Sirusho

Sirusho

Sirusho in London, 2008
Background information
Birth name Siranush Harutyunyan
Born (1987-01-07) January 7, 1987
Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Years active 1995–present
Website sirusho.am

Siranush Harutyunyan (Armenian: Սիրանուշ Հարությունյան, born on January 7, 1987), better known as Sirusho (Armenian: Սիրուշո), is an Armenian singer. She began her music career singing live in Canada, in the Armenian diaspora music scene. At the age of nine she received an Armenian Music Award for her song "Lusabats". Her first studio album, Sirusho, was released in 2000, and its followed-up Sheram in 2005. In the same year, she was awarded The Future of Armenian Music, Best Album and Best Female Performer awards in the first Armenian National Music Awards.[1] In 2008, the BBC described her success as making her a "national treasure" in Armenia,[2] and its news service has gone on to report that she is popular in both Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.[3]

Sirusho reached international recognition after becoming the Armenian spokesperson for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest and the Armenian representative for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest held in Belgrade.[4] She co-wrote and performed the song "Qélé, Qélé", with the Armenian hook and music composed and produced by H.A. Der-Hovagimian. It became well known in Greek-speaking areas, especially the 'Yerevan Remix' in Greek clubs, and was frequently played on London Greek Radio in the United Kingdom, and in an episode of the Greek and Cyprus X Factor television series.[5] Sirusho also sings in the Greek language and, in April 2009, released her first Greek single "Erotas" in Armenia, Greece and Cyprus. Her folk-influenced single "PreGomesh" was released in December 2012.

Biography

1987-2004: Early life and career beginnings

Sirusho was born in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia on January 7, 1987,[6] to actor and director Hrachya Harutyunyan and Syuzan Margaryan, one of the most popular singers in Armenia in the 1980s-1990s.[7] Sirusho's first encounter with singing and music was when she was ten months old. At the age of two she began singing full songs. One of the songs that Sirusho performed as a child was "Lusabats", an Armenian folk song written in the early 20th century by Komitas and got Armenian National Music Award for this song. At the age of 7 Sirusho began to write her own music, as well as lyrics in Armenian and English.[7][8]

In one of her interviews she said, "I have never been one of those children who dreamed of becoming a singer. I was a little kid and people would ask me to sing at events. Every time after I sang, I would see the amazed looks on their faces and I couldn't find out the reason. I mean, I thought I wasn't doing a hard thing, I was just singing the way I felt the music."

At the age of 9 one of the songs she composed brought her an award at the Contest of Young Talents. When Sirusho was ten, she competed in a contest with older participants, finishing in the first place. She released her first studio album Sirusho when she was 13.[7]

She graduated from Yerevan's Khachik Dashtents School #114 in 2004. She subsequently studied piano at the Sayat-Nova Music School.[7] She currently studies diplomacy in Yerevan State University, having majored in international relations.[1]

2005-2007: Sheram and Hima

After performing soul and pop music for most of her music career, Sirusho decided to work on an album presenting Armenian folk songs by gusan Sheram. It was titled Sheram and was released to the public in 2005.[7] The album also included the lead single "Shorora" which eventually became a national hit. In 2005, Sheram was awarded the Best Album of the Year award at the Armenian National Music Awards. Sirusho herself was given the Best Female Artist of the Year award, becoming one of the youngest performers to get this award. During her acceptance speech, she concluded, "I have worked and toured a lot this year, and even in a few hours after this event, I’ll be flying to the U.S. for concerts, and I want to thank you all for giving me wings for all the future "flights" of my life." In a few days, her single "Heranum em" ("I'm Leaving"), written by herself.

In 2006, Varduhi Vardanyan, a renowned singer and artist at that time in Armenia, tragically died. Varduhi has been a very close person to Sirusho ever since she was born. After this, Sirusho dedicated a song to her, titled "Mez Vochinch Chi Bazhani" ("Nothing Will separate Us"). Also in 2006, Sirusho received the award for Best Female Artist of the Year at the Annual Armenian-Russian Diaspora Music Awards held in Moscow, Russia.

