We must never forget we have unique culture, says Armenian jazz singer

US-Armenian popular jazz singer Tatevik Hovhannisyan, who is now in Armenia for a concert tour, considers the Armenian culture and language too unique to be replaced by European values.

“It is not absolutely important for us to be a European city. We must never forget that we have a unique culture and language, so we don't have to be too Europeanized,” she said at a news conference in Yerevan.

The singer is going to give concerts in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic. For the first time ever, she will appear on stage in the country’s capital, Stepanakert, Armenpress reports.


“The performance in Artsakh is the AZD Production’s initiative. I first thought it would be hard after a six-hour trip, but I feel enthusiastic now,” said the singer.

Hovhannisyan, who is known as the Soviet Queen of Jazz, added that she didn’t aspire for a star’s title when leaving for the United States. “You learn something from everyone; growth is important for me. I departed from here as a legendary [singer]. And I started everything from a scratch in the US; I laid the stones again. Anyone experiences a shock when leaving a [home] country. We all have roots, so it isn’t easy to eradicate all that,” she noted.