I consider myself a dedicated listener of Ara Dinkjian. As a musician, there are numerous reasons why I deeply appreciate Dinkjian's music.
Firstly, Ara stands out among all oud players due to his unique posture, the way he holds the plectrum and the way he positions his fingers on the oud. He is a virtuoso who has carved his own style, breaking away from traditional constraints, unlike many Turkish music performers in Türkiye who adhere strictly to established rules. Ara Dinkjian once said, "I've always aimed for my music to be appreciated, not my appearance or attire." His focus has always been on substance over style.
Being a skilled pianist, Ara blends harmony with Eastern modalities, creating a distinctive sound. He merges Western harmonic tones with modal music, thereby crafting compositions that resonate deeply. When listening to his music, his statement, "One must trust in the human heart," clearly reflects his complete reliance on heartfelt expression. Zohar Fresco, a renowned percussionist who collaborates with Ara, beautifully captures the essence of Ara's music: "Ara's embracing spirit gently permeates through the notes and directly into my heart." In essence, Ara's music is characterized by a warm and intimate melodic sensibility that evokes a profound emotional response, where listeners can almost feel the tactile sensation of his fingers on the strings.
Moreover, Ara Dinkjian has also played a pivotal role in popularizing the sound of the cümbüş (mandolin with a metal body)
instrument. Inspired by his performance of his composition "Picture" ("Ağladıkça") on the cümbüş, many of my musician friends have been motivated to acquire this instrument. According to academician Eric Bernard Ederer, "Dinkjian is arguably the world's foremost cümbüş artist today."
Ara Dinkjian was born in 1958 in New Jersey, U.S. His father, Onnik Dinkjian, originally from Diyarbakır, settled in Paris and his mother, Araksi, originally from Harput, was born in Lyon. His parents met and married in New York. Ara's family history resonates with many Armenian families who started new lives in the diaspora after 1915.
Ara frequently emphasizes that his early interest in music was largely due to his father, a musician and the cultural activities of the Armenian community in which he participated. At the tender age of three, Ara began drumming on anything he could find at home, catching the attention of family friend Eddie, who gifted him a darbuka. By the age of five, he was playing the darbuka in his father's band and the group's leader rewarded him with five dollars, marking Ara's first earnings from music, much to his delight.
Ara developed an interest in playing the ud, as it was the most popular instrument at Armenian-American musical gatherings during that time. Additionally, the annual visits of Udi Hrant starting in 1950 contributed to the growing popularity of the oud within Armenian communities in the U.S. Ara learned to play the oud by practicing on his father's instrument during his childhood. He also began playing the organ at the church at the age of thirteen, thanks to piano lessons he had taken, thus expanding his musical repertoire to include Armenian church melodies. For about 45 years, he played the organ for the Armenian Apostolic Church in New Jersey during religious rituals.
One of the main sources of Ara's musical knowledge and creativity is his role as an avid music listener from a young age. He started collecting records early on and his archive includes LPs, 45s, CDs, tapes, recordings from Armenian gatherings, books, catalogs, photos, instruments and other music-related materials.
Ara's musical influences span from predecessors like Yorgo Bacanos, Şerif Muhittin Targan, Tatyos Efendi and Bimen Şen to Gomidas Vartabed, Krikor Pidedjian, Armen Babamian, Ama Udi Bogos Kireçyan and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab. Among oud players, Udi Hrant stands out as Ara's most significant source of inspiration.
Deciding to pursue a formal music education at university, Ara auditioned with what he jokingly describes as his "not-so-good piano skills" at the Hartt School of Music. When the jury told him, "You're not a good pianist," Ara explained how music was his reason for living and emphasized the importance of music and the oud in his own culture. He played his trusty ud for the jury and earned admission to the school, much to his surprise. Although he initially felt unhappy at school, realizing he did not want to become a music educator, he eventually spoke with the dean about his desire to focus on composition and performance-oriented musicianship, planning to leave school. The dean, however, gave him a chance and asked him to develop a four-year oud program. Thus, Ara Dinkjian became the first conservatory student to complete a bachelor's degree in oud in the U.S. in 1980.
At school, he met guitarist Sid Clark, whom he admired for his knowledge of harmony and together they formed the Nyima Ensemble. The group included friends who played violin and tabla. Ara and Sid performed their compositions together in the group, which played on the main stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1980, one of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals. Ara believed he had found a musical soul mate in Sid but tragically lost his friend to illness at the age of thirty. During this time of mourning – when he even contemplated giving up music altogether – Ara's path crossed with Arto Tunçboyacıyan. Arto, who witnessed the birth of the popular music industry in Türkiye during the early years, moved to America to perform his own music despite friends' warnings that success in America was unlikely. He gained recognition in the world and jazz music scenes, collaborating with names such as Tony Williams, Al Di Meola and Chet Baker and touring extensively.
