1) First of all, I would like to say a big thanks for having accepted to answer to my questions, so which corner of the earth do I find you in, now?
I am presently at home in New York Stathi , and I’m
about to leave for a concert and lecture in Turkey.
2) Is it true that you have shown off the outi
to the international music scene. Why did you choose this intsrument?
It has always been my goal to expose the beauty of the oud to those parts of the world where it is unknown. I tried to do this by recording some internationally familiar songs, such as The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” The theory was that if someone hears a familiar melody, they might be open to hearing it with a new sound. As for why I chose the oud, the quick answer is that it chose me. The long answer is that when I was a child, there was an oud in my parents’ bedroom. I was not allowed to go in that room for fear that I would break the oud. Of course, simple child psychology, it was the only thing in the house I wanted to touch!
3) Ara, you are an accomplished and imaginative
musician and composer, also having a creative spirit. Which things inspire you
the most, in order to make a compositon?
My compositions appear as a result of the human condition and experience. Language, religion, nationalism, etc. tend to keep us (humanity) apart. Music unites us all.
4) With the "Night Ark", I keep
some of the best memories of my life. You have also recorded excelllent albums
such as "Picture moments", "Treasures", "In
wonderland". Is the group active today, or not?
Night Ark was the first professional group in
which I could feature my musical concepts and compositions. I learned and grew
so much during those years, especially with Arto Tuncboyaciyan. However, that
was then, and this is now. The group has not been active for many years, simply
because we have each moved on to other projects.
5)There are a alot of things that connect the
Greeks and the Armenians. Both people became great, were chased and
exterminated. Do you agree with it?
Yes indeed, the Greeks and Armenians have so
much in common, which is why I felt so much at home when I first started going
to Greece. I felt like I had found my brothers and sisters. We have shared a
tragic history, but I hope our future will be prosperous.
6) The Greeks love you a lot and extremely appreciate your work. Why don't
we see you more often in our country?
I would absolutely love to come back to Greece,
and I certainly will, as soon as I am invited!
7) Top class Greek and Turk singers such
as Sezen Aksu, Coşkun Sabah and Eleftheria Arvanitaki have sung many compositions of yours. What
have you kept from those collaborations?
The reality is that singers always reach more
people than instrumentalists or composers. So, when someone like Eleftheria
Arvanitaki or Sezen Aksu sings your songs, your status as a musician elevates
dramatically. Other than that, I can tell you that many of these singers have
become dear friends, especially Eleftheria.
8) Is the collaboration with your father, Onnik Dinkjian, - one of the most
succesful voices of Armenia today - going to be continued?
My father Onnik is 86 years old. Just this year
alone, we released a CD of songs from his ancestral city in Anatolia, Dikranagerd
called “Diyarbekiri Hokin” (“The Soul of Dikranagerd”), and did concerts in
Dikranagerd, Istanbul, Berlin, Wuppertal, Vienna, Washington D.C., New York,
and Los Angeles. Also, a documentary film about our lives titled “Garod”
(“Longing”) was released on DVD. I can’t explain it, but somehow, my father is
singing better than ever!
9) How did the formation of the "The Secret
Trio" group and your collaboration with the two top balkan musicians, İsmail Lumanovskiκαι τον Tamer Pınarbaşı come out?
Tamer and Ismail, both dear friends, already had
formed their electric fusion band called “The New York Gypsy All-Stars.” They
wanted a completely different, acoustic group also, so they asked me if I would
collaborate with them. It has been a great pleasure to work with such
incredibly talented musicians.
10) Fruit of this collaboration was a CD, I
think...
In 2012, we released our first CD on the
Traditional Crossroads label, titled “Soundscapes.” This year (2015), we have
just released our 2nd CD, this time on the Kalan label, titled “Three Of Us.”
To support these recordings, we have given concerts in New York, Istanbul,
Bursa, Maltepe, Zurich, Ankara, and Philadelphia. The Zurich concert was
filmed, and is available for viewing on YouTube.
11) When may we expect a new personal CD
coming out?
This year, besides my father’s new CD, the DVD
documentary, and The Secret Trio’s new CD, I also released a CD on the Kalan
label titled “1915 – 2015 Truth & Hope” which is in commemoration of
the 100 year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The instrumentation is oud
with string quartet, and the pieces all relate to the Genocide.
12) The international ethnic festival
"Cosmopolis" is making a start in Kavala in the summer of 2o16. What
would be your answer to our city's invitation to play in it?
I haven’t been back to Kavala since 1995, during
my tour with Eleftheria Arvanitaki. I would be honored to play there again.
13) Ara, one last thing you might want to
add...
In 2013, I released a CD called “Ara Dinkjian
Quartet: Finding Songs.” I recorded the CD in Athens, and the quartet included
my dear friends Sokratis Sinopoulos, Iannis Kirimkiridis, and Vangelis Karipis.
At the time, Greece was going through a financial crisis, as it indeed still is.
Recording in Greece with Greek musicians was my small way of saying “thank you
for accepting me, and I hope your future is bright.” I want to say today that I
hope Greece recovers soon, because you have given so much to this world...
Stathis Harpantidis (November 2015)
