Nune Yesayan
Encyclopedia
Nune Yesayan (born August 5, 1969 in Yerevan
, Armenia
) commonly known as Nune or Nouné is a popular Armenian
pop singer
who began singing with an Armenian jazz band
in the early 1990s before becoming a lounge singer at resorts in the Middle East
. While performing in Damascus
, she observed that young Syria
ns knew the words to old folk songs performed by contemporary singers, which was not true of young Armenians.
, Yesayan made a name for herself at her high school
for being a gifted vocalist and talented performer. She graduated from high school in 1986 and was accepted to the Polytechnic University of Yerevan
to study engineering
.
During her first year in college, Nune excelled in her engineering studies and received high marks in both mathematics
and physics
. She spent her time away from school performing Armenian folk music
with an amateur
band. The group, which included long-time friend and collaborator Arthur Hagopian, appeared at small venues and a few concert
s.
After successfully completing her first year of course work at the Polytechnic University in 1987, Nune decided to change her major and focus on her passion for music. She applied for admission and was accepted to the Jazz and Pop College of Yerevan, where she began her studies in the Fall of 1988.
Nune's teacher
s and vocal coaches at the Jazz and Pop College included famed Armenian jazz
performer Datevig Hovanissian and Yerevan's most prolific pop producer, composer Arthur Grigorian. In addition to her intense rehearsal
and study schedule at the College, Nune performed regularly at Grigorian's Yerevan jazz club, "Azad Jamantz".
Following graduation from the Jazz and Pop College in 1990, Nune audition
ed and was accepted into the Armenian National Jazz Orchestra. Under the direction of famed composer and conductor Constantine Orbelian, Nune performed with the Orchestra in Armenia and throughout the former Soviet Union
, singing Armenian folk songs and jazz standard
s.
Nune's first television appearance as a solo
act was on the "Ayo" television program, a show similar to "Pop Idol
". Nune won the highest possible scores from a panel
of judges, retained the title of "top female vocalist" for the entire length of the television season and quickly became a household name in Armenia.
Similar successes followed in 1990 and 1991, when Nune participated in two more nationally televised talent competition shows. Nune was named "Miss Soul" in 1990 and "Best Female Vocalist" at the Asoop (Comet) Award Show in 1991. Accolades and honors from domestic and international awards shows including the "Armenian Music Awards" in Los Angeles
have continued and included honors for best album, best music video, best concert and best female vocalist.
Nune recorded her first album of traditional
Armenian songs in 1991. It was produced by Garbis Titizian and Prime Entertainment. Arthur Hagopian, who was part of Nune's first amateur band, arranged the album using modern instruments and contemporary arrangements. The music video for her rendition of the folks song "Kele Lao" was an immediate hit in the Armenia Diaspora
and a regular staple of the US-based Armenian television station, Horizon (TV).
In an interview
, Nune said "I was jealous" in English in an interview before her concert here, occasionally turning to an interpreter
for assistance. "That's when I decided to do something the young people will sing and remember the words. I wanted to work with Armenian folk songs, rearrange
them and make them appealing to young people".
In 1991 and 1992, Nune was invited by her former teacher, Arthur Grigorian, to perform in shows he produced. Her appearances on television with Grigorian's group were a hit, and the group's concerts were always sold out.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, harsh economic conditions in Armenia forced Nune to seek employment
opportunities abroad. Her ability to sing in many language
s and in various styles won her contracts at 5 Star hotels in the Middle East. During her concerts and small-venue shows, Nune sang contemporary hits, pop and jazz standards and songs in English, Arabic
, French
and Armenian.
Upon her return to Armenia in 1997, Nune partnered again with Prime Entertainment in an effort to distribute her CDs internationally. Executive Producer
Garbis Titizian arranged for the release of Nune's first CD and the recording and distribution of her second album, World.
In 1998, Nune formed her own band, which continues to work with her today. Together with her musicians, Nune took her band on the road throughout Armenia, performing benefit concerts for the Armenia Fund
, an organization which fund the development of Armenia's infrastructure
.
Nune's North American debut took place at the Pasadena Civic Center Auditorium in Southern California. Because of her hit music videos and popular CDs, Nune sold out her first concert in the US and enjoyed unexpected and unprecedented attention during her appearances at Armenian schools and record stores.
