Armenian a capella folk trio Zulal to perform in LA

PanARMENIAN.Net - Zulal, an Armenian a capella folk trio, will play its own brand of at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, September 24, The Daily Bruin reported.

“A lot of Armenian music is thought to be very haunting and soulful, but I think we bring out a lot of playfulness as well in the folk songs that we do,” said Anais Tekerian, one of the three members of Zulal.

The trio, comprised of vocalists Tekerian, Teni Apelian and Yeraz Markarian, will bring that same energy to their music for a performance at the Getty Center titled “Marvelous to Behold: Zulal Performs Rare Jewels and Cherished Favorites from the Armenian Songbook.”

The performance is scheduled in conjunction with the ongoing Getty exhibition “‘In the Beginning Was the Word’: Medieval Gospel Illumination.” This exhibition showcases medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts taken from Christian Gospels all over the world, ranging from Western Europe to Ethiopia.

According to Tekerian, the exhibition has inspired Zulal to create a concert that explores the connections between secular and sacred music through a mix of medieval hymns and folk pieces.

Tekerian said the trio, which typically arranges folk songs, has not experimented with religious Armenian music in the past, but looks forward to performing these arrangements publicly for the first time.

“It has been very exciting to explore them, especially because you have these beautiful medieval hymns that are musically arresting,” Tekerian said.

She said that all of the songs Zulal will perform are hundreds of years old, but despite age these songs still maintain cultural relevance.

“These songs are part of Armenian culture because they have been passed down for so long and we want to keep these songs alive. By arranging them for our three voices we are able to give these songs a new and refreshing life and still pay respect to the heritage that has produced these beautiful songs.”

According to Tekerian, the trio shares its research with audiences because many of the songs are sung in Armenian. Explaining the songs provides insight and clarification for those who do not understand or speak the language.

“Each song has a very interesting story and people are happy to know what the story is,” she said.