Bringing world music to downtown Manchester

Ara Topouzian (Left) and his band played enchanting music and told intriguing stories at the Blacksmith Shop concert on Feb. 22.

A kanun (middle-Eastern harp) is more than an instrument–it is a piece of history.

And Ara Topouzian is trying to keep that history alive.

Through a combination of storytelling and sharing the beautiful and haunting music of middle-Eastern Armenians (part of what is now Turkey), Ara and his band mates–Jerry Gerjekian on drums and Tom Zakarian on guitar–played traditional songs that originated in ancient Armenian villages.

More than 100 years ago, however, the Armenian culture was nearly eradicated in a genocide that began in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire. Ara not only shared stories of the families that were lost during that time, but also the stories of the music that has been saved and passed down through the generations as part of the cultural rebirth of the descendants of former residents of these villages.

Topouzian is an Armenian-American musician whose proficiency at the kanun has made him a nationally-recognized artist. He has performed at concerts, music festivals and many celebrated venues across the United States. The traditional music style he celebrates keeps to his Armenian heritage, but also has expanded to include jazz, fusion, and new age influences.

“The guitar is obviously not a traditional instrument,” he explained, although the drums that Gerjekian plays are very much part of the traditional heritage. “The guitars were added for rhythm, around the time of Elvis–in the late 50s and early 60s–as modern musicians began to pick up on the old traditions.”

The recipient of numerous awards, including from the Kresge Arts Foundation of Detroit, Topouzian’s music has been heard and sold around the globe. He has also produced and directed a PBS documentary that was aired in 2015 about the Armenian genocide and the re-emergence of the musical tradition, called, “Guardians of Music.”

Delicious samplings of Mediterranean food from El Harissa in Ann Arbor complemented the music and Ara’s tales. This Riverfolk tradition, of matching food samples with the musical offerings, has become a favorite part of the Blacksmith Shop Concert experience.

Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization presents these concerts monthly from September to May with support from the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Tickets will soon be available on Eventbrite for the next concert in the series, Cut Time Simfonica, on March 28. Come out and bring a friend!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.