Five centuries ago, five centuries later Same as yesterday, same as today Same blooming in spring and same dry autumn leaves (Arthur Meschian and "Apostles" - "Five centuries")

I guess a proper start would be 60's. The political situation in Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic just like in the rest of the USSR is getting warmer although the whole communist empire is still shrouded into the iron curtain. From time to time miniscule bootleg tapes and unlawful contrabande of foreign LP records are sneaked in. Boo! Forbidden! Prohibited! Illegal! Anti-communist bourgeouis music from the capitalist west. Stagnation is going on in the whole country as thick-eyebrowed Leonid Brezhnev's cabinet was putting a ban on everything from "out there". Thus, very little import of music came from the US or Great Britain, but whatever got inside, was distributed very quickly among rock listeners. Early tapes of Beatles, Deep Purple, Rolling Stones and Zeppelin were constantly circulating in town, hand to hand, being recorded and re-recorded on old reel ("babina") tapes. Perhaps, that was the very time when first rock bands started appearing in the so-called underground music scene.

The term undeground implies not only something innovative and avant-garde. In Soviet Armenia (as in the whole Soviet Union) rock music was pretty much bearing the label of being "underground" which means "semi-illegal", censured, even "black-listed". Some were banned on TV and radio, others were even prosecuted. This was the time when a new band called "Apostles" ("Arakyalner" in armenian) was born. Led by singer and songwriter Arthur Meschian with Levon Melikian on guitar and Grigor Nalbandian on drums, "Apostles" quickly became the voice of their generation in 60's/early 70's. "Apostles" on the cover of the never-released "Requiem" album in 60's

The voice of "Apostles" like many around was heavily muffled and even banned. Yet repetitive attempts of the governing powers to ban or sabotage "Apostles" concerts by shutting down the electricity, or blocking entrances of the concert venues were in vain. Some still remember the candlelit concerts where Arthur’s voice soared over his acoustic guitar and reached every person in the back row. Nor will they ever forget the sight of thousands of students breaking though police barricades to get into the concert halls where the "Apostles" were performing. read more about "Apostles" and Arthur Meschian

No wonder that most of the bands like "Apostles" ended up being if not banned, then at least at quite a discontent. 70's and 80's were predominantly love-chirping and folklore performers. Some groups like "Asbarez" and "Ardzagank" were quite popular not only inside, but also outside of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Others were singing heavier tunes were only known to the chosen ones.

At the same time a new trend of singers/songwriters starts to emerge. These new artists, usually equipped with a single guitar, self-written lyrics became quite popular both in Armenia and throughout the whole Soviet Union. They were called "bards" in Russian. Usually poets, philosophers, "bards" resembled American folklore singers like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez or Donovan. The first among Soviet ones were Vladimir Visotsky and Bulat Okudjava. While Okudjava was primarily singing simple and touching tunes, Visotsky's war anthems and hidden political lyrics ridiculing the system, created quite a stir.

In the painting of a bright starry night There awoke little whispers, gentle and kind, And the floating moon in the skies Sailed into your dream, my little child When you closed your sleepy eyes to its beams, It then filled your soul with soft dreams, Slowly whispered words of hope into your ears So that you awake with smiles and no fears. Wake up, unlock the window, little child See the sun shooting up into the sky. Golden sunlight rays are drawing on your wall This miraculous painting With the garden and these trees. R.Hakhverdian "Painting" ("Nkar")

Rouben Hakhverdian, famous singer/songwriter Go to official Hakhverdian's website

Very similar movement was going on in Armenia as well. One such "bard" singer was Rouben Hakhverdian. His Yerevanian love tunes accompanied by an acoustic guitar became very popular. Especially popular were his two songs for the cute little cartoon "Found dream" by animator R.Sahakyan about a little girl walking into paintings on the wall (ha lav, bolors el sirum enk es multike!). In Hakhverdian's repertoire simple songs like "Wanderer", "My dove" and "Autumn of our love" were suddenly starched with raw political anthems raising eyebrows of the Soviet censure. Still, the ratio of love songs was predominantly higher, and Hakhverdian's music was left relatively unscathed. read more about Rouben Hakhverdian