Jean Tatlian, whose songs the whole huge Soviet Union listened to in the 60s, unexpectedly left the country at the peak of fame. His life is an example of how a person builds his own destiny, contrary to stereotypes and generally accepted opinion. Tatlyan was able to reach heights in France, too, because he had his gift - an amazing voice, conquering anyone from the first note.
Parents and childhood
Future singer Jean Tatlian was born into an Armenian family living in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1943. When the boy was 5 years old, the family was repatriated to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. He remembers how his father sold his business and Jean’s home.
The elder Tatlian had a difficult and interesting fate. He traveled almost the entire globe, had a successful shoe factory, on which he put an imprint with the name of his beloved country - Armenia. When the chaos of revolution came to the country, he left the business and hastily left for Marseille. He traveled a lot, spoke several languages, easily converged with people and finally settled in Greece, where he married and gave birth to three children, of whom Jean was the youngest. He always told the children that they were born Armenians and Armenians would die, taught their native language, introduced them to culture. Jean’s mother, also an Armenian, was miraculously able to survive in Turkey during the genocide of the nation. After fleeing from Turkey, she ends up in Greece, where she later meets the father of the future singer.
When in the 40s Stalin promised the Armenians a decent life in their historical homeland - in Armenia, the Tatlyanov family believed in these speeches and moved to the USSR, to Armenia. Unfortunately, the reality was not what it was dreamed of. It was difficult, hungry for the Armenians, someone was exiled to Siberia, someone had difficulty integrating into the new reality, feeling like an outcast. In 1956, the Tatlyanov family moved to Sukhumi. By this time, his father was already over 60, his mother was very ill, and did not live well. Such a nomadic life tempered the character of little Jean, he learned to appreciate simple joys and carried his optimism through life.
Musical gift
Jean Tatlian, whose biography is closely related to music, from early childhood began to show his talent, he did not have the opportunity to learn music, but he early begins to engage in amateur performances, which became his launching pad. Tatlyan said that as long as he could remember, he always sang, it was his organic need. While studying at school, during the holidays he earned 10 rubles and spent them on the purchase of a guitar. He was able to master the instrument almost independently, and this allowed him, while still a schoolboy, to get a job as a guitarist in a quartet. He sometimes sang during performances, and this always aroused the delight of the public.
Way to the stage
After graduating from the 9th grade of the school, Jean Tatlian, whose songs became the most important in life, went to the Sukhumi Philharmonic with the firm intention to get a job. After listening to him, self-taught, they hired him as a singer. A year later, at 17, he had a solo program in which he sang songs of Soviet composers and his own works. It was just unbelievable for that time. Tatlian’s magical voice was bewitching, and he always, from the very first appearance on the stage, had many admirers.
Years of study
The opportunity to attend music school Tatlyan did not have the opportunity. The family lived poorly, elderly parents could not find the means to study, so he had to learn the basics himself. But Jean Tatlyan, whose biography was not easy, understood that for further development he needed to study, but first of all he needed to earn a living. Having gained professional experience, he decides to study, and goes to Kiev, where he enters the pop school, but he failed to study for a long time. The State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia arrives on tour in Kiev, where Jean's friend Jacques Duvalyan worked as a vocalist, he represents the beginning musician to the head of the orchestra, Konstantin Obelyan. He arranges an audition for the singer and immediately invites him to the post of soloist of the orchestra for tours in Ukraine. Thus begins the years of study for Tatlyan, but he has to learn mastery in practice. He did graduate from the pop school, but work became the main school for him. A year later, Tatlyan became the main highlight of the orchestra’s program; he completed the concert by singing songs by Obelyan and Babajanyan. Arno Babajanyan was by this time a famous Soviet songwriter, many performers fought for his works. He was in love with Tatlian's voice and trusted him with the premieres of his songs. For several years Tatlyan sang all the songs of Babajanyan.
Years of fame
For five years of work as a soloist of the jazz orchestra Obelyan Tatlyan was not only able to develop his vocal gift, but also gain wide fame. The velvet voice and a soft pleasant accent are very fond of the public. The recording studio "Melody" begins to produce small plates with Tatlyan's songs, which diverge in huge print runs. By 1966, a new star appeared in the USSR - Jean Tatlian, “Lanterns” and “Best City of the Earth” are heard on every corner. Babajanyan writes specifically for Tatlyan, he even prefers his rising star to Muslim Magomayev. In 1966, the album "Songs of Arno Babajanyan" released by Tatlyan was released, it was sold out with a circulation of 5 million, and the total circulation of the singer's records over the years reached 50 million. In addition to songs by professional authors, Jean sings his own, and in his solo program they occupy a whole department.
