HOOSHERE BEZDIKIAN RELEASES NEW ALBUM
by Lilly Torosyan
August 28, 2012
“My goal is to create a more accessible body of music for a wider
range of music enthusiasts,” says Hooshere Bezdikian, a Hollywood
digital executive producer and independent artist seeking to break
into the music scene. Her new EP, “So Far Away,” features five original
electronica/pop compositions, infused with light rock beats.
Hooshere Bezdikian “There is a message, or at least a social
commentary, in most of my songs,” notes Bezdikian. The song/feature
title “So Far Away,” though stylistically different from the rest of
the album, lyrically suits the layered meaning behind the EP, she says.
Although the new release is a departure from her previous album,
“Provenance,” which features mostly traditional Armenian songs, it
remains true to Bezdikian’s distinctive trip-hop sound, combined with
subtle Middle Eastern rhythms. “My first album, ‘Provenance,’ means
‘origin,’ which stands for the origin of the music therein, as well
as my origin as a person. ‘So Far Away,’ in contrast, represents the
fact that I am literally and figuratively so far from those origins,
yet continue making music that undeniably ties back to those very
beginnings.”
Bezdikian is confident that venturing into American music will not
inhibit her from continuing to make new Armenian music. “This departure
from my first album was to push myself further as an artist,” she
says. Bezdikian’s desire to explore her songwriting abilities was a
challenge, but made the journey more enjoyable and the end-product
more valuable.
A New Yorker born and bred, Bezdikian was surrounded by art from an
early age. In particular, her parents’ involvement with the New York
Hamazkayin theater group exposed her to a life of singing, dancing,
and acting. Yet, Bezdikian didn’t consider making a career out of
performing until her first taste of the spotlight in high school,
when she performed in front of a crowd of over 800 people. “I guess a
part of me always wanted to sing professionally, but I only realized
after that experience that singing was something I really wanted to
pursue,” she explains.
The artists she admired growing up are as diverse and eclectic as
her own music, ranging from rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Rush,
to pop icons like Michael Jackson and Madonna, to folk duo Indigo
Girls. Inspired by lyrical and poetic female singers, such as Alanis
Morissette and Sarah McLachlan, and Armenian Revolutionary singers
like Karnig Sarkissian, Bezdikian became captivated at the power their
music had on her. “I always gravitated towards traditional Armenian
music. I remember studying lyrics to Sarkissian’s music and being so
moved by the passion in all of his performances.”
Initially, Bezdikian performed at several clubs in New York, including
the ultra-glitzy Canal Room and the Bitter End, where comedians such
as Bill Cosby and Joan Rivers had their start in comedy. The Armenian
singer has since performed at a variety of venues, including concert
halls and church sanctuaries, and considers live performances her
preferred method of expressing herself through music.
“Nothing compares to the feeling I get while performing and
connecting with audience members. The energy of an attentive crowd
is incomparable, and to this day, I consider it one of the biggest
rewards of being a musician,” she divulges.
A digital executive producer of a major Hollywood awards show for
the past 15 years, Bezdikian’s experience in television production
began after college, when the bills started rolling in. “My passion is
music but I was always too much of a realist to pursue music alone,”
she says. “I could never wrap my head around the idea of being a
‘starving artist’-knowing how much my parents had sacrificed to
provide a future for me.” As a result, Bezdikian split her time
between producing and singing-the former as a full-time career,
the latter as a hobby and side job.
Notwithstanding hopes to make another record in the next few years,
the recent mother does not anticipate quitting her day job anytime
soon. “In a perfect world, I could do this full time. But the reality
is that I can’t drop everything and focus solely on my music. I am
grateful for being able to create new music and perform periodically,”
she says.
Bezdikian has been recording new material for documentary films, and
has a couple of performances lined up, including one in Detroit next
month. “No matter what, I will always continue making music because
despite my modest accomplishments, I still feel like I have barely
scratched the surface of my potential.”
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/28/hooshere-bezdikian-releases-new-album/