Since the release of Kavare Mer and Who Knows in 1998 and 1999, Nune has released one new album
each year including World in 2000, Nune in 2001, Love in 2002, Sayat Nova in 2003, Me in 2004 and her International Album of Nune in 2005. Her musical range has expanded from singing traditional Armenian folk songs to include singing new songs written specially for her.
Every one of Nune's concerts in the United States
, Canada
, England
, France
, Syria
, Lebanon
, Greece
, Argentina
, Australia
, Russia
and Armenia have sold out weeks in advance. Her concert in honor of those who lost their lives during the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, was attended by nearly eight thousand people and mentioned on the CNN "World Report" and the Mir and Associated Press television news services.
Nune's most notable concert venues have included the Hamaleer Sport Complex in Armenia, the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and the Lincoln Center in New York City
. She has also appeared in concert with famed Armenian-Persian
singer Andy and French idol Patrick Fiori
. Her largest audiences to date was at a charity concert she performed at the Cascade in Yerevan. The open-air concert attracted more than 35,000 fans.
In addition to her charity concerts, Nune has continued to dedicate her time and efforts to helping her homeland and her people. She has appeared as a host and guest of the globally telecast Armenia Fund Telethon in 2000 and 2004 and continues to enjoy press coverage in Armenia, Russia
and in Armenian publications throughout the Diaspora.
Even mainstream American media, including the New York Times and Boston Globe, have taken note of her fame and written about her phenomenal fame and status among her people and her impact on the world of Armenian music.
"World"
"Me"
"Nune"
"Love"
"Agha Jan"
"Dle Yaman"
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
) commonly known as Nune or Nouné is a popular Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
pop singer
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
who began singing with an Armenian jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
in the early 1990s before becoming a lounge singer at resorts in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. While performing in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, she observed that young Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
ns knew the words to old folk songs performed by contemporary singers, which was not true of young Armenians.
Biography
Even before studying music in collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, Yesayan made a name for herself at her high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for being a gifted vocalist and talented performer. She graduated from high school in 1986 and was accepted to the Polytechnic University of Yerevan
State Engineering University of Armenia
The State Engineering University of Armenia is a technical university located in Yerevan, Armenia. Established as the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1933, it provides educational and research programs in various fields of technology and science related to engineering...
to study engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
.
During her first year in college, Nune excelled in her engineering studies and received high marks in both mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. She spent her time away from school performing Armenian folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
with an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
band. The group, which included long-time friend and collaborator Arthur Hagopian, appeared at small venues and a few concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s.
After successfully completing her first year of course work at the Polytechnic University in 1987, Nune decided to change her major and focus on her passion for music. She applied for admission and was accepted to the Jazz and Pop College of Yerevan, where she began her studies in the Fall of 1988.
Nune's teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s and vocal coaches at the Jazz and Pop College included famed Armenian jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
performer Datevig Hovanissian and Yerevan's most prolific pop producer, composer Arthur Grigorian. In addition to her intense rehearsal
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
and study schedule at the College, Nune performed regularly at Grigorian's Yerevan jazz club, "Azad Jamantz".
Following graduation from the Jazz and Pop College in 1990, Nune audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
ed and was accepted into the Armenian National Jazz Orchestra. Under the direction of famed composer and conductor Constantine Orbelian, Nune performed with the Orchestra in Armenia and throughout the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, singing Armenian folk songs and jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
s.
Nune's first television appearance as a solo
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
act was on the "Ayo" television program, a show similar to "Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
". Nune won the highest possible scores from a panel
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of judges, retained the title of "top female vocalist" for the entire length of the television season and quickly became a household name in Armenia.
Similar successes followed in 1990 and 1991, when Nune participated in two more nationally televised talent competition shows. Nune was named "Miss Soul" in 1990 and "Best Female Vocalist" at the Asoop (Comet) Award Show in 1991. Accolades and honors from domestic and international awards shows including the "Armenian Music Awards" in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
have continued and included honors for best album, best music video, best concert and best female vocalist.
Nune recorded her first album of traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
Armenian songs in 1991. It was produced by Garbis Titizian and Prime Entertainment. Arthur Hagopian, who was part of Nune's first amateur band, arranged the album using modern instruments and contemporary arrangements. The music video for her rendition of the folks song "Kele Lao" was an immediate hit in the Armenia Diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
and a regular staple of the US-based Armenian television station, Horizon (TV).
