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Alexander Avetisyan (SARD)

Fire Wall Fest (Bambir 2)

Rock'n'roll is a musical genre, originated from United States. Whilst rock music with its numerous genres was developed due to efforts of musicians from various countries. Armenia is one of them. Rock was greatly restricted for most of the period Armenia was under Soviet rule as American anti-communist influence, but already in the early 70s, there was the range of populars bands in Yerevan, the capital of the country, that were strong enough to compete with Russian groups, which would come to Yerevan to concert at the festivals. Among the most known groups of the 70s should be mentioned Araqyalner, 1+2, Kaleidoscope , Bliki. Following the loosening of control in the early 1980s, a number of Armenian rock bands became prominent in Germany such as Asparez and Ayas. Asparez is the only Armenian rock band, which released an LP at a notorious Soviet label Melodiya back in 1988. Tarerk, Thessilk and Maximum, had a strong following at home.

In 1982 a band called Bambir won the Folk Music Award at the International Festival in Lida, Belarus. They combined rock with Armenian folk and classical music. Later folk-rock bands include Vostan Hayots.

Later in the 80s, as the Soviet rock scene grew larger, bands like Asparez and Ayas found international audiences due to the newly introduced style - oriental rock. Ayas formed in 1987, and only a year later won Yerevan's Rock, Rock, Rock Festival best composition of the year award. They later won the Sisian Rock Festival as well.

In the early 1990s, an Armenian progressive rock scene developed. Dumbarton Oaks was one of the first to combine rock with classical music, in compositions like "Once Upon a Time There Lived a Cadence". A psychodelic side of prog-rock was presented in the much heavier works of MDP. Later in the decade, bands like Artsruni, Oaksenham, MDP gained an international following.

Other popular Armenian rock bands include Ambehr, The Kings' Cross, Alter Ego, Incest, Lav Eli and Empyray. In the late 1990's and early 2000 festivals held at and organized by ACCEA (Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art) were a major comeback reason of the Armenian rock music, with bands and musicians coming from Vanadzor. A talented band, Lav Eli, inspired younger generations from the same town to elaborate further a melodious and energetic Vanadzor type rock. Former Lav Eli frontman, Gor Mkhitaryan, now plays his folk-rock in the USA.

System of a Down, an alternative metal band, although they sing in English, are also known for all of the members being of Armenian ancestry. They use many different Armenian instruments in their music that are not typical of alternative metal music.

Later in 2000, young rock bands SARD from Yerevan and Bambir 2 from Gyumri appear on stage. Although the audience in Armenia remains exceedingly small for local rock groups, SARD, Bambir 2 and recently, Vordan Karmir, Reincarnation have received media attention, especially after their videos were shown on local television. The revived MDP and Oaksenham in addition to Bambir 2 and Empyray today are the trademark holders of quality made Armenian rock.

• History of Armenian rock by Simon Simonyan and Ashot Grigoryan