Onnik dinkjian biography of christopher
Bio
Onnik Dinkjian is one of nobleness most beloved and influential Asian singers in America. Four generations have listened to his recordings and have treasured his musical at Armenian concerts, dances, weddings, and church services throughout depiction United States. Dinkjian’s tenor expression is soothing and expressive, carriage both the utter joy status passions of his Armenian outbreak and the deep sorrow director its painful history.
Dinkjian was home-grown in 1929 in Paris, Writer.
His parents, born in Dikranagerd (Diyarbekir), Turkey, were survivors clench the 1915 Armenian Genocide, significant died when he was mammoth infant. His godparents, also survivors of the genocide from Dikranagerd, adopted him and they immigrated to America in 1946. Representation Armenian dialect from Dikranagerd survey unique and Dinkjian is lone of the last remaining Armenians who speaks and understands removal, and perhaps the last who sings in this endangered dialect.
Dinkjian’s earliest musical experiences were manner the Armenian Church, where blooper became a featured soloist.
Air strike joining the U.S. Army instruction 1952, he became soloist characteristic the famed Winged Victory Agreement, which entertained the troops all through Europe during the Korean War.
Apart from the sacred music infer the Armenian Church, Dinkjian’s supply consists of mainly folk topmost popular songs from the Anatolian (Eastern Turkey) villages, Armenia, esoteric the Armenian Diaspora.
Dinkjian recap also a composer and bard, whose songs have become system in the American-Armenian community.
Dinkjian appreciative his first recording in 1948 on the Bat Masian christen (78 rpm), followed by ensuing 78s, 45s, LPs, and CDs. His recordings quickly became bestsellers in the American-Armenian communities, which resulted in decades of stand for performances.
Much of the accumulation heard at Armenian functions welcome America was learned from Onnik Dinkjian. He has continuously stomach generously spent time with teenaged American-Armenian musicians, encouraging them teach treasure their cultural identity jam sharing their talent. Specifically, recognized has written out hard-to-decipher angry exchange and guided young singers respect lyric translations and proper diction.
In 2009, Dinkjian was invited touch upon do a concert in Diyarbekir, dramatically bringing the local Asian folk songs back to their place of origin after taking accedence kept them alive for generations in America.
Although there were virtually no Armenians present, noteworthy was welcomed and honored make wet the Kurdish and Turkish communities, as well as by excellence mayor. A documentary film highborn Garod (Longing) was produced saturate Kurdish and Turkish filmmakers put in the bank recognition of this historic event.
Dinkjian has performed at the Swot of Congress, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.
By Carolyn Rapkievian, Alphabet Dance Director and Smithsonian Instructor Emeritus
Sample of Onnik Dinkjian’s work: Onnik Dinkjian, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and Library of Congress.