International Rock Band Viza Brings New Sound to East Coast

Armenian Weekly
Thu, May 20 2010

By: Taleen Babayan

With a music scene dominated by recycled pop music and digital voice
enhancers, it is a challenging feat to turn on the radio and hear a
song that is unique yet appealing to the listener. The band, Viza,
however, has achieved just that, fusing rock, metal, and Middle
Eastern music to create a one-of-a-kind sound. The Los Angeles-based
group will perform for the first time in New York City at the Knitting
Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Fri., May 21 at 9 p.m. and in
Philadelphia at the Northstar on Sat., May 22 at 9 p.m.

The Los Angeles-based group will perform for the first time in New
York at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Fri., May 21
at 9 p.m. and in Philadelphia at the Northstar on Sat., May 22 at 9
p.m.
Viza, which is managed by System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian’s
label Serjical Strike, was initially formed years ago in New York City
by vocalist K’noup and developed further in Los Angeles into a
nine-member band. Each of its nine members – which includes K’noup
(vocals and 12-string guitar); Jivan Gasparyan Jr., the grandson of
the legendary Armenian duduk master of the same name, (duduk and
zurna); Orbel Babayan (electric guitar, tar, saz, vox); Shant
Bismejian (electric guitar); Andrew Kzirian (oud); Alex Khatcherian
(bass); Suguru Onaka (keyboards, accordian); Chris Daniel
(percussion); and Hiram Rosario (drums) – is talented in their own
right.

Viza’s brand of international rock music is influenced by
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Latin cultures,
and each of their songs is more eclectic and different than the next.
The hard-working group, which has played in many venerable rock venues
including the Troubadour, Key Club, Roxy, Derby, and Viper Room, has
put out an album a year since its formation, including `Eros,’ `De
Facto,’ `Maktub,’ and `Visa E.P.’ They are currently working on their
newest album titled `Made in Chernobyl,’ which features Serj Tankian
on the track `Viktor.’

Aside from creating innovative music, Viza is a socially conscious
band and has been covered in the Los Angeles Times for their activism
on human rights and social justice work. Of the band’s nine members,
six are Armenian and one is Greek, so `the band is well aware of the
history of Anatolia through the years,’ said band member Andrew
Kzirian, noting that many of their families were impacted by Ottoman
policies against minorities and the persecution of certain ethnic
groups. Because of this, `the band has taken on a strong human rights
awareness approach in its advocacy and shows.’

The group has organized benefit concerts to promote understanding of
the Armenian Genocide and human rights as well as to raise funds for
the Armenian Relief Society’s Armenia-Artsakh Orphan Project and the
Bird’s Nest Orphanage in Lebanon. `Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth’
on April 24 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles enabled Viza to work
with community organizations such as the Armenian Youth Federation
(AYF), Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), and the Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU), as well as social justice groups
regarding human rights. The group also organized a `Feed the Need’
show on Thanksgiving Eve last year, held at the Troubadour in Los
Angeles. Portions of the ticket sales of each show went to Armenian
orphanages and the Los Angeles Mission to Help Feed the Needy,
reflecting the band members’ awareness and passion about their
surroundings in Los Angeles and the need to speak out against
genocide.

`I feel that music and artistic expression is a fresh and appealing
medium for educating our youth, some of whom will inevitably serve as
our leaders of tomorrow,’ said Kzirian. `It is an effective supplement
to more conventional approaches to societal change and informing the
audience about what is going on the world.’

The band’s diverse backgrounds also help contribute to the originality
of Viza’s music. Aside from the six Armenian members, vocalist Knoup
is Greek, drummer Hiram Rosario is Puerto Rican, and keyboard and
accordionist Suguru Onaka is from Japan.

`Viza is a celebration of life, world cultures, and music, and is a
representation of the individuality of the band,’ said Kzirian, a
Philadelphia native who was influenced by the Armenian American oud
tradition on the East Coast and started learning the instrument at a
young age. He said his generation has the opportunity to `help revive
and sustain the tradition of the oud through a new prism,’ which
Kzirian expresses through his music with Viza.

As some of the band members have roots in New York and on the East
Coast, both the musicians and fans are looking forward to Viza’s
upcoming concerts in two of the most revered rock venues in New York
City and Philadelphia.

Said Kzirian, `It’s exciting for us to connect with new fans and
demonstrate our creativity in new venues.’

For more information about Viza and information on purchasing tickets,
visit