The First International Jazz festival of Yerevan (held in 1998) opened a new stage in his creative life. His participation was a real discovery in the jazz community, as he received many invitations to play in concerts and sessions. The second Yerevan Jazz Festival held in 2000 was more fruitful for the young musician. He became acquainted with jazz stars Chick Corea, Avishai Cohen, Jeff Ballard, and Ari Roland.
Right here he met Stephane Kochoyan who played a pivotal role in presenting and promoting Tigran to the European jazz community. In 2001 he invited Tigran to take part in several festivals in France, where he played with Philip and Christophe Le Van.
Here the young musician was introduced to Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John Mc Laughlin, Joe Zawinul, Danillo Perez, John Patitucci; he also played with Pierre Michelot & Daniel Humair. Tigran was highly esteemed by jazz authorities.
Then followed a period of wide study of modern jazz and Armenian folk music which later helped him to achieve higher levels. In 2002 Tigran won the 3-rd prize in Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition held in Paris.
In April from 25th to 27th Tigran participated in the "Jazz a Juan Revelations 2003" contest and won the first prize in the category of Jazz Instrumental. Tigran won the 1st prize and also public prize of Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition which took place in 2003, July 8 to 12.
In 2003 - 2004 he was engaged in many festivals and concerts around the world. Several CDs have been recorded.
In March 2005 he participated at 1st Moscow International Jazz Piano Competition and won the 3rd prize. In June he won the 1st prize of 8th Monaco Jazz Soloist Competition.
The new CD has been recorded in Los-Angeles with Ben Wendel (sax), Francois Moutin (bass), Ari Hoenig (drums) and Rouben Hairapetyan (duduk, zurna), that will be released in March 2006 by "Nocturne Records" (Paris).
On September 17th, 2006, Tigran was awarded the First Prize in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition.
He has been now studying music at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Kars 1
Tigran Hamasyan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Սարերը կանաչ խոտով (հոտով?), յաման յար,
Սիրտս լիքն է կարոտով, յաման յար:
Յարըս ընձնից բեզարած, յաման յար,
Տուն կուգա հանդի մոտով, յաման յար:
Ղարսա բերդը բլիլ է, յաման յար,
Յարըս տակին քնիլ է, յաման յար:
Սարերը կանաչ խոտով, յաման յար,
"The mountains of green grass, oh dear
My heart is full of longing, oh dear
My sweetheart, tired of me (oh dear),
is coming home along the field (oh dear).
The fortress of Kars is ruined, oh dear
my sweetheart is sleeping under it , oh dear
The mountains of green grass, oh dear
My heart is full of spring, oh dear."
The lyrics of Tigran Hamasyan's "Kars 1" describe the singer's love and longing for a person who is on their way back home. The lyrics evoke imagery of the mountainous region of Kars and green grass, which creates a sense of calm and tranquility. The mention of the fortress of Kars being ruined, with the singer's sweetheart sleeping under it, adds a sense of nostalgia and melancholy to the song. The singer's heart is full of longing and spring, which suggests that their love is blooming and they are filled with hope for the future.
The melody of the song is based on Armenian folk music, which has been reinterpreted and modernized by Tigran Hamasyan. His use of the piano and various electronic sounds creates a unique blend of traditional and contemporary music. "Kars 1" is part of an album called "An Ancient Observer," which is inspired by Tigran Hamasyan's travels and experiences around the world. The album is a fusion of Armenian folk music, jazz, and electronic music, and has received critical acclaim since its release in 2017.
Line by Line Meaning
The mountains of green grass, oh dear
The singer is admiring the beautiful view of the surrounding green grassy mountains.
My heart is full of longing, oh dear
The singer feels deeply nostalgic and sad, yearning for something that is lost or out of reach to them.
My sweetheart, tired of me (oh dear),
is coming home along the field (oh dear).
The singer's lover, who is weary of the singer, is walking home through the grassy field.
The fortress of Kars is ruined, oh dear
The historical fortress of Kars is in ruins, possibly representing the artist's internal struggles or the aftermath of a war.
my sweetheart is sleeping under it , oh dear
The artist's lover is sleeping peacefully under the ruined fortress of Kars, which could symbolize the lover's sense of inner peace amidst turmoil.
The mountains of green grass, oh dear
The view of the green mountains continues to awe the singer.
My heart is full of spring, oh dear.
The singer's heart is filled with the vitality of spring, possibly reflecting their hope for the future or a sense of new beginnings.
Writer(s): Tigran Hamasyan
Contributed by James R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.