Armen Chakmakian's Chart

American musician, a keyboard player with the group Shadowfax. Chakmakian’s music has been described as "New World Music." The group consisted of Andy Abad, Armen Chakmakian, Stuart Nevitt and Ramon Yslas, among others. Growing up in a home continually filled with song, Chakmakian had several siblings. While one of his brothers introduced him to rock ’n’ roll, the other exposed him to the sounds of Big Band. His sister was a classical pianist, and his parents, who always had Armenian and Arabic music playing on the stereo, encouraged his musical interests. At age 11, he became the "piano-man" for his uncle’s Armenian band. Although a prodigy with a gift for playing by ear, he undertook a formidable musical education. He attended Berkeley College of Music, UCLA and USC, studied the history of Armenian music, and learned jazz with John Novello, a world-acclaimed instructor. From Chuck Wild, a well-known keyboardist, he learned the art of improvisation. After playing in a jazz-fusion ensemble that he founded, Chakmakian got the break of a lifetime when he became a member of Shadowfax in 1991. Their album, "Esperanto," 1992, which he co-wrote, received a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album of the year, and he spent the next five years touring with the group. In 1998, he founded TruArt Records, and soon thereafter, he released his debut solo album, "Ceremonies," built upon his signature sound, a blend of passionate piano and jazz with exotic world rhythms and a Middle Eastern flavor.