Serj Tankian is an American musician of Armenian descent, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and politician. Widely known as the founder and leader of the rock band System of a Down. He is recognized as one of the greatest vocalists in the history of alternative music.
early years
Serge Tankyan was born on August 21, 1967 in an Armenian family. The birthplace of the musician is the capital of Lebanon - Beirut. When the future singer was seven years old, the Tankian family moved to Los Angeles, where Serge began attending an Armenian music school. She was also visited by Daron Malakyan and Shavo Odadzhyan - future colleagues on the stage. However, due to the difference in age, they did not overlap. Rockers will get to know each other only after seventeen years in one Los Angeles record company, but for now little Tankian only learned to play the guitar and piano. Later he entered the University of California and worked for some time as a director of a software company, but the young poet wrote poetry and his first songs throughout his teenage years. Young Serge Tankyan - pictured below.
System of a Down
The foundation date of the rock band is 1992. The group was originally called Soil and consisted of five people, including Serge, Daron and Shavo. But in the end, they remained three together in connection with the departure of two musicians due to slow creative development. That's because in a few years, Soil gave just a couple of concerts and recorded some unsuccessful demos. It was decided to take the fourth person to drums and change the name to System of a Down, which comes from the title of the poem of the band’s guitarist Daron Malakyan Victims of a Down.
In 1998, the debut self-titled album of metallers was released. The record rose to the high lines of the American charts in a few days, and the two title tracks Sugar and Spiders became favorites on radio stations. The tour in support of the album lasted more than two years and ended with work on a new collection.
In 2001, Serge Tankyan's group released the second disc - Toxicity. This material has been well received by critics, and the songs by Chop Suey! and Toxicity recognized as the best creation of System of a Down. All the songs of American rockers affect political, social and universal problems. For example, the content of some compositions and the cover of the debut album symbolize the possibility of citizens struggling with the totalitarian regime.
System of a Down absorbed the music of many different groups: from The Beatles and Kiss to Rage Against the Machine and Korn, thereby creating their own unique style, combining the brilliant vocals of Serge Tankyan and the virtuoso guitar playing of Daron Malakyan. Having recorded five successful and influential albums over seven years, the members of the group decided to go on creative leave for a while. From that moment, the team often delighted fans with periodic reunions, playing at major festivals around the world.
Solo work
Elect The Dead is Serge Tankian's debut solo album, released in 2007. Many fans of the musician spoke of his new project as a new stage in the creative skill of the maestro. However, Serge himself spoke out about the personal brainchild as material that simply did not fit in the collections of the former System of a Down collective. In 2009, Tankian performed Elect The Dead and several new songs with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra.
The concert recording was warmly received by the world public. At this, the musician did not leave his solo career. In 2010, he released his second album, Imperfect Harmonies. Serge called the style of the project orchestral jazz. Very quickly, the disc reached third place in the world weekly chart of rock albums, however, did not last long. In 2012, Tankian released the third solo album Harakiri. And if the previous one was symphonic, then the new one had a completely different sound with punk rock notes. The fourth and final solo album Orca Symphony No.1 of 2013 was again orchestral in nature. This is a full symphony consisting of four acts. Many music commentators have noted a clear national approach. This observation is confirmed by the use of such an Armenian folk musical instrument as duduk in compositions.
Tankian in Russia
The songs of Serge Tankyan in solo projects and the work of the System of a Down group were also enjoyed by Russian fans of alternative music. As part of the European tour of 2011, almost 20 years after its founding, the rock band still visited Russia with a concert. Later, in 2013, at the major Russian rock festival Kubana, the group acted as the main guest musicians. Also, two years later, System of a Down in Moscow played a program dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
In 2017, the Russian historical film Legend of Kolovrat was released on the cinema screens. Serj Tankian composed the music for this painting. The musician often listens to the great Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich and is a big fan of the work of Vladimir Vysotsky.
Political and social activities
Serj Tankian has expressed many times that, despite a long stay away from Armenia, he feels a strong connection with his homeland. Having become famous throughout the world, the musician began to actively promote the culture and customs of his native people. Serge has repeatedly demanded that the American authorities recognize the bloodthirsty events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire as the genocide of Armenians. Tankyan sent letters to the administration, asked caring fans to take an active position on this tragic issue, and made loud statements on radio stations. As a result, the musician achieved justice and for this he was awarded an honorary medal in Armenia. Serj Tankian is a vegetarian and regularly makes statements in the media regarding the protection and protection of animals.
Personal life
On June 9, 2012, Tankian married his longtime Armenian girlfriend Angela Madatyan. In 2014, a young family announced that they had their first child, a son named Rumi. Serge's family lives in New Zealand in the small town of Warkworth.