The prince charming of Armenian pop - Armenian Reporter

The humor that Nareg speaksof, however, is fantastically balancedby an earnestness thatcomes from having serious ideasand the creative ability and deeplyrooted desire to present themto the public. One of the mostimportant aspects of the themusic and the band, in Nareg’sopinion, is the fact that they representthe Caucasus. “We shouldrealize that we’re in between,” hesays matter-of-factly. “Our faces,our belonging . . . it’s our music.There are thousands of other cultures,but, representing the Caucasus,we connect the West andthe East.”They connect the past and thepresent, as well, as they continueto carry the legacy of Bambir intothe future and beyond Armeniaand the Caucasus. It’s easy to hearthe influences of the past and theirparents on their music but there’sa perpetual forward motion thatpervades their style and their lyrics– an idealism, a philosophy, agoal for this new era. They areundeniably budding rock stars asthey play with the audience andmove through the crowds and explorethe territory of being an internationalmusical presence.The musicSince they first started playing seriously(Arman says: “It’s a veryserious decision to pick up a guitarand start to play and make aband, so, in that sense, we’ve beenplaying seriously since we were9”), Bambir has written a plethoraof unique material, recorded andproduced their own albums, andtoured Iran, the Caucasus, Europe,and America. “Our music is alwaysnew for other countries,” Armansays, clearly reviewing thoughtsin his mind as he speaks. “Becausethey drink different water, breathedifferent air, and see differentthings. But regardless of what youthink, the music appears, it’s thereto be seen, to be felt. We’re nottrying to make anything beautifulor shiny, or make other people seethings in our music. It’s just comingfrom us. We’re not just playingit, we’re feeling it. So peoplearound the world not only like ourmusic but can see and feel thatthere is something profound anddifferent in it, and they can connectto it in their own way.”This connection becomes obviousthe first time one experiencesBambir live. The shows explodewith a wayward energy, as the boyscommunicate with the audienceand vice versa, that manifests intoan anomalous essence that drawsfans back continuously. The musicspeaks (strongly) for itself but itis simultaneously equivocal, leavingmuch for listeners to actualizeor internalize on their own. Thiscreates a dynamic that can neverbe reproduced, a special bond thatis formed out of the interchangebetween stage and floor duringeach show.Discussing the ways in whichBambir is different, Arman takesa thought and runs with it, turningit into a beautiful monologueon music, meaning and the soulof the band: “We’re honest withourselves and with our music, andI think that’s the first thing, notonly for musicians, but for anyonewho is trying to say somethingto another person. . . . We’re tryingto be honest with each other,together, within the band, andthat’s how we make music. Wedon’t think about what we’re doinglike, ‘which genre are we in?’or ‘are we playing rock?’ Because,anyway, it’s all about love, nomatter what you’re singing about– art, our music – it’s a way tofind love in all the things that areAbove left:“Without humornothing can be...”Nareg acts out thelyrics to his songs.Above right:Arman interactswith the audience.Photo: AnushBabajanyan.Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture 11/10/2007C5