Line #98 Music/Sirusho


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_631.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Sirusho, pictured in 2016.]]
3
4	->''"The images in my songs are varied. The song "''Havatum Em''" is the contemplations of a mature girl, a woman. The songs "''Erotas''" and "''I Like It''" are about a much more cheerful girl who can rejoice selflessly. "''[=PreGomesh=]''" is the image of a strong, disobedient person, whether a woman or a man. All these are people that are very different from one other and perhaps also conflicting, but all those kinds are within me and they are expressed in my songs."''
5
6	'''Sirusho''' (Armenian: Սիրուշո, born '''Siranush Harutyunyan''') is an Armenian singer, jewelry and fashion designer, and political activist born in Yerevan, UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}, whose musical career has been active for over 20 years. Releasing her first studio album at the age of 13, Sirusho reached international recognition after becoming the Armenian spokesperson for the Series/{{Eurovision Song Contest}}, featuring as a judge in 2007 and a contestant in 2008, and again reprising her role as a judge in 2009. Growing up between Armenia and UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}, Sirusho became fluent in English as a child, and currently alternates residing in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, and Yerevan.
7
8	While only enjoying modest success in the United States (primarily among Armenian-Americans), Sirusho has obtained borderline-icon status throughout Central and Eastern Europe in addition to Armenia. In 2013, W Magazine named her as one of the "6 Un-American Idols", describing her sound as "blending folksy and militaristic percussion with clubby, driving synth. In the video ("''[=PreGomesh=]''"), Sirusho shows off spirited choreographic maneuvers including dust-kicking and vogueing—particularly impressive, as she's weighed down by what appears to be every piece of silver jewelry on the planet."
9
10	From her [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu symbolic protest moment]] while acting as a judge on the 2009 season of Eurovision onward, Sirusho has shown herself to be heavily influenced by her culture's history (namely, the Armenian Genocide and the conflict over [[UsefulNotes/RepublicOfArtsakh Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh]]) and has incorporated that influence into both her music and her personal life. She is a political activist and philanthropist in addition to her career, frequently promoting Genocide recognition through her music and various social media channels, as well as advocating the belief that Nagorno Karabakh belongs to Armenia and offering support/encouraging awareness about the various massacres and hate crimes that are committed in modern-day times (most notably the massacre of Armenians in Kessab, Syria in 2014, and the cease-fire violation/subsequent civil war in Nagorno Karabakh in 2016.) This has, obviously, [[DisproportionateRetribution gotten her into trouble]] before.
11
12	Studio Albums:
13	* ''Sirusho (2000)''
14	* ''Sheram (2005)''
15	* ''Hima (2007)''
16	* ''Havatum Em (2010)''
17	* ''Armat (2016)''
18
19	Notable Singles:
20	* ''[[https://youtu.be/3ga_ItCE6tY Qélé, Qélé]] (2008)''
21	* ''[[https://youtu.be/wxxnY-QTUGU PreGomesh]] (2012)''
22	* ''[[https://youtu.be/w5dFN7EMfTY Where Were You/Kga Mi Or]] (2015)''
23	* ''Zoma Zoma'' (2019)
24	----
25	!!Sirusho provides examples of:
26	* [[AMillionIsAStatistic A Million Is A Statistic]]: A recurring theme in her songs relating to UsefulNotes/{{the Armenian Genocide}}.
27	* [[AnimalMetaphor Animal Metaphor]]: Most prevalent during the [=PreGomesh=] era, Sirusho tends to use a water buffalo as a symbol of strength and endurance of spirit.
28	** The word "''[=PreGomesh=]''", which the whole song centers around, is a herding call shepherds use to herd water buffalo in Armenia. It's also the name of her jewelry line.
29	* [[AnimalMotif Animal Motif]]: Water Buffalo. See above.
30	* [[AnAesop An Aesop]]: A lot of her more recent work frequently discusses the Armenian Genocide and the need for its recognition, which is still blatantly denied by the perpetrators (Turkey) and not officially recognized by quite a few countries. Can count as Some Anvils Need To Be Dropped, depending on who you're talking to.
31	* AudienceParticipationSong: "''Huh-Hah''" when performed live.