In an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
, Nune said "I was jealous" in English in an interview before her concert here, occasionally turning to an interpreter
Interpreting
Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages...
for assistance. "That's when I decided to do something the young people will sing and remember the words. I wanted to work with Armenian folk songs, rearrange
Rearrange
"Rearrange" is a song by the band God Lives Underwater. It was originally released on their album Life in the So-Called Space Age in 1998, resulting in significant airplay.-Track listing:# Rearrange # Rearrange - Example 1...
them and make them appealing to young people".
In 1991 and 1992, Nune was invited by her former teacher, Arthur Grigorian, to perform in shows he produced. Her appearances on television with Grigorian's group were a hit, and the group's concerts were always sold out.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, harsh economic conditions in Armenia forced Nune to seek employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
opportunities abroad. Her ability to sing in many language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s and in various styles won her contracts at 5 Star hotels in the Middle East. During her concerts and small-venue shows, Nune sang contemporary hits, pop and jazz standards and songs in English, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Armenian.
Upon her return to Armenia in 1997, Nune partnered again with Prime Entertainment in an effort to distribute her CDs internationally. Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Garbis Titizian arranged for the release of Nune's first CD and the recording and distribution of her second album, World.
In 1998, Nune formed her own band, which continues to work with her today. Together with her musicians, Nune took her band on the road throughout Armenia, performing benefit concerts for the Armenia Fund
Armenia Fund
Armenia Fund Established in 1994 in Los Angeles, California, Armenia Fund, Inc. is a 501 tax-exempt, non-governmental, non-political corporation. Serving as the United States’ Western Region affiliate of the “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund along with its nineteen subsidiaries around the world, Armenia...
, an organization which fund the development of Armenia's infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
.
Nune's North American debut took place at the Pasadena Civic Center Auditorium in Southern California. Because of her hit music videos and popular CDs, Nune sold out her first concert in the US and enjoyed unexpected and unprecedented attention during her appearances at Armenian schools and record stores.
Since the release of Kavare Mer and Who Knows in 1998 and 1999, Nune has released one new album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
each year including World in 2000, Nune in 2001, Love in 2002, Sayat Nova in 2003, Me in 2004 and her International Album of Nune in 2005. Her musical range has expanded from singing traditional Armenian folk songs to include singing new songs written specially for her.
Every one of Nune's concerts in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Armenia have sold out weeks in advance. Her concert in honor of those who lost their lives during the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, was attended by nearly eight thousand people and mentioned on the CNN "World Report" and the Mir and Associated Press television news services.
Nune's most notable concert venues have included the Hamaleer Sport Complex in Armenia, the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and the Lincoln Center in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She has also appeared in concert with famed Armenian-Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
singer Andy and French idol Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori is a French singer.-Biography:Fiori was born to an Armenian father and a Corsican mother in Marseille, France. When he was only 12 years old, he was offered his first role in the musical La légende des santonniers...
. Her largest audiences to date was at a charity concert she performed at the Cascade in Yerevan. The open-air concert attracted more than 35,000 fans.
In addition to her charity concerts, Nune has continued to dedicate her time and efforts to helping her homeland and her people. She has appeared as a host and guest of the globally telecast Armenia Fund Telethon in 2000 and 2004 and continues to enjoy press coverage in Armenia, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and in Armenian publications throughout the Diaspora.
Even mainstream American media, including the New York Times and Boston Globe, have taken note of her fame and written about her phenomenal fame and status among her people and her impact on the world of Armenian music.
Discography
- 1991:
- 1998: Kavare MerKavare MerKavare Mer is the second album released by Armenian superstar Nune. Musical arrangements were provided by Artur Hagorian. The album was recorded at Asbarez Recording Studios in Yerevan, Armenia and sponsored by Levon Travel.-Track listing:...
- 1999: Who Knows
- 2000: World
- 2001: Nune
- 2002: Love
- 2003: Sayat Nova (King Of Songs)
- 2004: Me
- 2005: Nune: International Album
- 2006: Dle Yaman
Music videos
"Who Knows"- Khkhcha
- Mi Bala
"World"
- Ari Yar
- Inchu Es Kez Sireci
"Me"
- Hognel Em
- Konn Em
"Nune"
- Vooy Nare
- Nune
- Gheseye Eshgh
- Prosto Eto Ya (I'm easy)
"Love"
- Romance
"Agha Jan"
- Agha Jan
"Dle Yaman"
- Miayn Es Ev Du
- Nairyan Dalar Bardi
- Hasarak Mard