The Reincarnation Orchestra ( hy, Ռեինկարնացիա) is an
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
n
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
band from
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
, initiated by vocalist Roland Gasparyan in 2000.
Over the years the band has gone through several musicians, which influenced the style by experimenting with the essentials of
Armenian folk music by reinterpreting melodies from many famous artists such as
Sayat-Nova
Sayat-Nova ( Armenian: Սայեաթ-Նովայ ( сlassical), Սայաթ-Նովա ( reformed); ka, საიათნოვა; ; ; born Harutyun Sayatyan; 14 June 1712 – 22 September 1795) was an Armenian poet, musician and ''ashugh'', w ...
and adding big influences of
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
& reggae to the mix.
History
In 2007, the band released their first EP titled «Janfida to Jamaica 60 km», for the first time in history blending ska and reggae beats with Armenian style melodies. The hit single «Jan Rastaman» was released later that year, gaining success in Armenia for its unique style. Reincarnation Orchestra has also been known for their strong and meaningful words in their lyrics, always describing the sheer beauty of their hometown Yerevan, as well as life, corruption, and peace.
From 2006, The Reincarnation orchestra actively started to give out concerts around in Armenia, and in some cases, small gigs in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
and all the way to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
.
In 2010, the band released their first album titled «One Spoon of Love». The release of their first album gave a far wider recognition to the band in the country and as well throughout the world amongst Armenians of the diaspora. The song «A Spoon of Love» from the album of the same name was released along with a music video and became a hit single in late 2010. In 2011, they released more hit songs like «Eli Lav A» and »Sirunik Es».
In 2013, they released their second album titled «Agh u Hac» (Salt & Bread).
2014-present
In August 2014, the band released their third album titled «Spitak». They originally broadcast the news over the internet and made the album available for free download on their website.
Since then, the band has also participated in numerous festivals and clubs in the hundreds of concerts. Roland Gasparyan is also involved in charity, carrying out various programs aimed to help orphans. In a recent interview, Roland Gasparyan commented on how he is open to changing the line up of the band because he would like to work with different musicians. On June 7th, the band's first live video recording took place. The DVD includes a documentary about the group's European tour and concert recording.
In February 2022, the band released their fourth album titled «H2O», after 7 years.
Discography
*Anoren (2005)
*Janfida to Jamaica 60 km (2007)
*One Spoon of Love (2010)
*Agh u Hac (2013)
*Spitak (2014)
*H2O (2022)
References
External links
*
Armenian reggae musical groups
{{band-stub