The Strada Armeneasca Festival returns for its eighth edition, on August 2, 3 and 4 in the Botanical Garden in Bucharest. Live concerts, DJ sets, gastronomy, fair, exhibitions, workshops and relaxation. The public is expected in a true multicultural oasis, to enjoy live concerts with the bands Subcarpathi, Ladaniva, Ovidiu Lipan Șăndărică and Fanfara Zece Prăjini, Paulina, Karin Band, and others. Entrance to the festival is free.
The Union of Armenians in Romania presents the 8th edition of the Armenian Street Festival, on August 2, 3 and 4, for the second consecutive year in the “Dimitrie Brândză Botanical Garden” in Bucharest, which on this occasion becomes a multicultural hub in urban nature, bringing Armenian culture and traditions closer to the general public, for three days.
The 8th edition of Armenian Street Festival brings three days of story, for those who want to discover an event located on the border between cultures, generations, traditional and contemporary, bringing to the fore the Armenian culture in its vast manifestations, but also the cultural diversity of Bucharest. For three days, the Bucharest Botanical Garden will host nine live music concerts by artists from Armenia and Romania, DJ sets, multicultural jam sessions, craft fair, and participants will also enjoy international gastronomy, coffee on the sand, scones Armenian, exhibitions, a nature library and workshops by Armenian artists.
The little ones will have a dedicated area where they can play and enjoy many outdoor activities. This new edition focuses on the Armenian diaspora, one of the oldest and most important diasporic communities, having a significant presence in various countries following the persecution and genocide of the First World War. Armenians have preserved their identity and culture, profoundly influencing universal culture through art, literature, music and architecture. In Romania, the Armenian diaspora has contributed to cultural diversity, enriching the Romanian heritage through traditions, customs, cultural-artistic events, exhibitions and concerts. Thus, Armenian influences in Romanian culture continue to be present and significant.
Here are the artists who will take the stage in the Botanical Garden, during the three days of the Strada Armeneasca Festival, the VIII edition:
SUBCARPATI (Romania)
The biggest independent musical group in Romania, the Subcarpati band was born 10 years ago, at the initiative of Bean MC, and is composed of a group of friends driven by the passion for music and folklore. On the border between folklore and modern rhythms, electro and hip-hop, the Subcarpathians value everything that means traditional Romanian.
LADANIVA (Armenia-France)
LADANIVA consists of Armenian vocalist Jaklin Baghdasaryan and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas. From traditional Balkan melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz and reggae, this duo’s music is considered to have the ability to transcend borders, blending traditional Armenian tunes with influences from their extensive travels in Latin America, Africa and Réunion Island.
Founded in 2019, Ladaniva initially gained viral acclaim with their hit song Vay Aman (2020), which highlighted their fresh style and innovative approach to world music. The band released their self-titled debut album under the French label PIAS in 2023. In 2024, they represented Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest and became known in Romania with the release of their cover of the song “Şaraiman”.
OVIDIU LIPAN TEN DĂNDĂRICĂ AND THE ZECE PRĐINI BAND (Romania)
Ovidiu Lipan Țăndărică is a complex artist, being one of the protagonists of Romanian rock. He spent half of his life in exile, in Germany, returning to Romanian lands after the Revolution. Back in the country, he started to promote Romanian and Armenian musical culture, by making several different albums from a stylistic point of view. His compositions, “Natalis”, “Margareta”, “Ave Maria”, “Tango Toledo”, have become reference pieces for the multi-ethnic genres that coexist in the Romanian space. The Shukar marching band also called “Speranța” (in Romanian) is a marching band from the village of Zece Prăjini, Iasi, which stood out for its music with Balkan tones, their style being associated with that of Goran Bregovic. The band’s journey gained momentum when it was noticed by Speranța Rădulescu, an ethno-musicologist at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant in Bucharest, in the 1989 edition of the Romanian Song.
PAULINA (Romania)
Paulina took piano, singing and violin lessons, but she is the type of artist who lets herself be guided by intuition. Raised among tapes, close to fiddlers and creative people, she comes from a family of musicians where she learned to love life through art, among metal players and among fiddlers. Around the world, Paulina looks for beauty in the unconventional, with innocence and gentleness. Paulina became known with the release of the songs Fetița ta de milioni, Bucharest or Cântec de dor, composed in the style of the early 90s.
KARIN BAND (Armenia)
Karin Band is a music ensemble from Armenia, known internationally for their captivating performances and unique style. The founder and creative director of the group, Gagik Ginosyan, honored with the title of Cultural Artist of the Republic of Armenia, has spent years documenting and collecting traditional dances and songs both from Armenia and from the elders of the surrounding historical Armenian communities, to be able to reproduce Armenian musical traditions.
HAIK CAROY FEAT. SUSAN CHARLES (Armenia)
Hayk Karoyi is a contemporary musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer from Yerevan, Armenia, known nationally as the bravest young contemporary artist creating experimental music. A graduate of Yerevan Conservatory, national woodwind class, he started his journey starting from Armenian traditional music and traditional instruments, experimenting with various genres of music during his years of study in search of new inspirations and perspectives in music. Susanna Najarian is the lead singer of the Armenian group Ethno colors, whose aim is to collect old songs and ritual songs from the villages of Armenia, and create new musical arrangements.
JINJ (Armenia)
Founded in post-war Armenia in 2021 by Sevana Tchakerian and Gor Tadevosyan, the band JINJ fuses electronic rhythms and French hip-hop with traditional Armenian music, creating an original unconventional sound called Armobeat, rooted in tradition, inspired by both the great mountains of Armenia and the effervescent rhythm of the city, in a mystical mix of 808 (percussion synth with a very low bass) and shepherd’s whistles.
FIRST LOVE (Republic of Moldova)
With a strong and romantic voice, Prima Dragoste invites you to a world of freedom where emotions dance to the captivating rhythm of the lyrics of his songs. Her extraordinary talent and genuine passion for music have helped cement her position as a valued and respected artist in the industry. Prima Dragoste released her first EP, titled “Epigraph”, in 2022, comprising five tracks that reflect her musical versatility and ability to convey genuine emotions. In addition to his solo success, Prima Dragoste has collaborated with various artists such as Satoshi for the song “I Love You” and Amedeo for the song “Fosta”, demonstrating his versatility and ability to adapt to different musical styles.
Union of Armenians from Romania is a non-governmental organization established in 1919, with the aim of helping Armenian refugees in Romania after the 1915 Genocide.
After 1990, the Armenian Community re-established the Union of Armenians in Romania, wanting to preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage of Armenians from these lands, but also to promote Armenian culture and traditions among the general public.
Armenian Street Festival is organized by the Union of Armenians from Romania, financed by the Government of Romania through the Department of Interethnic Relations.
Partners: Armenian Cultural Center, Embassy of Armenia in Romania, The Fresh, “Dimitrie Brândză” Botanical Garden, University of Bucharest, Subcarpathian Cultural Center, Blue, Autonom, Persil.
Media partners: Rock FM, Cărturesți, Agerpres, Days and Nights, Balkan Utopia, IQads & SMARK, Life.ro, Munteanu Recomandă, Blitz TV, Happ.ro, Editura Ararat, Ziarul Ararat.
Entry is free, and access is limited to capacity.
For access to the Botanical Garden, an entrance ticket is paid, worth 10 lei for adults and 5 lei for pensioners, pupils and students. Taxa can be paid in advance, starting from August 1.
Source: www.iqads.ro
