Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankianis a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, and political activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional live rhythm guitarist of the rock band System of a Down, formed in 1994 by four Armenian-American friends...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMetal Singer
Date of Birth21 August 1967
CityBeirut, Lebanon
CountryUnited States of America
That's been a strength in some ways, but it's also an understanding of the dynamics of music and the different beats and melodies that wouldn't be common to a non-Armenian.
those that have prescribed the solution through the good feeling of the music itself, like the Beatles and Bob Marley and Bob Dylan.
It was kind of luck or destiny that it ended up this way.
I've had people come up to me with the strangest interpretations of what lyrics might mean, and I'm like, 'You go! I never thought of that, but that works,' ... I think true art is a universal reflection, and true artists are just messengers of that reflection - or, at best, skilled presenters.
I write music when I'm free and for no particular project in mind.
I think music is a powerful medium because it co-inspires. It inspires the artist who then inspires the listener, and it's a back-and-forth process.
It's the idea of a multi-sensory experience stemming from music that opened my interest into painting, to be honest.
They're great songwriters in the tradition of the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Their songs are beautiful and filled with all sorts of wonderful textures. It's all very emotional and moving. It's the first outside project I've ever produced.
There's a commonality there, a common denominator culturally,
I could definitely use a little time at home. It's been about two months on the road. The tour has gone really well, but I wouldn't mind coming home to relax for a little while.
I've worked with some great orchestras and amazing classical musicians, but I don't like the conceptualization of classical music as an elitist form of art.
With rock music, the amount of power that you can generate, the intensity behind the intentions of your lyrics that you can really reflect through rock music - you can't do that in jazz. You can't do that with classical.
I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.
I'd rather let the music speak for itself.