Serj Tankian
Birthday:
21 August 1967, Beirut, Lebanon
Height:
179 cm
Serj Tankian was born on August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon. He has been married to Angela Madatyan since June 10, 2012.
Awareness in our society has flipped all types of injustice on its head.
Awareness in our society has flipped all types of injustice on its head.
Civilization is a failure. We need to think what we can do together in love and peace.
Civilization is a failure. We need to think what we can do together in love and peace.
Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.
Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.
We first fought... in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination al...Show more »
We first fought... in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change. Show less «
People think our music's very aggressive or angry or whatever, and it's just the opposite, really... I like laughing. And I like being reall...Show more »
People think our music's very aggressive or angry or whatever, and it's just the opposite, really... I like laughing. And I like being really calm before a show, and smiley. Show less «
I believe very firmly that indigenous populations had a really good, intuitive understanding of why we're here. And we're trying to gain tha...Show more »
I believe very firmly that indigenous populations had a really good, intuitive understanding of why we're here. And we're trying to gain that same understanding through psychology and intellect in modern civilization. Show less «
As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to writing in a different way.
As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to writing in a different way.
As long as people are living their truth or their vision, whether they're activists or not, that's the important thing.
As long as people are living their truth or their vision, whether they're activists or not, that's the important thing.
I hate injustice, and I can't help but speak against it. But I don't want to get involved in politics.
I hate injustice, and I can't help but speak against it. But I don't want to get involved in politics.
I think every artist should follow their vision, their hearts is what they need to reveal, not something that society is looking out for.
I think every artist should follow their vision, their hearts is what they need to reveal, not something that society is looking out for.
I'd rather let the music speak for itself.
I'd rather let the music speak for itself.
The percentage of Americans in the prison system, has doubled since 1985.
The percentage of Americans in the prison system, has doubled since 1985.
I think anytime that you go to the extreme of any mode of economics, be it capitalism or communism, you have these feedback mechanisms that ...Show more »
I think anytime that you go to the extreme of any mode of economics, be it capitalism or communism, you have these feedback mechanisms that make the system turn in on itself. Show less «
We first fought the heathens in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global dom...Show more »
We first fought the heathens in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change. Show less «
You listen to Bob Dylan and you can't help but think of the 60s, it's very relational and if artists are true artists and not just mere musi...Show more »
You listen to Bob Dylan and you can't help but think of the 60s, it's very relational and if artists are true artists and not just mere musicians they need to be truthful because the music doesn't come from them it comes from the universe and it's to be shared. At best, we're skilled presenters, and I say that at best. Show less «
Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.
Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.
I have a more direct avenue to expression as an artist than I ever would as a politician.
I have a more direct avenue to expression as an artist than I ever would as a politician.
I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.
I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.
I'm a huge Beatles fan, but I've only really gotten into them as an adult.
I'm a huge Beatles fan, but I've only really gotten into them as an adult.
I've always tried to listen to a lot of different music from around the world.
I've always tried to listen to a lot of different music from around the world.
In the last few years I've been listening to jazz more than anything else. I listen to a lot of world music and experimental here and there.
In the last few years I've been listening to jazz more than anything else. I listen to a lot of world music and experimental here and there.
It's probably a combination of personal and non-personal matters that have led us to where we are musically.
It's probably a combination of personal and non-personal matters that have led us to where we are musically.
People always ask me 'do you think there should be more bands doing political music?' and I say 'absolutely not.'
People always ask me 'do you think there should be more bands doing political music?' and I say 'absolutely not.'
Sometimes a good love song can change the world and create positive energy more than any political song can.
Sometimes a good love song can change the world and create positive energy more than any political song can.
Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.
Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.
The most important thing about music that I've learned after all this time is that to me, it's a way of reaching the truth.
The most important thing about music that I've learned after all this time is that to me, it's a way of reaching the truth.
Composing is what I love most from what I do. Each genre has a unique expression that you cannot supplant with another. All the records co-i...Show more »
Composing is what I love most from what I do. Each genre has a unique expression that you cannot supplant with another. All the records co-inspire each other though they are not tied conceptually in any way to another. Show less «
Harout Pamboukjian is one of the biggest Armenian folk singers in the world. In the '70s, he was making these records that were really Zeppe...Show more »
Harout Pamboukjian is one of the biggest Armenian folk singers in the world. In the '70s, he was making these records that were really Zeppelin-influenced. Show less «
I'm not comfortable with just entertaining. Although I like entertaining, I also like bringing forward the truth of our times as minstrels u...Show more »
I'm not comfortable with just entertaining. Although I like entertaining, I also like bringing forward the truth of our times as minstrels used to in the old days. Show less «
I've got my own studio, and I've got four- to five-hundred unreleased tracks. I've got stuff that's electronic, orchestral, jazz, I've got r...Show more »
I've got my own studio, and I've got four- to five-hundred unreleased tracks. I've got stuff that's electronic, orchestral, jazz, I've got rock, I've got metal, you know, I don't have polka. Show less «
If you allow for a purely capitalistic society, without any type of regulation at all, you will get one monopoly that will eat all of the sm...Show more »
If you allow for a purely capitalistic society, without any type of regulation at all, you will get one monopoly that will eat all of the smaller fish and own everything, and then you'll have zero capitalism, zero competition - it would just be one giant company. Show less «
People get so attached to a position which they identify themselves with that they just spurt it out, but they can't really give you a viabl...Show more »
People get so attached to a position which they identify themselves with that they just spurt it out, but they can't really give you a viable reason why they feel that way. Show less «
The best way to do that is to pick up a new instrument or an instrument that you don't typically write on and see where it takes you. Whethe...Show more »
The best way to do that is to pick up a new instrument or an instrument that you don't typically write on and see where it takes you. Whether it's using an acoustic guitar, or piano, or electronics as tools, all of these lead to creating different types of songs and I used all of these methods for this record. Show less «
When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of Armenian music, you know, revolutionary music about freedom and protest. In the 70s I was li...Show more »
When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of Armenian music, you know, revolutionary music about freedom and protest. In the 70s I was listening to soul and the Bee Gees and ABBA, and funk. Show less «
[on the Armenian Genocide and The Promise (2016)] It's been an honor to be an impartial ear and eye to the film. The best way to counter hig...Show more »
[on the Armenian Genocide and The Promise (2016)] It's been an honor to be an impartial ear and eye to the film. The best way to counter high-budget disinformation campaigns by the Turkish government is to move people with the truth via the arts. I've been doing it for years with music and wanted to help do it through film somehow. [2017] Show less «
Serj Tankian's Photos
