Batt Masian/Onnik Dinkjian and Batt Masian, Sorvetzoor Seerel/Aghvor Aghchig
Name/Title
Batt Masian/Onnik Dinkjian and Batt Masian, Sorvetzoor Seerel/Aghvor AghchigDescription
Information on Batt Masian is surprisingly sparse, but he appears to have been an important early Armenian-American bandleader and arranger active in the postwar “kef” music scene in the United States, especially during the late 1940s. Most surviving references identify him as Batt Masian (sometimes associated with the name James Batmasian), and his ensemble was usually credited as the Batt Masian Orchestra. There is a record of a certain James Batmasian born in 1912 and died in 1987 in Deerfield Beach, FL. His importance seems to come less from a large solo discography and more from his role as a connector between Armenian folk repertoire and contemporary American popular styles of the era—especially jazz and dance-band arrangements. One of the clearest documented examples is his collaboration with Onnik Dinkjian early in Dinkjian’s career. Batt Masian invited the young singer to record several songs on the Batt Masian Records label, helping launch what became one of the foundational voices in Armenian-American popular music. Among the recordings associated with the Batt Masian Orchestra were: Agh Anoushes — a jazz-influenced Armenian adaptation connected to the Greek melody “Misirlou” Aghvor Aghchig Sorvetzoor Sirel Hey Jon There’s also an interesting Kharpert connection: the Armenian lyrics for the Misirlou adaptation were written by Reuben Sarkisian, who first adapted the melody under the title Inne Orre before Batt Masian’s orchestra recorded and popularized a new version as Agh Anoushes.Audio Format
78 RPM RecordRecording Type
MusicCategory
Vinyl Record