Genealogy (band)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
(Redirected from Genealogy (Armenian group))
Jump to: navigation, search
Genealogy
20150515 ESC 2015 Genealogy 6153.jpg
Genealogy at a Eurovision Song Contest 2015 rehearsal
(L-R: Tamar Kaprelian, Vahe Tilbian, Inga Arshakyan, Mary-Jean O'Doherty Basmadjian, Essaï Altounian, and Stephanie Topalian)
Background information
Origin Armenia
Years active 2015
Website www.genealogyofficial.com
Members Essaï Altounian (Europe)
Tamar Kaprelian (Americas)
Vahe Tilbian (Africa)
Stephanie Topalian (Asia)
Mary-Jean O'Doherty Basmadjian (Oceania)
Inga Arshakyan (Armenia)

Genealogy is an Armenian supergroup that was formed to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Five of the six members come from a different continent of the Armenian diaspora whose families once spread all over the world after the Armenian Genocide of 1915.[1] The five artists from the diaspora also symbolize the five petals of the forget-me-not (official logo of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, commemorated in April 2015), while the center of the flower is represented by the sixth artist, actually from the Republic of Armenia.[1]

The group performed the song "Face The Shadow" in the contest. The song was originally called "Don't Deny", but organizers changed it later to the present title, as it was deemed too political (hinting at Armenian genocide denial).[2][3]

The forget-me-not symbolizes the Diaspora origins of the members of Genealogy, and is also the official logo of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, commemorated in April 2015

The song represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 on the final held on 23 May 2015, finishing 16th overall, with a total of 34 points from only 8 countries including a maximum 12 points from Georgia.

Members

The first member of the group, Essaï Altounian, a French Armenian, was announced on 16 February 2015.[4] The second member of the group, Tamar Kaprelian, an American-Armenian singer, was announced on 20 February 2015.[5] The third member being Vahe Tilbian, an Armenian-Ethopian singer, was announced on 23 February 2015.[6] The fourth member was Stephanie Topalian, a U.S. born Armenian-American-Japanese singer residing in Japan. Her father is Armenian and her mother Japanese. Her membership was announced on 27 February 2015, Topalian becoming the Asian Continent representative in the group.[7] The fifth member is Mary-Jean O'Doherty Basmadjian, an Australian opera singer of Armenian descent. Her membership was announced on 3 March 2015.[8] The sixth member is Inga Arshakyan, who also represented Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, along with her sister, Anush.

On 28 April 2015 the five Armenian diaspora members of the group, the American Kaprelian, the Australian O'Doherty Basmadjian, the Ethiopian Tilbian, the French Altounian and the Japanese-American Topalian, became Armenian citizens and at the end of an audience with President Serzh Sargsyan were given their Armenian passports by the President.[9] The sixth member Inga Arshakyan already carries Armenian citizenship.

Continent Country Artist Birth date Date announced
mini
Africa
 Ethiopia Vahe Tilbian 17 February 1980 23 February 2015
mini
Americas
 United States Tamar Kaprelian 28 October 1986 20 February 2015
mini
Asia
 Japan Stephanie Topalian 5 August 1987 27 February 2015
mini
Europe
 France Essaï Altounian 5 November 1980 16 February 2015
mini
Oceania
 Australia Mary-Jean O'Doherty Basmadjian 2 April 1982 3 March 2015
mini
Armenia
 Armenia Inga Arshakyan 18 March 1982 12 March 2015

Discography

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
BEL (Vl) DEN FIN IRE NOR SWE SWI UK
2015 "Face the Shadow" Non-album single(s)

After Eurovision

After Eurovision, Tamar Kaprelian from Genealogy released a collective single "The Otherside" featuring a number of other singers who were in the final including Elhaida Dani, Elina Born, Maria-Elena Kyriakou & fellow Genealogy member Stephanie Topalian.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Arka News Agency: Armenia changes name of its Eurovision entry from “Don’t Deny” to “Face the Shadow”
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
2015
Succeeded by
Iveta Mukuchyan
with "LoveWave"