电报盗号系统全自动破解技术|【唯一TG:@heimifeng8】|谷歌快排漏洞利用✨谷歌搜索留痕排名,史上最强SEO技术,20年谷歌SEO经验大佬✨ArmenՅԱՆs. Netherlands
By Syune Arakelyan
Netherlands-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Ara (Ara Abrahamian) recently released two songs inspired by his Armenian roots and the history of his ancestors. Although he was born and raised far from his homeland, Ara has repeatedly heard about the tragedy of his ancestors who were forced to flee their homeland because of the Armenian Genocide. He recounted that pain in his song Ruins, where he merged the words with the magical sounds of the duduk. The musician recently completed his first tour playing support concerts all throughout the Netherlands, during which, among his other original works, he continued to tell about Armenia through the language of music. NEWS.am STYLE presents Ara’s story in the “ArmenՅԱՆs” section.
Ara, every Armenian living abroad has a story behind them. Can you tell us about your family history?
My mother’s side of the family comes from Martuni, and my father’s side of the family is originally from the mountains in Sassoon, they were forced to escape to Syria during the Armenian Genocide. My grandpa found himself in Syria, orphaned at the age of six, and from the humblest of beginnings managed to gradually build a good life for himself and his family.
My parents met in Armenia but were later forced to flee themselves during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, which is why my younger brother and I grew up in the Netherlands.
Tell us about your childhood, please. How did you grow up as a child, what did you want to become?
I think I always wanted to be an artist of sorts. I was quite shy as a kid, and spent a lot of time getting lost in books, movies, and daydreaming to music. Besides art, I was into law and philosophy from a young age. I was obsessed with ‘justice’ and loved debating people— in that way I was a real menace to the people around me growing up. I draw a lot of inspiration and strength from the childhood we were given despite everything.
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
Was it easy to learn how to speak, read and write in Armenian living abroad?
For us, it was a given, since our mom was the one teaching us and was quite diligent about us having Armenian lessons. So, after school, it was time for ‘Armenian School’; there really wasn’t anywhere to run. There’s quite a few schoolteachers on my mom’s side of the family, so each year my grandpa would visit with a fresh batch of Armenian school books. Though, admittedly, it sometimes felt like a mild form of torture growing up, these days both me and my brother are deeply grateful for it, as well as the emphasis on recital and poetry, which is so integral to the Armenian language.
How often do you visit Armenia?
My brother and I make an effort to visit when plans line up. We usually would stay with my grandpa in Martuni and also spend time in Yerevan with my aunt. About three years ago, I suffered a significant injury that required extensive recovery for me to regain my ability to walk again. I spent part of that period in Armenia, which was a deeply healing experience.
Are there any Armenian features in your mentality? What for example?
Yes, I’d say so. Definitely the importance of familial bonds, and I’d say I try to carry general warmth and resilience that I see reflected in many Armenians. Also a strong sense of pride, especially a tendency of being very willing to help others, but being reluctant in accepting any help myself. When it came to music, I tried to learn and do everything on my own to stay independent, which made the journey much longer than it needed to be. This year I’ve learned to truly accept and value support, and I feel very grateful for the brilliant people that I now get to include in the process.
How did you first get introduced to guitar? And do you remember what the first music was that you played?
When I was little my Dad bought a budget classical guitar, and the first piece I ever played was some classical etude from the book that came with it. I had some lessons and my mom would also teach me, she was a classically trained pianist. It wasn’t until I discovered rock music around age 12 that my passion for guitar truly blossomed.
And how did you start composing songs?
As a teenager, song ideas just started pouring out of me. At first, I would mostly write instrumental music, dreaming of becoming a film composer someday. After school, I’d go straight home, lock myself in this tiny little room we had, and spend hours trying to make music. If I recall the music was actually half-decent, but the lyrics were definitely not. (Un)fortunately one summer my brother accidentally wiped the hard drive that contained all those old songs and ideas.
Who were and are your musical inspirations?
I have always been drawn to guitar music and very emotive artists such as Bon Iver, Dermot Kennedy and Hozier. There’s a timelessness and warmth to folk that has always captivated me. I really enjoy artists who subtly blend Armenian or eastern music with other genres, such as Tigran Hamasyan, Arooj Aftab and Tamino. I am also inspired by artists who use their art to confront societal issues, offering awareness rather than escapism, such as System of a Down, Sam Fender and Aurora. Speaking of Aurora, I also have to mention Enya— her music is like a wellspring of magic to me, woven into my earliest memories.
You also combine Armenian elements in your music...
I’ve been drawn more and more to Armenian folk and duduk music. I love Djivan Kasparyan’s work and renditions of the pieces by Komitas. Tigran Hamasyan’s reinterpretation of ‘Hoy Nazan’ is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music. And definitely, my song ‘Ruins’ includes duduk and subtle Armenian elements in the songwriting. It felt like I finally found the sound I’ve been seeking, it felt like an arrival. The use of duduk will definitely be a mainstay, its warmth and melancholy just perfectly capture the spirit of my music; a friend of mine referred to it as an ‘ancient homesickness’.
Can you tell a little bit more about your most recent song ‘Ruins’?
I began writing ‘Ruins in the fall of 2025 during the attacks on Artsakh, and as the song evolved, I drew inspiration from my family's stories—especially those of relatives who survived the Armenian Genocide and others impacted by the ongoing conflict in Syria. I finished the song while living in the Joshua Tree desert, I spent a lot of time there reflecting on my purpose in making music and what I wanted to convey to the world.
I poured both grief and anger into the song. I thought a lot about the resilience of the human spirit, how much communities can endure while retaining grace and hope. The inclusion of the duduk and Armenian lyrics flowed naturally during the songwriting process. I initially made this song mostly for myself, but it has been very encouraging seeing how other people have connected with it as well.
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
And what about your first single ‘Meadows’ that you released in June?
I wrote ‘Meadows’ while sitting in the meadows near my mom’s old home in Martuni. The song just found me after the time spent captures everything I would have experienced had I grown up there. Staying with my grandpa in my mom’s old house, playing hide and seek with the kids in town, BBQing in the forests and meadows, swimming in the lakes and just being surrounded by many warm souls, that sense of larger community and family that we never quite had growing up. All of that came together in the song as I tried to honor our stories tied to the town.
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
Do you have any plans to visit Armenia in the near future?
Absolutely, I have my sights set on spring of next year. I will visit Martuni where my grandparents and mother now rest, and will spend some time with my aunt in Yerevan. I am also looking forward to finding and collaborating with different Armenian musicians while I’m there. I even have some rogue ambitions of learning the duduk myself.