Karin from Karin by Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin

"Karin" is the old name for the Armenian town of Erzurum. Located in what is now Turkey, it used to be part of Armenia and Georgia. At that time, the town was a place of commercial exchange where many different cultures coexisted in harmony. During the 1915 Armenian genocide, around 40,000 Armenians were deported to the Deir ez-Zor desert in Syria under the Ottoman Empire. Vardan’s grandfather was one of only 200 survivors.

The piece recalls this painful historical period but, with the contribution from the Iranian singer Sepideh Raissadat, also pays tribute to people today who are uprooted and carries the hope of a society that recognizes the richness of intercultural encounters and exchanges.

This bluesy track starts with a dance that is played in 6/8 and traditionally performed by women.

Since he was introduced to the duduk by his master Khachik Khachatryan, Vardan Hovanissian has become one of the most talented ambassadors for this ancient double-reeded instrument whose melancholy tones reflect the Armenian soul. He found his musical soul-mate over ten years ago when he met Emre Gültekin, who learned the art of the Turkish saz from his father Lütfü Gültekin and from Talip Özkan.

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