Hadrut in Artsakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, is where Sar Sargsyan was born – it is his home town. This is where he obtained his initial education, both general and musical, starting his artistic career at 4. Hadrut is also where his parents were born, as well as all of his known predecessors.
The first written accounts of Hadrut date back to 1428, as reflected in the historic records by a well-known Armenian chronicler, Jeghia. From the very beginnings, the town remained in the hands of Armenians and, regardless of geopolitical changes, the Christian Armenian people, the citizens of Hadrut, always resided within its walls, as testified by written accounts and stone monuments within the municipality.
For the first time in the history of the region, as a result of Azerbaijani military aggression which started in September 2020, Hadrut’s residents were expelled from their homes, from their city. In one instant they lost everything – their own and their fathers’ entire lifetime possessions. They were brutally deprived of their cultural legacy, their history, their complete past. In one instant they became exiles – among others, Sar’s mother, further family members, and many close ones. Multiple Armenians, including children and older people, were killed. Armenian houses were burnt and demolished, while Armenian cemeteries and unique historic monuments relating to Christianity were defiled, devastated, and with time razed to the ground. Sar’s home no longer exists.
“My Hadrut” (Armenian: “Im Hadrut”) is a song which pays homage to the city. The idea came around when the artist lost his homeland. The lyrics used to develop the piece were created in the 1980s, by a well-known Armenian poet and writer Sokrat Khanyan. Given the dramatic recent events which took place in the city, the wording needed to be adapted by the singer and the composer, Armenuhi Karapetyan. The latter is a well-known Armenian composer, member of the Armenian Association of Composers, author of many classical and stage pieces. Karapetyan composed the music for “My Hadrut” upon the request of Sar and especially for him – the two artists have worked together before. The beautiful arrangement of the song was created by an Armenian musician and composer, Alexandra Maghakyan, with the mixing and mastering delivered by anther Armenian musician, Stepan Berujanyan. The vocals were recorded in Warsaw’s Spox Music studio. The poster for the song was designed by the Armenian Valeri Ayvazyan, and the photography was created by the Polish artist, Michał Ignar. A video clip to the song will be made in the near future.
“My Hadrut” is more than a dedication. It is a scream and an explosion of emotions felt by the artist, his step on the way to de-occupy his homeland. Ultimately, it is a cry for help to the entire world so no one dares to take away someone else’s HOME, uproot them and impose a different FATE.
The premiere of the song is timed to coincide with August 15, the Hadrut Day. The song is dedicated to the memory of all the Heroes who died for Hadrut and Artsakh. Dedicated to all the people of Hadrut, all living, who must one day free, restore and revive Hadrut ․․․ Let's hope that sometime on the day of the city in Hadrut the song "My Hadrut" will sound.
The piece has an underlying minor tonality, with the final phrase when the artist calls upon his city, changing to a major one, expressing hope.
You can listen to the song here:
https://soundcloud.com/saribek/my-hadrut ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI1g60SMtmk ․
Sar Sargsyan was born in the town of Hadrut in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). He started his musical education at the Komitas School of Music in Hadrut. In 2002, Sar graduated from the vocal faculty of the Sayat-Nova College of Music in the city of Stepanakert. In 2007, he completed a course at the vocal faculty of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, followed by post-graduate studies at the same school a year later.
Sar Sargsyan has performed extensively, including at multiple concerts and shows in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, the USA, UAE, Poland, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Lithuania, China and other countries. Winner of the Grand Prix and Laureate of many international festivals and competitions.Apart from the classical pieces, Sar also performs a variety of well-known and popular songs.Sar Sargsyan makes frequent appearances on judge panels at international vocal competitions.
Sar lives and works in Warsaw, Poland, but travels extensively to other countries to showcase his extraordinary vocal abilities and promote the wonderful classical heritage of Armenian composers, as well as other well-known and sought after musical gems.