"Artostan" - Arto Tuncboyaciyan

• artist:
  Arto Tuncboyaciyan
• country:
  Armenia
• release year:
  2005
• style(s): Folk Jazz
• formats:
  • CD (Compact Disc)
• record submitted by:
  alba Kultur
• label:
  Heaven & Earth
• publisher:
  Heaven & Earth

"Artostan" marks a personal turning point in Arto Tunçboyaciyan's life: after more than 20 years living in the US and working in the West, he is now looking back from his new adopted "Heimat" Armenia. The result is a radiophonic travel diary through the today's globalized world of unlimited soundscapes, giving resonnance to his visions, emotions and his soul. The album is a trip to Arto Tunçboyaciyan's philosophical homeland: Artostan.

Impossible to describe in just a few words Arto Tunçboyaciyan's extraordinary life: percussionist and singer, born in Turkey in 1957 of the Armenian descent of the Anatolian roots. One of his greatest influences of music and life was his brother Onno, a musician himself, who encouraged Arto to develop his character not just as a brother but as a friend and as a musician.
At the age of 11, he began his career playing and recording traditional music with his brother, thus establishing himself as a professional musician throughout Turkey and Europe.
In 1981 Arto moved to the United States to explore new creative influences, to add a new dimension to his own vision of life, to escape from the subtile restrictions of identity he had to face as part of the armenian minority in Turkey. Since then, he performed concerts of his own music throughout the world.

The album "Artostan" is highlighting a selection of songs from Arto Tunçboyaciyan's legendary solo performances - all recorded in February 2004 in Armenia's capital Yerevan and now published for the first time.

The poetic power of his song lyrics is expressed with a unique voice in "Abush" - a song about truth in the today's world. He lets the fragile-melancholy moods of difficult human trials resound on the little lute bular in "Little Protesta" - a song about his experience with liberty and freedom in America. He drums exuberant joy on the hand-drums bakdav ; mischievously innocent, he coaxes happiness and inner peace out of a simple cooking pot in the track "Sound of Silence".

"Because of what's going on in the world today with my human rights, dignity and power, I declare my own country in me. Artostan.

·Land of Artostan: As far as humanity can reach, physically and spiritually.
·Population: One
·Language: Artoeren (Is the first human language. If you pay attention you will understand)
·Nationality: Human Being
·Religion: Nature
·Flag Color: White (represents water), Blue (represents oxygen/air), Green (represents nature), Brown (represents earth), Black (represents negative side of humanity). Black will be removed in the future when and if humanity becomes positive.
·Laws and Regulations: People have to accept each other even if they don't like one another. With Love, Respect and Truth we will be able to gain trust in humanity. Nationality and religion labels no longer exist. Of course, I am not talking about one's belief.

I think people can create their own country within themselves. This is the ideology of the country's people and the king of Artostan."
Arto Tunçboyaciyan

This album is complementary to "Love Is Not in Your Mind" by Arto Tunçboyaciyan & Vahagn Hayrapetyan, published on Heaven and Earth (HE15) contemporaneously. Both are introducing Artos's philosophy and highest values "Love, Respect and Truth".

Links

• label Armenian Navy Band