Waking The Spirits of Urvakan Festival
03.14.23
Discotchari Presents: Waking The Spirits of Urvakan Festival
Armenian Rare Groove, Disco, Rock, Funk/Soul
Discotchari is the investigative journey of Zachary Asdourian and Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan. Formed as a sublabel under the LA-based, electronic imprint Critique, Discotchari is pushing the boundaries of Armenian music by highlighting rare grooves embedded in overlooked Diaspora communities and strongholds. In the spirit of digital nativity, Discotchari is also building an omni-channel platform across YouTube, SoundCloud and Instagram where distinguished albums can have a listening space and conversations surrounding the music can be encouraged. Their passion is to increase the demand for their culture by supplying soundtracks that sway all audiences of international music, building solidarity through shared appreciation.
This vinyl set was curated for Urvakan Festival 2022, originally scheduled to take place at The Composer’s Union in Dilijan last September. This festival was cancelled due to Azerbaijan’s invasion of sovereign Armenian land that they continue to occupy to this day while imposing an economic blockade on 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh. As of this video’s upload date, the blockade has persisted for 90+ days and the regime in Azerbaijan has made clear their intentions to ethnically cleanse Artsakh of its indigenous people by disrupting daily life.
“Sometimes a set is more about storytelling than DJ’ing, and together these songs represent the story we wanted to tell about Armenian music at Urvakan last year. We are going to tell this story anyway and offer some visual aids taken straight from our historical and cultural lexicons. Squelching guitars, 8-bit synthesizers, wailing horns, thunderous drum-breaks, familiar phrases in a different fashion; this was our ritual to beckon the ghosts (“urvakaner”) to the dance floor, and liberate the spirits of both living and dead.”
Tracklist:
[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:00:04] Konstantin Orbelyan – Dilijan
[00:02:18] Mikayel Melikyan – Inchu Es Lalis? (“Why Are You Crying?”)
[00:05:56] Jack Baghsarian – Ari Yar (“Come Here My Love”)
[00:08:52] Yorgantz – Anahid (“Discotchari”)
[00:12:10] Avo Sarkissian – Mi Mekh Ounem (“I Have One Sin”)
[00:16:14] Harout Pamboukjian – Handi Lala
[00:20:01] Hovig Hovanes – Sareri Kami (“Mountain Wind”)
[00:22:46] Arthur Apkarian – Ors Kez Hed Antsav (“My Day Spent With You”)
[00:25:34] Tato Aristakessian – Ov Ouni? (“Who Has?”)
[00:28:19] Raissa Mkrtchyan – Mer Haïrenik (“Our Fatherland”)
[00:30:26] Jack Boshnagyan – Nooneh
[00:32:48] Mohammed “Mike” Hegazi – Nouni
[00:38:54] Antranig Matossian – Herou Keznitz (“Far Away From You”)
[00:43:28] Karnig Sarkissian – Siroun Aghchig Es (“You’re A Beautiful Girl”)
[00:45:58] Norayr – Haïenk Tznvel (“We Were Born Armenian”)
[00:50:00] André Valian – Geedem Ge Gos (“I Know You’ll Come”)
[00:53:46] Ievo Y Su Conjunto – Iek Kailenk Sirelis / Ven Caminemos Mi Amor (“Come Let’s Walk My Love”)
[00:56:53] Conjunto Electrónico Armenio – Im Hai Ajchig (“My Armenian Girl”)
[01:00:22] Georgy Minasyan – Yerevani Poghotsnerov (“In the Streets of Yerevan”)
[01:03:04] Melkon / Sevan – Tchem Garor Heranal (“I Can’t Leave”)
[01:06:11] Lola Khomiants – Ur Ek Tghaner? (“Where Are You Guys?”)
[01:09:37] Sardarabad – Khentsor (“Apple On A Tree”)
[01:13:38] Narek Dourian – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
[01:16:12] John Berberian – The Oud & The Fuzz (4/4)
