It carries old memories of growing up singing these songs”. Vahe sings with his aunt, Sevan Aslanian, on the Track “Ari Ari”, and proudly explains, “the Armenian cover songs on my album have deep meaning to my family. Steeped in Armenian culture, the hypnotic beats of the songs on ‘Mixology’ resound in the listener. Vahe reveals a new perspective on Tizita as not only a form of Music but personalizes his composition in a unique blend of modern soft rock beats producing, Yene Tizita. Expect journeys in Ballad, Pop, Rock, English-Armenian, Reggae and Tizita, which is traditionally Ethiopian. Vahe sings each track melodiously refreshing the ears and evoking deeper meanings. Audiences can rewind this trendsetting album of original songs in different languages, which blend a range of genres together. This year, Vahe released his debut album ‘Mixology’, which, by any standard, shines light on Ethio-Armenian music. Slowly he started singing in Amharic, Ethiopia’s national language, and the received a phenomenal response from his Ethiopian audience, his mix propelled his success! This made Vahe to remind himself that, ‘in our own mix we find our calling’ and this was the wakeup call. “In the beginning, people would look at me and say, ‘he came from abroad and now he’s here working on his music’”. Audiences perceived him as unique and inspiring, but what Vahe needed was a recognition for what he truly is. Vahe became popular, but still faced challenges of being considered an ‘outsider’. Now he gave up his day job without regret and grew in his passion for art from strength to strength. His illustrious performance at The Sheraton Addis hotel was distinguished by his own Choreography.Ĭontinuing his musical journey Vahe joined the Bayenetus band performing in nightclubs around Addis. Performing salsa dance at many top venues in Addis Ababa including Cultural Shows held at The Italian & French Institutes. Returning home 10 2005(home is Ethiopia) this is exactly where Vahe put his efforts. “My first passion as a performer was dancing” he told this magazine contentedly. Away from home(he left Ethiopia at 18) his fond memories of the dance tradition he grew up with attracted him to join a Latin American dance club, putting himself in the cultural melting pot and giving birth to his journey to establish “in our own mix we find our true calling.” Vahe became a Latin American ballroom dancer, competing for six years. Nalbandian as their Bandleader.įrom this strong foundation in music, Vahe has built a repertoire in performance while studying biology in Canada. Later on, after receiving musical instruction, the Arba Lijoch became the nation’s first Official Orchestra, with Mr. Ras Tefari requested of the Armenian Patriarch to bring them all to Ethiopia. They had escaped the genocidal atrocities in Turkey and were in hiding in Israel. The story begins with Ras Tefari, the Crown Prince later to become Emperor Hailesellassie who, while touring Jerusalem in 1924, visited the Armenian Monastery and met 40 orphans. The legendary story of the Arba Lijoch (forty children) is one of his favorites. Today Vahe embraces the love of Armenian stories told to him as a child. His Aunt Hermine Nalbandian Sakadjian, who was also his first piano teacher, was daughter of the great Nerses Nalbandian, a famous composer in Ethiopia during the time of Haile Selassie I. Vahe’s heritage is strongly rooted in Armenian-Ethiopian musical history. “In our own mix we find our true calling”, becomes much more than a description of ‘Mixology’, the masterful debut Album from the young artist Vahe Tilbian in which he reconnects his roots as an Ethiopian, born into one of the country’s oldest immigrant communities – Armenian. This article was originally published on June 22/2013.