Arto and Ara realized they shared a common past and complementary musical ideas when they started making music together. Both were Armenians who sought their identities through music while living outside their homeland. Influenced by family members, both had started their musical journeys. Arto and Ara, along with Armen Donelian, Ed Schuller, Shamira Shahian and Marc Johnson, formed the "Night Ark" group. Between 1986 and 1999, the group released four albums. Renowned jazz critic John Fordham described them in 2000 in The Guardian as one of the leading groups in the overcrowded world music market. The group performed concerts in many countries and appeared on the most listened-to lists in categories such as new age, world beat and folk jazz.
Ara Dinkjian's connection with the pop music audience in Türkiye began with Sezen Aksu's rendition of his hit song "Sarışın" in 1998. At the time, Sezen Aksu's collaborator, companion and arranger was Onno Tunç, Arto's brother. Onno Tunç played a pivotal role in introducing Ara's compositions to Sezen Aksu. "Sarışın" became a widely acclaimed song, prompting Sezen Aksu to continue seeking out Dinkjian's compositions and fostering a beautiful friendship with him. Not only Sezen Aksu but Ahmet Kaya also performed Ara's composition "Ağladıkça." Millions in Türkiye continue to enjoy Ara's compositions and internationally, numerous renowned artists perform his works. Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki, for instance, has written lyrics and sung many of Ara's compositions, touring with Ara and Arto.
One significant musical platform that helped Ara introduce his music to different geographies was the Jerusalem Ud Festival held in Israel, another Mediterranean country. This festival opened doors to new projects. At this festival, Ara crossed paths with Zohar Fresco, a renowned Israeli percussionist. In 2008, they collaborated on the "Peace on Earth" album alongside Tamer Pınarbaşı (qanun), Sokratis Sinopoulos (kemancha) and Rimon Haddad (bass), blending Turkish, Armenian, Arab and Greek traditional songs. This album showcases music's unifying power across different cultures and was released under Ara's own label, Krikor Music.
One of Ara's notable recent projects in Türkiye is The Secret Trio. Together with Tamer Pınarbaşı and İsmail Lumanovski, they have released three albums under The Secret Trio name. These albums are characterized by Western concepts of harmony and counterpoint, as well as jazz-like improvisations. Personally, these are some of my favorite albums. The trio frequently rehearses together, showcasing their virtuosity in performances. Their close friendship and mutual understanding of musical styles contribute to the energy and magnificent sound captured in their albums.
From 2010 onwards, Ara has had the opportunity to realize long-standing album projects in Türkiye through collaborations with Kalan Müzik and Hasan Saltık. In 2015, albums like "Hakikat & Umut: 1915-2015," "Manol," consisting of two CDs, and The Secret Trio's "Three Of Us" were released. As I mentioned earlier, Ara's passion for music collecting is evident. In my view, one of the most significant archival documents in music history is the book and CD project titled "Armenians in America" (From the Ara Dinkjian Archives on Shellac Records of Armenians in America). This project preserves recordings of the diaspora community that migrated from the Ottoman Empire to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 2012, the documentary film "Garod: A Longing Story from America to Diyarbakır," directed by Onur Günay and Burcu Yıldız, narrates the musical journey of the Dinkjians, father and son. This film premiered at the 2013 IKSV Film Festival and was later released on DVD under the Kalan Müzik label. One of the most touching moments in the documentary was Ara saying, "We don't know where my grandparents lived in Diyarbakır. The most important place we could visit was the Surp Giragos Armenian Church," and the part where Onnik Dinkjian recounted his prayer in the church. It brought tears to my eyes.
The gala screening of "Garod" at the IKSV Film Festival in 2013 led to Onnik Dinkjian's first performances with Istanbul Armenians on stage, which were warmly welcomed. Two years later, they participated in concerts in Diyarbakır and Istanbul, commemorating the centenary of 1915. Ara Dinkjian's brainchild, the album "Diyarbekiri Hokin," featuring Onnik Dinkjian, crowned these events. Onnik Dinkjian writes the lyrics himself.
In the world music repertoire, two significant oud players are Anouar Brahem and Rabih Abou-Khalil. These two oud virtuosos, like Ara Dinkjian, have composed instrumental pieces. Ara's music style with the Night Ark group closely resembles Brahem's and Abou-Khalil's styles. What unites these three is their creation of a unique musical style, drawing from their respective folk music traditions. What sets Ara apart is that many famous artists from different countries have written lyrics for his compositions and often commissioned him for compositions. This naturally enhanced Ara's recognition and listenership.
Undoubtedly, Ara Dinkjian is a well-known musician in world music, celebrated for his performance and composition skills. Witnessing his journey from expressing himself through music to depicting the world as he envisions it through music is truly remarkable. As Ara beautifully puts it, "While expressing myself through music, it feels like taking a photograph that shows who I am."