32	* BadassBoast: The opening lines of ''"Zartonk"'' are the same as "''Gini Lits''" and contain the same badass boast in the beginning with the lyrics, "The Turkish throne fell to the ground, let me tell you about Talaat's death, fill the wine my friend!" [[note]]Talaat Pasha is considered by Armenians to be the BigBad of the Armenian Genocide. The entire song is about the ''fedayi'' (freedom fighters) of the Armenian Genocide and striking back against the Ottoman Empire, and wanting to reclaim the land of Western Armenia.[[/note]]
33	* BattleCry: Battle Song: ''[[https://youtu.be/plXH4GeYtes "Zartonk"]]'', ''"Gini Lits"''.
34	** The video for "''Zartonk''" shows Sirusho frolicking/drinking/dancing among soldiers in Nagorno Karabakh before implying that she joins them in battle as a ''[[LaResistance fedayi]]''.
35	* BilingualBonus: "''Where Were You''", "''Der Zor''", "''Huh-Hah''", ''Qélé, Qélé'', ''"I Like It"''.
36	* BilingualDialogue: Bilingual Lyrics: Sings in Armenian and English.
37	** Her single "''Erotas''" is sung entirely in Greek.
38	** Most prominently shown in ''"Qélé, Qélé"''. The phrase "qélé, qélé" itself, which is repeated throughout the song, translates to "come here, come here." The song is primarily sung in English, with an opening entirely in Armenian.
39	** Also done with the English translation of ''"Kga Mi Or"'', ''"Where Were You"''. The ending of "''Where Were You;''" has the same Armenian-spoken outro as its Armenian counterpart.
40	* BookEnds: The music videos for ''"Kga Mi Or"'' and/or "''Where Were You''" end with Sirusho, in traditional period dress pertaining to the Armenian Genocide with a rifle slung over her shoulder, staring into the distance in front of two wooden doors. "''Zartonk''" begins with the exact same shot.
41	* TheChanteuse: Channels this in the video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yk_n2sTN44 Havatum Em]].
42	* ChildProdigy: Her first song ''"Lusabats"'' won her an award at the Armenian National Music Awards ''as a little girl.'' She began writing her own lyrics in both Armenian and English at the age of seven, and her own musical compositions by age nine, winning another award for one of her compositions at the same age.
43	** Her first album, the self-titled ''Sirusho'', was released to national acclaim when she was 13.
44	* ChristianRock: Christian Pop: While not directly a Christian artist, her faith is heavily referenced in her recent work.
45	* CoverSong: "''Grenade''" by Music/BrunoMars, ''"1+1"'' by Music/{{Beyonce}}, ''"If I Ain't Got You"'' by [[Music/AliciaKeys Alicia Keys]].
46	* DevotedToYou: The theme for ''"Havatum Em."'' The lyrics also have shades of [[DidNotGetTheGirl Did Not Get The Guy.]]
47	** The video has Sirusho, dressed in black, singing against an all white backdrop while typical symbols of love (roses, wine glasses) ''shatter and break all around her,'' further driving home the point of having invested all of your hope and faith into a relationship that [[TearJerker you know is ultimately doomed, but you're praying it isn't.]]
48	* [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu]]: During the 2009 Eurovision semi-finals, "We Are Our Mountains", a pro-Armenian statue near the capital of Artsakh, Stepanakert, appeared in the Armenian postcard. Since UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}} and Armenia have been embroiled in a decades-long conflict over Armenian independent territory Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Azerbaijan promptly complained, since it recognizes the region as its property. The statue was edited out for the final...to which Sirusho responded by having the aforementioned statue be her backdrop, and taped a picture of it to her clipboard. [[DisproportionateRetribution Disproportionate Retribution]] ensued.
49	** The entire filming process during the making of the music video for ''"Der Zor"'' qualifies as this. Part of the video was filmed in a ruined church in Ani (a ruined Western Armenian settlement in the modern-day Turkish province Kars, visible from the Armenian border.) A documentary about shooting details how they had to leave their equipment at the border, which they then ''smuggled into Turkey.'' They also illegally filmed using a drone, and had to be told by security guarding the ruins that they had to cease filming on the premises. Sirusho and company responded by filming the rest of the video on a cellphone. Bear in mind, this is for the music video about a song pertaining to a genocide the country it was partially filmed in not only denies, but has strict laws about discussing, and people (notably Hrant Dink) have ''been assassinated'' for openly discussing. Oh, and the Turkish-Armenian border is, for all intents and purposes, closed--it is ''incredibly'' difficult for Armenian citizens to gain temporary visas or visit Turkey in regular situations.
