Arto Tunçboyacıyan
Arto Tunchboyachyan (Armenian: Արտո Թունջբոյաջյան; Western Armenian: Արթօ Թունճպոյաճեան, romanized: Art'ō T'unjpoyajean; born August 4, 1957) is an Armenian American avant-garde folk and jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer of Armenian descent. He fronts his own group called the Armenian Navy Band, and is also a member of the instrumental quartet Night Ark.
Arto Tunchboyachyan Արթօ Թունճպոյաճեան | |
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Birth name | Arto Tunchboyachyan |
Born | 4 August 1957 |
Origin | Istanbul, Turkey |
Genres | Avant-garde, jazz, folk, Armenian folk, rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, percussion, duduk, sazabo, bular |
Years active | 1968–present |
Labels | Columbia, Serjical Strike |
Website | naregatsi.org/Artoistan (archived) |
Tunchboyachyan had appeared on more than 200 records in Europe before arriving in the United States, where he went on to work with numerous jazz musicians including Chet Baker, Marc Johnson, Al Di Meola, and Joe Zawinul, as well as performing semi-regularly with Paul Winter and the Earth Band. He has worked with Turkish singer Sezen Aksu and the Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki. Tunchboyachyan's elder brother Onno Tunchboyanchyan was also a musician, and they have collaborated on several occasions.