This month the Museum is exhibiting two watercolors by the award-winning novelist and playwright, William Saroyan.To accompany these pieces, we are also highlighting sound clips from a homemade lacquer record featuring the iconic writer. In the 1930s and 1940s, we witnessed an explosion of people documenting all kinds of events using commercially available record lathes.These suitcase-sized machines were turntables with a steel needle that instead of playing back a record, etched sound onto a blank disc covered in a lacquer material. The sound quality was often poor but the technology was revolutionary in making home recording accessible for the first time.

Our Sound Archive series often celebrates the work of the early 20th century folk musicians who documented the music of their homeland upon arriving in America, as well as the music of their children, who we might think of as the post-WWII “Kef generation.” While shaped by the musical path between these generations, the singer and songwriter Hovsep Shamlian is key to that development. Many songs that Hovsep Shamlian wrote and recorded in 1927 are staples of the Armenian-American musical repertoire, particularly songs like Sheg Mazerov and Hasaguet Partzer (now known as Kale Kale). Another notable Shamlian composition which is still heard from “kef” bands today is Gamavor Zinvor, recognized as a historic testament to the Armenian Legionnaires who fought in WWI under the French flag.

In this Sound Archive edition, we are featuring four songs by Vanetsi folk musician and artist Yenovk Der Hagopian. As you may recall Yenovk’s name from the Museum’s “Treasures from Our Collection” video, which Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian presented in 2022. This post serves as a brief reintroduction to Yenovk and an opportunity to let his voice be heard through the recordings he brought into the world 80 years ago.

Yenovk Der Hagopian was born in Ishkhanikom village (present day Bakimli) on May 24, 1900. The village is near Lake Van but set back against the mountain's foothills in the history-rich valley known as "Hayots Tzor" or “Valley of the Armenians.” Yenovk’s father, Hagop, was a priest and an Ashough (or troubadour) in the style of Sayat Nova. Yenovk traveled with Hagop learning much of the repertoire he would go on to record, sung in the numerous regional languages and dialects. Equally formative to his youth was Yenovk’s relationship to Manoog Adoian who was from a nearby village, Khorkom. The world would come to know Manoog as the seminal abstract painter Arshile Gorky.

Given the Museum’s location in the US, many of the recordings we have discussed in the Sound Archive represent the output of the Armenian American diaspora, but the nature of diaspora is inherently global and the unifying aspect of a common culture means that sometimes documents end up far from their place of origin. Today we present one such record that provides a window into the Armenian Argentine diaspora, as well as a special subcollection of non-commercial lacquer discs. 

The post-WWII Armenian-American bands have been a recurring theme here at the Sound Archive. These sons of immigrants gave new impetus to the Armenian dance culture in the Diaspora by blending their Anatolian roots with the brash sounds of American jazz, giving rise to “kef music.” 

This history is intertwined with the story of the Gomidas Band — which is largely the story of Henry “Hank” Mardigian. Mardigian was born and raised in Philadelphia to a family from Malatia. He first apprenticed under musician Sam Vosbikian as a fill-in banjo player and then saxophone player in the Vosbikian Band, while two of the members were off fighting in WWII. In 1949, he was approached by Johnny Kitabjian, a friend from AYF, to help him with a band he was forming. This band became the Gomidas Band.

The Armenian Museum of America’s Sound Archive begins 2023 with a celebration of Guy Chookoorian’s fascinating and humorous musical contributions. Guy was a musician, singer, comedian, and actor. Proudly American, Guy served in World War II as a member of the 331st Bomb Squadron of the 94th Bomb Group, flying 32 missions over Europe. He was the son of heroic Genocide survivors from Yerzinga. Along with his sister Sue, Guy cofounded the Armenian-American Theater Group in Fresno in the mid-1940s. Even as he thrived in Hollywood, Guy would never forget his heritage. Celebrating Armenian culture throughout his entire career, he helped to preserve the folk songs of his native region.

As we enter the New Year, we’re taking a look back at the artists and topics covered in the Sound Archive posts since they began two years ago!  We hope this overview helps emphasize the depth and richness of Armenian musical history encompassed in the collection. For half a century now, the Museum’s collection of 78rpm records has grown, thanks to generous donors who have been entrusting us with their personal collections. The diverse histories, taste, and experience of those donors is reflected in the recordings found in the collection, providing a rich pool of music to share and a wide range of stories through which we can explore Armenian culture and music.

We hope you enjoy the selections that we're shared so far. For those of you who may have missed previous posts or are just discovering the series, we encourage you to take a look back and explore previous sounds from our archives!

The Sound Archive presents digitized versions of 78 rpm records from our collection. This month we are featuring record distributor Hrand Markar Tashjian. Tashjian was a trailblazer, taking matters into his own hands when Armenian music was almost impossible to get your hands on in the 1940s and 50s. He reissued out of print recordings from major labels on a series of his own imprints.

This month's post includes four digitized and restored songs: Yaylouges Gorav, Siroung Groung, Amen Hayr Sourp, and Vart. Special thanks to the SJS Charitable Foundation for their generous support of our work to digitize and share our collection of 78 rpm records.

This Sound Archive highlights one of the most influential bands in the history of the Armenian community in America. Known and beloved by fans on the East Coast for generations, the Vosbikian Band was the first American-born Armenian dance band, raised outside of their parents’ historic homeland in Armenia and Asia Minor.

The Vosbikian Band started with three brothers, Sam (Sahag) Vosbikian (1919-2012), Mike (Manuel) Vosbikian (1921-2019), and Joe (Hovsep) Vosbikian (1924-2012). They were born in Philadelphia to Bedros and Vartanoush Vosbikian, who were natives of Malatia. Bedros was a clarinet player who performed with his brother Thomas on violin, with other friends and cousins providing vocals and dumbeg (hand drum) beats.