50	*** At another point in the documentary, Sirusho confronts an old Turkish woman outside her home in Kars. She asks, in English, if the woman is Turkish, introduces herself as an Armenian, and proceeds to tell her she is living in an Armenian home on Armenian land. It's obvious the woman has no clue what she's saying, but it's ballsy nonetheless.
51	* DisproportionateRetribution: Following the [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu DYJFOC moment]] mentioned directly above, Azerbaijan's Ministry of National Security proceeded to interrogate the 43 people who voted for Armenia, considering them to be a "a potential security threat". The EBU ultimately fined Azerbaijan over its misconduct, alongside allegations that they tried to censor the Armenian entry during the final. All because Sirusho showed off a statue.
52	* DownerEnding: Mentioning again, ''a lot of her recent work concerns the Armenian Genocide.'' While some songs have a nice HopeSpot thrown in, this is almost always a given.
53	** ''"Where Were You"'' basically states that she's resigned herself to the fate of the Armenian Genocide never being fully recognized by the majority of the world while simultaneously demanding to know where the rest of the world was during the genocide itself. The only inkling of hope in the entire song is Sirusho not giving up on fighting for recognition.
54	* [[DueToTheDead Due To The Dead]]: A recurring theme in her work, especially coupled with her Armenian Genocide songs.
55	** "''Mez Vochinch Chi Bajani''" is about her deceased aunt.
56	* FamilyBusiness: Sirusho's mother, Syuzan Margaryan, was an incredibly well-known pop star in Armenia whose career hit its zenith during the eighties and nineties--basically, throughout Sirusho's childhood. Because of growing up with famous parents, in addition to having a predilection for musical composition and performance in the first place, it's almost not surprising that Sirusho [[GenerationXerox became a highly celebrated pop star]] [[ChildProdigy at the age of 13]].
57	** Sirusho has also done numerous performances and duets with her mother.
58	** Her husband is Levon Kocharyan, the son of the First President of Armenia. In recent years, she's became very involved in Armenian political activism.
59	* [[FolkMusic Folk Music]]: Possibly pioneering the folk pop genre, if such a thing could exist.
60	* GenreMashup: The woman does pop covers of ''Armenian Folk songs'' while keeping the folk element and incorporating various dance/EDM influences ("''[=PreGomesh=] Remix''" off ''Armat'' being the most glaring example) as well as dabbling with R&B, hip-hop, and rock.
61	* GenreShift: Inklings of this were obvious with the release of "''[=PreGomesh=]''", sounding much more folksy and culturally inspired in comparison to "''Qele Qele.''"
62	** ''Armat'', full stop.
63	* GospelMusic: Gospel Song: ''"301"''. Bonus points for having a prayer in Armenian within the song, and for the title of the song itself--301 A.D. is the year Armenians officially adopted Christianity as their religion.[[note]]In terms of the allusion to Christianity and God in her songs, it's [[TruthInTelevision Truth In History]]. Armenia is historically recognized as the First Nation to legally adopt UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} as their national religion, and are widely accepted to be among the first Christian people. In addition to this, the majority of Armenians are ''super devoted'' to Christianity--according to a recent census, less than one percent of the Armenian population ''in the world'' is atheist, and less than ten percent of the worldwide population is a religion other than Christianity/Armenian Orthodox/Catholicism (2% of the worldwide population being Muslim, in spite of being surrounded by countries that are predominantly Muslim themselves). The repeated references to Christianity and faith aren't exactly surprising to people familiar with Armenian culture.[[/note]]
64	** Sirusho makes numerous references to her faith and the faith of the Armenian people throughout her songs. In "''Huh-Hah''", there are the lines "The holy land of the Ark called Hayastan / Our faith has kept us go on through the hardest times" and in "''Where Were You''" there are the lyrics "To this day I pray I never lose my hope / I still believe in humans and my one true God."
