Karoon Hayastan

The recording and choice of songs of this album have been nothing short of remarkable. The title “Karoon Hayasdan” (Spring Armenia) is suggestive enough to represent the present day Armenia in her incessant progress. A paradise of vernal love and a fortress of faith, Armenia survived throughout the stormy centuries of her biography because of the preservation of her ethnic, religious, socio-economic and cultural beliefs and values. And today, in full bloom, and in a state of freshness and vigor, Armenia is more than ever before expressive in her national creativity.

A very important part of Armenia’s cultural heritage has been her music; a music which has been the reverberation of predominantly folk-quality ancient sounds blended with modern rhythms and melodies. In either a melancholic or joyful tempo, these eleven hit songs have been specially selected for your judgement and listening pleasure.

And indeed it is a pleasure to hear Varoujan Assadourian’s fascinating voice. While singing has become a means of economic exploitation to most singers today, Varoujan is far from being one of them. To him life has been a beautiful dream and his dreams have been palpitating with life . . . He sings simply because beneath the surface of a restful personality he has the compulsive urge of creativity and the searching soul of a poet. As classmates and friends, our adolescent years were spent together in Cyprus and the summer months up in the mountains of Kakopetria. Our lives were enriched with the beautiful Mediterranean sunsets, the weeping willow trees, the murmur of hidden streams in the valleys, where also mingled the echo of the inspirational songs of a boy who was in love with the magic of nature itself . . .

This record marks the beginning of a belated career of that boy. A career that should have come into full force twenty years ago when at the age of ten, Varoujan had captivated all those who had heard him sing on different occasions and stages: in Cyprus (his birthplace), in the Middle East, and for the last decade, in the U.S. Today at the age of thirty, we have no doubt that Varoujan Assadourian will have an immediate impact on his audiences, and maybe . . . fans?

– KEVORK M. GARABEDIAN

Track Listing

Side 1

1. YEREVANI KISHERNERE
2. SEGHAN NE ARAD
3. DELE YAMAN
4. YEREVAN PAGH EM AREL
5. KHENTSORY DSARIN DAGIN
6. BUZDIG AGHCHIG

Side 2

1. NOOBAR NOOBAR
2. ANOOSH KAROON
3. ARSHIN MALALA
4. HINGALLA
5. DAVIGH

Album Information

• Artist: Varoujan Assadourian with Richard Hagopian and His Orchestra
• Catalog Number: R-2291
• Catalog Numbers: R-2291
• Liner Notes: KEVORK M. GARABEDIAN
• Source: R-2291
• Sound Quality: ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY SOUND
• Cover Photo: John Ficara
• Recorded At: Victory Recording Studio, Fresno, Calif.
• Engineered By: Dick Terzian