SERJ TANKIAN TALKS ‘WAKE UP THE SOULS’ TOUR, ‘1915’
10:11, 06 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Last November, the Grammy Award-winning group System of a Down
announced plans for a tour to mark the centennial of the Armenian
Genocide.
The tour, called “Wake Up the Souls” will kick off in Los Angeles on
April 6 and after stops in London, Cologne, Germany, Lyon, France,
Brussels, Amsterdam and Moscow the band will land at Yerevan’s Republic
Square for a free concert on April 23.
In an interview with Asbarez News Serj Tankian discussed the tour and
other projects, which are keeping him busy for the foreseeable future.
He touched on some of the key issues coming up in 2015, the main one
being the Armenian Genocide Centennial and “Wake Up the Souls.”
“The idea was to take what we had done with the previous concert
series, ‘Souls,’ and to project that into a tour for the centennial
in 2015,” said Tankian referring to a concert the band staged in 2004
to raise awareness about the Genocide and to challenge then President
George W. Bush to honor his campaign pledge to recognize as genocide
the events of 1915.
He said that the tour culminating with a large free concert in Yerevan,
where System of a Down has never performed, would be an appropriate
commemoration of the centennial.
“We are also looking at televising the show in Armenia for free on
the Internet worldwide so everyone can be with us in Republic Square
in Yerevan,” he added.
Tankian asserted that “Wake Up the Souls,” is not meant to “just raise
awareness [about the Genocide], but to be a conduit for justice.” The
call to action, he explained, begins before the tour kicks off on an
online community where people have already begun connecting to advance
the message of the Genocide and universal justice around the world.
“This is all matched by an online campaign with a heat map of data
about the countries that have recognized the Genocide and link to
Twitter accounts where people can join the effort–can join with us
around the world,” said Tankian.
He has been encouraged by the signs of change among certain segments of
Turkish society that “are doing amazing work trying to get recognition
for the Armenian Genocide.”
“You’re well aware that as of a few weeks ago there was a resolution
going through the Turkish parliament to recognize all past crimes from
a female Kurdish member of parliament. Even though the AKP [Turkey’s
ruling Justice and Development Party] controls the parliament
and it will probably not pass, but that [the introduction of the
resolution] is a good sign. I think we’ve come to expect little from
the Turkish government, but I can say it’s up to us as well. There is
an organization called ‘Project 2015’ that is encouraging people to
go to Istanbul for 2015. I think that’s very interesting to go back to
where it all started,” said Tankian about the activism within Turkey.
On January 28, two prominent Turkish human rights organizations–The
Human Rights Association from Turkey and The Center for Truth Justice
Memory-partnered with the Toronto-based International Institute for
Genocide & Human Rights Studies and presented legal briefs in favor
of Armenia in the now famous Perincek case about Genocide denial at
the International Court of Human Rights.
While neither System of a Down nor Tankian have performed in Turkey,
due to the Turkish government policy of Genocide denial, as well as
its restrictions on freedom of speech, Tankian says that a large
fan base in Turkey is active and whenever there are statements or
misinformation in the local Turkish press, the fans have actively
defended the musicians.
Tankian said that Genocide is a humanitarian issue. “This is an issue
having to do with a Genocide. It’s not an issue between people or
cultures as far as I am concerned anymore. We’ve seen this happen over
and over again and we will continue to see this happen, even if there
are committees in the UN [working to address or prevent it]. We won’t
see change until executive powers in the world agree that everything
else is off the table when it comes to Genocide.”
“So if there is a Genocide occurring in Sudan and the Chinese
are buying oil from that country, there has got to be some kind of
international agreement or mechanism to stop them from buying oil from
that country [that is committing Genocide],” he explained. “There has
got to be some kind of international agreement that when it comes to
Genocide everything stops.”
Tankian points out that official recognition of the Genocide has
already happened in US with the passage of various congressional
resolutions in the 1970’s and 1980’s and with President Ronald Reagan
acknowledging the Genocide during his presidency.
He believes however that “it’s important to keep on the US State
Department to correctly identify our relationship–US’s relationship
with Turkey– having to do with Turkey and having the Genocide as a
part of that”–Genocide recognition should be a precondition for the
level of US relations with Turkey.
