“As a musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Raffi Joe Wartanian has understood that the most valuable contribution an artist can offer his culture is not in trying to recreate something of the past, but rather to offer his own unique, and thus new impression of his heritage. With his new recording “Critical Distance,” Raffi composes and performs with an obvious knowledge of both Armenian and American music, but in an absolutely fresh way.”
Armenian folk meets Appalachian bluegrass in a Brooklyn tango bar. CRITICAL DISTANCE (2019) features 10 instrumental compositions on guitar, oud, and mandolin.
Available on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, Amazon Music, Google Play, Apple Music, Bandcamp, iHeart Radio, Anghami, Deezer, and beyond. ★ Liner notes here.
Frank Zappa meets Dick Dale meets Salvador Dali in Raffi Joe Wartanian’s extravaganza of gypsy zest. PUSHKIN STREET (2013) — named after Yerevan, Armenia's hub of progressive music — is the debut album of 11 singer-songwriter tracks.
Available on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, Amazon Music, Google Play, Apple Music, Bandcamp, iHeart Radio, Anghami, Deezer, and beyond. ★ Liner notes here.
Eileen Khatchadourian is an award winning Lebanese-Armenian vocalist. Her sophomore release Titernig (2015), was recorded at I-Want Studios / Mastered at Abbey Road Studios / Produced by Sandro Mussida and Francesco Fabris.
Role: lyrics & music for Titernig (2015). Lyrics for I Wept (2015), Lullaby for Kami (2021), and Sbidag Abakan (2021).
Armenian School of Oud, a 3 Volume Textbook by Mihran Demirchyan (1950-2016). To review or download the textbook(s), visit https://oudarmenia.tumblr.com.
Role: producer, editor, translator.
Ghazi Kurdstany: Live in Baltimore (2012). Ghazi, Ali, and Amina Ahmed hail from Kurdistan in northern Iraq. They have performed throughout their homeland and now in the city of Baltimore at the renowned Creative Alliance Theater and Baltimore Resettlement Center.
Role: producer.
A 7 piece funk outfit formed at John Hopkins University, Defawnk (2004-2008) performed original songs and funkified covers throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area peppered with northward excursions. Role: co-founder.
Before Justin Bieber. Before hipsters. There was LONGHOUSE (2000-2004). Once Dionysus, then Lenape Longhouse, and finally, the band that brought you the earth-shattering hit single MONTEZUMA and other dance hall favorites like SQUIRREL SONG, WHITE SAND BLACK SAND, and #2. Grab yourself a friendly helping of Charm City teenage dreamers once upon a Y2K...
Support by