In 2007, Sirusho released her third album, titled "Hima". It included the song dedicated to Varduhi, the title track, a collaboration with pop singer Sofi Mkheyan, as well as many other tracks written and produced by Sirusho herself. The album proved to be a breakthrough in Armenian music, unleashing a fresh wave of mixing soul and R&B with folk instruments such as duduk, dhol, zourna, and others. She was also announced as the Best Female Artist of the Year at the Armenian Music Awards, held by the Armenian-American community at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

2008-2009: Eurovision

Sirusho performing Armenia's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Sirusho received her fourth Best Female Artist award at the 2008 Armenian National Music Awards, where she had obtained her first award in 2005. She has received several other awards for her songs and music videos during this year.

Sirusho was chosen to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with Canadian-Armenian music composer and producer H.A. Der-Hovagimian's song Qele Qele. The song entered the first semi-final on May 20 and advanced to the final which took place on May 24, 2008 in Belgrade. She finished 4th in the final with 199 points, she was awarded the maximum amount of 12 points the most times of all the contestants (8), with the winner, Russia's Dima Bilan receiving 12 points seven times.

During the official after-party following the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, the four winners of the Marcel Bezençon Award 2008 were announced and prizes were given out. A newly introduced award was presented this year, the Fan Award by Swedish website Gylleneskor.se.[9] Readers of the site had the opportunity to vote online for their favorite 2008 artist.

On April 1, 2009, Sirusho released the song "Erotas", also known as "Erotas Ksafnikos" (Sudden Love), sung entirely in Greek. The song is an up-tempo dance song with heavy traditional Greek laiko influence. It was composed by singer Hayko and written by Natalia Germanou.[10] Sirusho performed the song live at the Tashir Armenian Awards ceremony in April 2009.[11] Erotas went on to become a number one hit on the Armenian Singles Chart.[12]

The song is an up-tempo dance record with heavy Greek laiko musical influences which is apparent from the dancing and dress in the music video.[10] Sirusho performed the song for first time live at Thessaloniki and then at Tashir Armenian Awards ceremony in April 2009.[11]

Sirusho stirred up some controversy when she was the spokesperson for Armenia during the voting at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 final. When she revealed the votes from the country she showed a photo off We Are Our Mountains a number of times causing heated reactions from Azerbaijan.[13]

On June 6, 2009 Sirusho married Levon Kocharyan, the son of Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan.[14]

In 2009 Sirusho also recorded a song dedicated to peace along with the participants of Eurovision 2008, Boaz Mauda and Jelena Tomasevic, representing Israel and Serbia, respectively. Time To Pray was released in May. Its lyricist is the president of Israel, Shimon Peres. The song was performed in multiple countries, including Russia and Serbia.

2010-2012: Havatum em and PreGomesh

In February 2010, Sirusho performed at the Armenian national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2010, singing her new song Havatum em (English: I Believe). Both the lyrics and the music are written by her. At the end of February she was invited to Malta as a special guest to perform at the Maltese Eurovision selection. During the visit she was also a guest on most popular local TV shows and took part in the Maltese annual charity, performing Havatum em.

Sirusho's fourth official studio album, Havatum em, was released in summer 2010 along with new singles from it. The record includes previously released songs Erotas, the title track, Time to Pray, other new songs, as well as the songs that she had written for the Armenian national final for Eurovision 2008. During an interview in Malta with esctoday.com, Sirusho was asked whether she would return to the Eurovision Song Contest, and she said that if people and her fanbase want her to go, she will return to represent Armenia again.

In 2010 Sirusho wrote the song “Судьба Зима” for a famous Russian singer Grigory Leps.

