inspiration, his father.
Khatchadour’s most revealing statement as to why he wanted to record and release “Inchbes Moranank” was unveiled when he said, “I’ve made a record that everyone can enjoy. And a lot of the youth that purchase the cd, will most likely buy it for their parents, but will find that they will like it too…It would be great to me if every Armenian family owned a copy of this CD. The meanings behind the songs on this album play out like a story in a book, only you get to also listen to them.”
“Inchbes Moranank” tells quite a story, and Khatchadour Tankian has quite a lot to sing about.
“Inchbes Moranank” is the debut album of songs sang by Khatchadour Tankian. This collection of music features new recordings of traditional Armenian folk songs that Khatchadour has sang for the majority of his life, along with 2 brand new songs in “Hrant Dink” as well as the title track “Inchbes Moranank”. Produced by his son Serj with new arrangements from famous Armenian composer Andranik Mouradian, the album is a collection of 11 songs that brought the father and son team back to yesteryear, when the love of singing was passed on from father to son.
“Growing up as a kid, he would sing and I might sing along with him. So, I think in some ways, he put the love of music in me and more specifically the love of singing.” explains Serj of his father.
Born on October 10, 1937 in Aleppo, Syria, Khatchadour was asked to sing at the Armenian school he attended at age 6 when a guest from Armenia came to visit the classroom. His natural gift became apparent to the visitor from Khatchadour’s ancestral homeland, as the man embraced the young Armenian boy in Syria upon the child finishing the last note of the traditional folk song “Giligia”. On that day, a singer was born, and Khatchadour has had the spirit of music in him since. Appropriately, the song “Giligia” was recorded for this debut album and Khatchadour’s love of the song still exists 65 years later.
This affinity for singing was strengthened in Khatchadour throughout his youth and after moving to Beirut, Lebanon at age 16, he decided to form a band with some of his friends. Being that the recorded music industry was still very much in it’s own infancy and not readily available to a teenager living in Lebanon, Khatchdour’s singing talents were relegated to the weddings and christenings of the various Armenian families living in the Diaspora region or Beirut. His talents got him invited to sing in Lyon, France in the year 1959, where he sang at a celebration event to honor the anniversary of the Armenian “Tashnak” movement.
Due to familial circumstances, Khatchadour had to reserve all his singing engagements upon his return to Lebanon in 1960, and instead shifted his focus into the profession of shoe design and manufacturing. Just as he was successful with crafting his voice, Khatchadour found success in the shoe business, owning his own factories in Beirut and later in Los Angeles where the sales of his handcrafted shoe designs provided for his family for decades. For the next 45 years, this added responsibility of having to provide for his parents and siblings and subsequently his wife and children only permitted for Khachadour to sing at a limited number of his own family’s outings and events.
Recently, Khatchadour sold off his successful business and in his retirement from industry, has freed up his time, and thus reawakened his zest for singing and sharing his voice with those outside of his family. Although he relishes in singing the more traditional Armenian songs like “Im Balik” and “Heratsads Engerner”, he is most proud of presenting the two newer songs on the record.
He explains, “The songs and lyrics (of “Hrant Dink” and “Inchbes Moranank”) are new and they both have big meanings behind them…If you are Armenian, no matter what you believe in, you are part of the Armenian cause. The song ‘Inchbes Moranank’ is a song dedicated to those that perished as part of the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink is a man whose beliefs and actions I truly respect and a man who showed true bravery knowing that his beliefs and actions were a danger to his life.”
After Andranik Mouradian finished up the arrangements for the songs, Khatchadour and his son went into the studio and worked hours on end to get the best possible vocal recordings to compliment these new interpretations of traditional songs. Additionally, they knew it was important to put a strong and heartfelt voice to these brand new songs that will be released for the first time on the album “Inchbes Moranank”.
In talking about these recording sessions with his father, Serj admits, “It was a big pleasure to produce his vocals and the record overall. He dove into it and he worked really hard in making this happen so that it could be quality music.”
In turn, Khatchadour goes on to say, “It was a great pleasure for me to work with my son and I consider this record a part of our family’s history now and I’m proud of it.”
It only feels appropriate then that at some point during the recording that these two singers, this father and son, would sing on a couple songs together, including the song “Arakil”. The song is a traditional folk song that Serj rearranged and stripped down to just acoustic guitars and vocals. It is a song they would sing together when Serj was a kid and in a way, the recording of this song and the work put into producing the album overall is Serj paying ode to his inspiration, his father.
Khatchadour’s most revealing statement as to why he wanted to record and release “Inchbes Moranank” was unveiled when he said, “I’ve made a record that everyone can enjoy. And a lot of the youth that purchase the cd, will most likely buy it for their parents, but will find that they will like it too…It would be great to me if every Armenian family owned a copy of this CD. The meanings behind the songs on this album play out like a story in a book, only you get to also listen to them.”
“Inchbes Moranank” tells quite a story, and Khatchadour Tankian has quite a lot to sing about.