At this time, the singer settles in Leningrad, but almost never happens at home, because he gives 350-400 concerts a year and there was no talk of any phonograms. He begins to earn very good money, not only fame comes to him, but also a lot of money. Tatlian’s fame was simply unbelievable, he couldn’t go out, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd of fans, he achieved everything that you can dream of, and he was not yet thirty years old. He differed from other Soviet singers in his lyrical repertoire, sang little civil and patriotic works, preferring the theme of love.
Passion for freedom
The popular singer, star - Jean Tatlian, whose biography was developing so rapidly, realized that he had reached a certain ceiling, and he needed to look for a new path of development.
Despite the fame, Tatlyan felt great pressure from the authorities. He was not allowed to choose his repertoire on his own, forced to sing songs by Soviet composers instead of his works. He was forced to work constantly, but he was categorically not allowed to tour abroad. The authorities were constantly looking for a reason to “tame” the singer, and when on the eve of 1968 he refused to give a concert just before the New Year to give his musicians an opportunity to celebrate the holiday at home, they decided to punish him and deprived him of the tour for a whole year. He did not speak much on television, because he did not want to bow to the editors of music programs. All this fueled discontent in his soul. Tatlyan listened to the stories of colleagues visiting abroad, recalled the stories of Armenians who had once lived in different countries, and he really wanted to see the world, but there was no way for this. To this was added the memory of Messing's prediction, which once, of his own free will, came to the singer backstage and told him to prepare for changes - fate would throw him to the West.
Emigration
General dissatisfaction with censorship and power pressure, infringement of free movement around the world led to the fact that Jean Tatlyan, whose biography contains many interesting facts, began to think about emigration. It was a very difficult decision. An old mother remained in the USSR, and leaving inevitably led to the fact that Jean would have no opportunity to see her. But the wise mother said that let the son build his life as he thinks better, and let him grow and look at the world. So, a decision has been formed. In 1971, Tatlyan registered a fictitious marriage with a Frenchwoman and left for Paris. He was allowed to take only personal belongings with him, and so, lightly, with one suitcase, he flies away into a new life. In Paris, he was met by a friend, Jacques Duvalyan, who sheltered the refugee for the first time. In the USSR, after the singer’s departure, an order was issued to destroy all Tatlyan’s recordings, all programs and sound archives were erased, his name was forbidden to be mentioned in the press, a person was instantly erased from the memory of the authorities. But fans continued to remember his voice and listen to his records.
French life
In Paris, Jean Tatlian, whose discography totaled a dozen records with millions of copies, is forced to start from scratch. Nobody knew him, and he still had to prove his worth as a singer. His hits are unknown to anyone and are not needed, and Tatlian sings Russian, Greek, Gypsy and Armenian songs in the Rasputin cabaret. He has been working here all year, and it was a new vocational school. Despite the difficulties, Tatlyan feels happy and free. He has an agent who takes on the organization of concerts, the singer does not have to sit without work. He is invited to the United States, where he works in Las Vegas at the prestigious Imperial Palace casino, and not only emigrants from the USSR, but also the ordinary American public attend his concerts. Life abroad was successful, although he no longer had such a deafening glory as in the Soviet Union. But Jean Tatlian, whose “Castles in the Air” drove millions crazy, is happy that he is free and does what he loves.
Homecoming
In the 90s, when the borders with Russia were open, the musician returned to his homeland. It turned out that the words of the songs of Jean Tatlyan still remember a lot of listeners. He successfully gives 7 concerts in St. Petersburg with a full house. For some time he lives in two countries, but later returns to his beloved Peter. In the 2000s, he worked a lot in Russia, recorded albums, gave concerts, sang famous and new songs, and participated in television programs. And again she feels completely happy.
The best songs
The famous singer Jean Tatlian, whose “Lanterns” and “Autumn Light” has been driving people crazy for 50 years, has performed many songs in his life. Among them, the best are the works “The Sea Calls”, “The Best City of the Earth”, “Remembrance”, “Memory”. And, of course, everyone’s favorite song, which was sung by Jean Tatlian, is “Oriental”. When this song was performed, a hall of any size always sang it from the first to the last word with the singer. Jean sings a lot of folk songs, sings romances. His programs still consist mainly of love songs, Tatlyan remained true to himself.
Personal life
The singer always worked a lot, so he was not up to the device of family life. Jean Tatlian, whose personal life was rather late, chose a life partner for a long time and married when he was already under 50. The couple has no children, but he dearly loves his wife, who made him happy.