On September 9 the first single from Sirusho's upcoming studio album, "I Like It", was released to iTunes. The "I like it" video came out on 11 November 2011.[15]

On December 3, Sirusho was special guest in Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011 held in Yerevan. She performed Qélé, Qélé Remix version.[16]

One year later, on December 10, 2012, Sirusho unveiled the new single "PreGomesh". A dance track she penned with the musical inspiration of an Armenian folk song "Lorva Gutanerg", developed by Komitas. An elaborated music video was shot for the occasion, featuring the singer in various dance routines and traditional outfits.[17]

2013-present: Continued career

In October 2013 it was revealed that Sirusho and Sakis Rouvas were to record and release a duet song called "See".[18]

In October 2013, W magazine included Sirusho in their list of "6 Un-American Idols: The Beyoncé of Brazil, the Gaga of Serbia". The author of the list, Kevin McGarry, suggested that "Perhaps the door is still open for Sirusho to introduce the world to a sound and language largely unknown in the West."[19]

In June 2014, she revealed on her Facebook and Instagram accounts that she is expecting a baby boy with her husband Levon Kocharyan.

In 2014 she was nominated as The Best Armenian Singer, The Best Armenian Song and The Best Armenian Music Video at World Music Awards. In November Sirusho and Harout Pamboukjian presented the remake of the song “Tariner” by Harout Pamboukjian. On November 9 Sirusho’s first big concert took place at Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, U.S.

In 2015 Sirusho performed a new song "Kga Mi Or"[20] ("Where Were You"[21]) that is dedicated to 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The song was released in Armenian and English and both versions are already available on iTunes. Also she has recorded a new video[22] to the song.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards

Filmography and Television

Year Film & TV Role Notes
2008 Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Herself 4th place
2009 X Factor Herself Performance with song Erotas
2012 The Voice of Armenia Herself Performance with song Havatum em

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "Bio". Sirusho's Official Website. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Eurovision 2008 - Armenia". BBC. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  3. ↑ Osborn, Michael (25 May 2008). "Eurovision vote 2008: Top 10". BBC News. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Eurovision Song Contest - Armenia
  5. ↑ "X Factor Greece-Cyprus Clip", Youtube
  6. ↑ "Armenia: Sirusho's song selected tonight". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Սիրուշո [Sirusho]" (in Armenian). AV Production. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Այսօր Սիրուշոյի ծննդյան օրն է". ArmStar. hy. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  9. ↑ http://www.gylleneskor.se/artikel/winners-marcel-bezencon-awards-2008
  10. 1 2 Shegrikyan, Zaven (2009-04-01). "Armenia: Sirusho's video in greek released!". ESCToday. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  11. 1 2 "Sirusho - Erotas Ksafnikos (Tashir Armenian Awards 2009)", ESCToday
  12. ↑ n:Past Eurovision contestants give advice to this year's performers, speculate on who will win
  13. ↑ Krikorian, Onnik (2009-05-16). "Ethnic rivalry wins over kitsch in the Caucasus". Frontline Club. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  14. ↑ "In a fairytale wedding, a talented pop singer marries a president’s son". The Armenian Reporter. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "SIRUSHO NEW ! - I Like It (Official Music Video) HD 2011". YouTube. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Sirusho Qéle Qéle 2011 Live Performance @ Junior Eurovision". ArmenianPule. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  17. ↑ "Sirusho presented her new song –"PreGomesh"". 1in.am. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  18. ↑ http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=sirusho_and_sakis_record_see_together
  19. ↑ McGarry, Kevin (29 October 2013). "6 Un-American Idols: The Beyoncé of Brazil, the Gaga of Serbia". W. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  20. ↑ "Kga Mi Or" - Single by Sirusho". 24 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Where Were You" - Single by Sirusho". 24 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Sirusho - Kga Mi Or (Where Were You)". 24 April 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sirusho.
Wikinews has related news: Interview with Sirusho in the run-up to Eurovision 2009
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Hayko
with Anytime You Need		 Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
2008 		Succeeded by
Inga and Anush
with Jan Jan
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