“Will our tour procure this?” Tankian asked. “Probably not,” he said.
“But we want to be a small part of the continuing recognition
[movement] and necessity for justice having to do with the first
Genocide of the 20th century while trying to make it clear that this
is an ongoing disease that has not stopped,” explained Tankian.
Another project Tankian is focusing on is writing the score for the
upcoming Armenian Genocide thriller”1915,”which is set for release
this year.
“1915” is the feature film debut of writer-directors Garin Hovannisian
and Alec Mouhibian. Together with producer Terry Leonard (“Before
I Disappear,” “Cold Comes the Night,” “Amira & Sam,” “Hounddog”)
and an international cast including Simon Abkarian (“Casino Royale,”
“The Cut,” “Gett”), Angela Sarafyan (“The Immigrant,” “Twilight”), Sam
Page (“Mad Men,” “House of Cards”), Nikolai Kinski (“Aeon Flux”), and
Jim Piddock (HBO’s “Family Tree,” “The Prestige”), “1915” was filmed on
location in Los Angeles, with the production companies Bloodvine Media
and Strongman announcing last week that the film will debut this year.
Set on the single day of April 24, 2015, the film follows one
man’s controversial and dangerous mission to bring the ghosts of a
forgotten tragedy back to life. The movie will play a leading role
in the global movement this spring to shed light on all genocides of
the past century.
“I think ‘1915’ is a really interesting, unique drama that deals
with a unique topic that hasn’t been dealt with in films. For me the
film deals with the Diasporan effect of trauma–of loss. There’s no
film that’s dealt with that. Maybe it’s personal, but the message
of loss–the pain of loss- is very universal. ‘1915’ does that in
a very artistic way,” said Tankian who explained that he has been
working on the score for months and describes the music as “orchestral,
piano and very authentic instrument-based” with elements of surprise,
horror and mystery.
He explained that he first wrote themes based on the script “to figure
out what the emotional centerpiece of it is and then extrapolate the
sub-themes and build other themes.” Working in his studio, Tankian
composes the score frame-by-frame and scene-by scene, with notes from
the directors.
While the entire score is original, Tankian said he has brought in a
few elements of a composition called “A 100 Years,” which he co-wrote
with New Zealand-based composer John Psathas. The entire composition
was performed last fall with the Lark Musical Society.
“A 100 Years” is a symphonic piece about the first Genocide of the
20th century of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.
“It goes from dark to hopeful at the end,” said Tankian who engaged
his musician friends from around the world to perform the piece.
“A lot of great instrumentalists have given their time for free to
be on the track,” he said, adding that a video was also made that is
a montage of the various musicians playing the piece. He anticipates
featuring the video on YouTube, as well as various festivals.
“‘A 100 Years’ is a symphonic piece that was born in New Zealand
from a collaboration that I’ve had with another composer named John
Psathas, who is Greek-Kiwi. He and I have collaborated before on
the ‘Elect the Dead’ symphony in 2009. He helped me arrange a lot
of those songs for the orchestra. We both co-wrote and co-composed
‘A 100 Years.’ It was actually his idea,” he said.
Tankian said that some of the elements of “A 100 Years” that he
has incorporated in the “1915” film score worked perfectly with the
overall composition.
“I can understand what people expect or want, but at the same time
when it comes to the arts… It’s not like the Armenian people woke
up one day and said ‘we expect a band like System of a Down’ that
are playing progressive metal music. That’s not what the expectations
were of us,” said Tankian.
“When it comes to expectations, let’s put that aside for a moment. The
important thing is to make an effective film. A film that on its
own is a great film, irrespective of the topic, and other people’s
expectations,” he added.
Tankian said that “1915” is an indie film and expressed hope that “it
will be an award-winning indie film, because I think it’s got great
acting, great performance, great writing and great music [laughs].”
Tankian and System of a Down have been touring since 2011. In September
the band will headline the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, in addition
to performances in other South American countries.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/02/06/serj-tankian-talks-wake-up-the-souls-tour-1915/