Making music in the diaspora

Watertown TAB & Press, MA
Feb 18 2005

Four Armenians active in the music industry will participate in a
roundtable discussion on contemporary thinking in the Armenian/American
music world on Sunday, Feb. 20, 3 p.m., at the Armenian Library and
Museum of America, 65 Main St.

Illustrating their comments with their own live and recorded music,
John Baboian, Leon Janikian, Raffi Meneshian and Sarine Balian will
confront some of the major issues for Armenians in the music world
today. The conversation will be followed by an open discussion with
the audience.

Baboian, the moderator of the event, is an associate professor of
guitar at the Berklee College of Music. He has been on the faculty
since 1980, focusing mainly on mainstream jazz styles. A composer
and arranger, his music has been heard on such television shows as
“The Sopranos,” “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “All My Children.” His
Be-Bop Guitars is an all-Berklee faculty band with five guitars and
a rhythm section.

Janikian, associate professor of music and coordinator of music
industry at Northeastern University, has been an academician,
professional musician and recording engineer for over 40 years.
Janikian was the primary engineer/producer for more than 150 records
in all musical genres, and for numerous multimedia and commercial
productions. He is a sought-after musician in the United States as a
performer of the traditional music of Armenia, Greece and the Middle
East. He also has been instrumental in the creation of the Archive
of Armenian Music in America.

Meneshian, founder/CEO of Pomegranate Music, has produced four
albums which have achieved popularity in the Armenian community,
and has been the executive producer on three other CDs for his music
label. Meneshian is known for the live concerts he has produced, most
notably the Armenstock Festival and the Lilit Pipoyan U.S. Tour. He
is a member of the Recording Academy, where he holds a vote for the
Grammy Awards, and is a contributor to Global Rhythm Magazine and
the Armenian Weekly.

Balian is San Francisco-area vocalist specializing in jazz and world
music. She performs with a jazz trio and, on occasion, doumbek.
She teaches instrumental music at Krouzian Zekarian Vasbouragan
Armenian School in San Francisco.

“Armenian Musicians in the Diaspora” is the third in a series of
presentations held at ALMA celebrating the opening of the Mesrob
Boyajian Library, a facility designed for use by scholars at all
levels engaged in research on topics related to the Armenian people,
as well as by the general public. For more information, call ALMA at
617-926-2562, ext. 3.