ARMENIAN DUDUK
VACHE HOVSEPYAN (1925 - 1987)
(aka Vatche Hovsepian - Housepian)

The Legendary Armenian Duduk Virtuoso & All-Time Grand Master Player of This Ancient Instrument Who Introduced Duduk To The Western World Through "The Last Temptation of Christ" Motion Picture In 1988.

Peter Gabriel's masterpiece soundtrack score (The Feeling Begins) for Martin Scorsese's acclaimed controversial movie was originally played and recorded by Vache Hovsepyan in 1968; the Armenian national folklore tune "Hovern Engan" was remixed with added drumbeats around the original tune, just like a christmas tree which won Peter Gabriel international fame as well as nominations for oscar and grammy awards !

HOVERN ENGAN (Cool Breeze)

The Armenian tune is the story of a mother who receives news about her son, martyred in action...

Edited & Uploaded By Valentine Grigorians

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"WE WILL SHOW DUDUK TO THE WORLD"

- Quoted From Duduk.com Site

"Days of Erebuni-Yerevan 2750-th Jubilee Celebrations" (1968)

...We were preparing to fly to Moscow: the concert to be broadcasted by the Central television consisted of two parts, a classic one and a national one"- Mark Petrosyan, the organizer and author of the concert says.

- The performers of the first section were Komitas string quartet, Gohar Gasparyan, Arno Babajanian, and others. The national part - ensemble of national instruments, Ruben Matevosyan, Soghomon Seyranyan, Vache Hovsepyan. Yet in Yerevan, Vache worriedly asked for a couple of times: "What shall I perform? The Russians and the Europeans will not understand the language of duduk". I replied that he should perform one piece, we should show duduk to the world.

We were in Ostankino studio two hours before the performance. Silent, anxious: we had to present Armenian culture to the entire Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. It was Vache's turn. I looked at him, his fingers were trembling. A moment later, he confidently approached the center of the studio, bowed and started "Hovern Ynkan". Eyes closed, he played with all the energy hidden in his small body, with emotional gestures. I guess, such bursts can happen only once in a lifetime. We, who stood on the backstage, where stunned. Vache came out soaking with sweat, his mind away from the reality, the surrounding fuss. We hugged... he was shivering, unable to say a word. We brought him a chair; he sat there staring at one point.

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