Mariam Matossian

Mariam Matossian is Canadian singer of Armenian extraction. Born and brought up in Vancouver, Matossian has been collecting traditional Armenian folk songs and creating her own melodies since she was a child, and - initially - singing them mainly in her community. Most of the traditional songs she sings have been passed down through her family. She has also had ten years of voice training. In 1998, she travelled to Armenia. She volunteered for an English-language newspaper there, and through that work learned about the plight of the many street children. In 2002, she took a leave of absence from her teaching career to return to Armenia to work with these children. It was during this time that Matossian's passion for singing met her new commitment to bring attention to contemporary Armenia. When she returned to Vancouver, she continued to perform the songs she had learned from her family and songs she had learned in Armenia, including those taught to her by some of the children she had worked with in Yerevan. In 2004, Matossian released her first CD, Far from Home, and began performing with her ensemble which includes accomplished musicians from the jazz and world music scene in Canada. Her interpretation of "Groong" (The Crane) was also featured in Canadian-Armenian filmmaker, Araz Artinian’s documentary, The Genocide in Me. Matossian' second album, In the Light, combined her interpretations of traditional Armenian folk songs and her own original compositions. Produced once again by Adam Popowitz, her ensemble included Elliot Polsky on percussion, Gordon Grdina on oud, Jesse Zubot on violin, Pepe Danza on flutes, Adam Popowitz on mandolin and banjitar, and Martin Haroutunian on duduk.