Helen Paul: An Unknown Sound
Written by Harout Arakelian
It was on a typical spring day in New York City when Helen Paul entered the Columbia Records recording studios in the Woolworth Building, located at 233 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Helen Paul would only record two songs during her April 1918 session, but the songs were of great importance — for a mere few weeks after her recording sessions, on May 28, 1918, the independent Republic of Armenia was established. As a soprano accompanied by a violin she recorded Mer Hairenik (the Armenian National anthem) and also produced the first known recording of the ode to the Armenian revolutionaries from Erzerum, titled Tzain ma Hunchetz (“A sound bellowed”).
In a unique twist for the team at the Armenian Museum’s Sound Archive, after many years of research we have been unable to locate any biographical information on this vocalist, Helen Paul. She remains a completely unknown figure, unfortunetely.
The song Tzain ma Henchetz was composed by an unknown writer some time in the late 1800s. It can be considered an ode, dedicated to the earliest organized Armenian revolutionary groups, especially the Protectors of the Fatherland (Bashdban Hayrenyat's). The recording carries an interesting connection to early recorded music and the music industry. Two of the founders of the Protectors of the Fatherland were the Nishkian Brothers. After being forced to flee their home in Erzerum, the brothers settled in Fresno, California in 1883, and both their families joined them by 1888. One of the brothers, Hapet (or Hagop), had a son born in Erzerum, Kalem Hapet Nishkian. Kalem Nishkian was a young innovative character with an entrepreneurial talent. He first became involved in the bicycle business, which by the late 1800s was considered a fad that would fall out of favor at some point. Then Kalem took another chance and began selling phonograph records, which, at the time, were also considered a fad. Kalem’s instincts proved to be successful. Soon his store, “Nishkian Cyclery and Phonographs” would shift focus and he would establish the “Nishkian Phonograph Shop.” A successful music store that catered to the general public of Fresno, the trade papers wrote glowing articles throughout those early years. It is certain that the Nishkian Phonograph Shop carried the Columbia Records disc featuring Helen Paul singing an ode to the revolutionary group that Kalem Nishkian’s father founded.
Later, in 1925, Kalem Nishkian died at the age of 44. His wife Armenouhi and daughter Neoma continued to successfully operate the store for another decade before selling it in 1935. Neoma married attorney Souren Saroyan and together the couple became profoundly involved in the post-World War Two efforts to re-settle displaced Armenians.
In lieu of biographical information on Helen Paul, we are sharing the sheet music for Tzain ma Hunchetz from the songbook, Songs of Armenia, edited by C. H. Paelian and arranged by musician K. H. Aiqouni, published by Armenian Educational Foundation of New York, in 1924.
A special thanks to the SJS Charitable Trust for their generous support of our work to digitize and share our collection of 78 rpm records.