65	** The line in "''Huh-Hah''" referencing Noah's Ark is a bit of TruthInTelevision. According to the Bible and most theologists/historians, Noah's Ark supposedly crashed in ancient Armenia, on Mount Ararat.
66	* [[GriefSong Grief Song]]: "''Mez Vochinch Chi Bajani''", "''Der Zor''", "''Kga Mi Or/Where Were You''", "''Antarber Ashkharh''".
67	** "''Kga Mi Or/Where Were You''" are especially significant because the song(s), which are entirely about the Armenian Genocide, were released on April 24th, 2015...the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The music video doubles as a {{TearJerker}} because in addition to Sirusho wearing a solemn, black, traditional Armenian dress and headpiece, footage of the Armenian Genocide Memorial's Eternal Flame in Yerevan, protesters demanding recognition of the Armenian Genocide, historical images ''of said genocide'', and battle scenes are interspersed throughout the video. The rest of the video is filmed in a ruined church with desolate lighting and color.
68	*** The English version of the song itself is pretty heartbreaking.
69	-->''The broken dreams that we left\
70	As we fled from our soil\
71	Why's there so many now dead?\
72	Are we no longer loyal?\
73	How do we escape now,\
74	Where do we begin now?\
75	When the world around us\
76	Doesn't seem to care.''
77	** ''"Der Zor"'' is also centered around the Armenian Genocide, but more specifically an area in the Syrian Desert called Deir ez-Zor. Der Zor to Armenians is what Auschwitz-Birkenau is to the Jewish, to put it succinctly.
78	** ''"Antarber Askhkarh"'' is a slow, mournful ballad that roughly translates into ''"Indifferent World,"'' accusing the world overall of being indifferent to the pain of the Armenian people, who only seek to be accepted after years of denial and being shrugged off.
79	-->''You've appeared apathetic, world\
80	And you don't care about us\
81	But look at the people with trust\
82	They are eager to meet your love"''
83	* GratuitousEnglish: ''"I Like It"'', ''"Qélé, Qélé"'', "''Der Zor''", "''Huh-Hah''", "''Where Were You''".
84	* HappilyMarried: To the former President of Armenia's son, Levon Kocharyan. They have a son, Robert, together, too. Their second child was born in May 2016.
85	* HopeSpot: ''"Kga Mi Or"'' roughly translates to "the day will come". When you consider the song is pleading that the Genocide be universally recognized, it gives a nice feeling of hope and optimism to the otherwise ''very'' depressing material. Notably, "''Kga Mir Or''"'s English counterpart "''Where Were You''", barely touches on the subject of hope, being an accusatory rant toward the world that turned a blind eye to the Genocide and to Armenia, with the only lyric pertaining to this trope being "To this day I pray I / Never lose my hope / I still believe in humans / And my one true God." [[note]]This is deliberately invoked and intentional. Sirusho stated in regards to the songs that "each language has its own message. The Armenian lyrics (''Kga Mi Or'') are what I feel I want to say to the Armenians. The English lyrics (''Where Were You'') are a question or a demand addressed to the "indifferent" world."[[/note]]. Translating the chorus of ''"Kga Mi Or"'' from Armenian to English gives you these completely different lyrics:
86	-->''"There is the sun, but a century of darkness\
87	There is no rain, but bad blood\
88	The day will come\
89	There will be no laughter in pain\
90	Fame will come back a happy man\
91	The day will come"''
92	* InternationalPopSongEnglish: See BilingualDialogue and GratuitousEnglish.
93	* [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like Mother, Like Daughter]]: Sirusho, like her mother, became a famous Armenian pop star. See FollowInMyFootsteps above.
94	* LocationSong: "''Der Zor''", which is about what was essentially a concentration camp (and holds the horror/significance of the Holocaust's counterpart, the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau) in the Syrian Desert during the Armenian Genocide.
95	* LostInTranslation: A bit of this and a subversion of BilingualBonus with "''[=PreGomesh=]''". The song in Armenian is about the strength and fortitude of the human spirit. However, in the Armenian language, the word ''"pregomesh"'' translates in English as "go, buffalo!" and is what herders/farmers use to herd buffalo. Casual listeners who tune into the song without knowing the buffalo is used in an AnimalMetaphor context or the cultural meaning of the song itself will have no idea why she is singing about herding buffalo.
