Essaï Altounian, who competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 as part of the group Genealogy has unveiled plans for an exciting new project inspired by the rich history and culture of Armenia.
Project Armenia is to have three stages. Stage one is the release of a music video this coming May. The video will show Armenia’s landscape, colour and style at its very best and will feature music taken from the album that is to form the second stage of Essaï’s project.
Due for release in September following a crowdfunding project, Essaï’s Armenia album will blend traditional Armenian instruments and sounds with a contemporary pop production.
The album will, in turn, form the basis for the third and final stage of Essaï’s project, Armenia: The Show. During the show, an orchestra will play music from Essaï’s Armenia album and the audience will watch as the story of Armenia is told through 3D film projections and dance. It’s a story that stretches as far back as the days of Noah, who saved the animals from the flood.
I want to share Armenian culture with the world, Essai explained. I want everyone to know about us and I think that the most powerful way to connect to people is MUSIC. It’s not an Armenian project, it’s a universal project from ARMENIA.
Essaï Altounian was born in France to an Armenian family. As part of the group Genealogy, Essaï represented Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song Face the shadow. The group was made up of Armenians from each of the five continents, with Essaï representing Europe’s Armenians. These five singers were united on stage by Inga Arshakyan, a singer living and working in Armenia itself, and who had previously represented the country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009.