96	* LoveTheme: Love Song: "''Erotas''", "''Havatum Em''".
97	* MoodWhiplash: The incredibly sad, mournful ''"Der Zor"'' is immediately followed by the upbeat, guitar-pumped, ultra-patriotic [[BattleCry rally song]] "''Gini Lits''".
98	** In terms of music video continuity, "''Zartonk''" immediately picks up where ''"Kga Mi Or/Where Were You''" left off.
99	* [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Armenian Chanting]]: ''"301"'' in spades.
100	* OneWomanWail: Stunningly beautiful example at the end of ''"301"'', though she has done this in other songs as well.
101	* OddFriendship: With [[Music/SystemOfADown Serj Tankian]], of all people.[[note]]Serj Tankian is not only a huge supporter of the movement to instill democracy in Armenia, but was actively part of the Velvet Revolution of 2018 and is by extension a supporter and friend of the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. Even prior to the Artsakh War of 2020, Pashinyan has been at odds with former president (and father-in-law to Sirusho) Robert Kocharyan. Prior to the Artsakh War and COVID-19 outbreak, Pashinyan was trying to put Kocharyan in jail for embezzling millions and for governmental corruption. Despite their obvious allegiances, they somehow have a tentative friendship.[[/note]]
102	* PatrioticFervor: HUGE theme in Sirusho's recent work. Notably demonstrated in "''Gini Lits''", a modern rendition of an old patriotic Armenian song. "''Zartonk''" heavily falls under this trope as well.
103	** This is the general theme of her album "''Armat''".
104	* {{Pop}}: Well, yeah.
105	* ProtestSong: Anything Sirusho has released since [=PreGomesh=], basically.
106	* RegionalRiff: Her sound has evolved to incorporate both American and traditional Armenian music influences.
107	* [[RenaissanceMan Renaissance Woman]]: Is fluent in two languages in addition to showing at least being proficient in Greek, runs and designs pieces for a jewelry line, acts as a judge on singing competition shows, is raising two kids kid between two countries, and is an international pop star.
108	* [[RevisitingTheRoots Revisiting The Roots]]: Began with [=PreGomesh=] and went on from there.
109	** Her album ''Armat.'' Its sole purpose is representing the Armenian culture with all its aspects.
110	*** ''"Armat"'' literally means '' (cultural) "roots"'' in Armenian.
111	* SelfTitledAlbum: ''Sirusho'', her debut album.
112	* ShoutOut: Her first song that earned her critical acclaim was a rendition of "''Lusabats''", a song by Armenian national treasure {{Komitas}}. Throughout her career she's repeatedly paid homage to him through her music.
113	** [=PreGomesh=] is her most famous example. It's "directly influenced and inspired by Komitas' works." It's been met with [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks varying degrees of criticism]] by Armenian...er, critics.
114	* SpecialGuest: "''Time To Pray''" is in Armenian, English, Hebrew and Serbian, and has her singing with Boaz and Jelena.
115	** "''Oror''", "''Aregak''", and "''Inchuick''" are all duets with [[spoiler: her mother, Syuzan Margaryan.]]
116	* TitleDrop: "''[=PreGomesh=]''", "''Havatum Em''", "''Huh-Hah"'', "''Der Zor''", "''I Like It''", "''Kga Mi Or''", "''Where Were You''", etc.
117	** Omitting "''Der Zor''", if Sirusho does a TitleDrop, expect to hear the title in the song ''repeatedly''. "''[=PreGomesh=]''" does it almost ad nauseam, she says either "[=PreGomesh=]" or a variant of it upwards of ten times in the song.
118	* UnPerson: Again, most of her recent work is thematically based around the Armenian Genocide. [[LaserGuidedAmnesia As Turkey denies it]], she tends to slip into accusing them of viewing the Armenian people as this.
119	** This is the underlying tone of ''"Where Were You"'' as well.
120	* VocalTagTeam: Most notably with "''See''" (featuring Sakis Rouvas) and "''Tariner''" (featuring Harout Pamboukjian). See also SpecialGuest.

Context Music / Sirusho