Serj Tankian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Serj Tankian |
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Tankian in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 21, 1967 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American musician and activist. He is most famous as the lead singer of the rock band System of a Down. This band started in 1994.
Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down. These include System of a Down, Toxicity, and Mezmerize. He has also released five solo albums, like Elect the Dead and Elasticity. He has worked with other artists like rapper Tech N9ne. He even released an orchestral version of his album Elect the Dead with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Many people think Tankian is one of the best singers in heavy metal music. They praise his unique singing style and his wide vocal range. In 2006, he was ranked among the "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists" by Hit Parader magazine.
In 2002, Tankian helped start Axis of Justice. This is a non-profit group that works for political change. He co-founded it with guitarist and activist Tom Morello. In 2011, he received a special medal from the Armenian Prime Minister. This was for his efforts to help people remember the Armenian genocide and for his music.
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Early Life and Education
Serj Tankian was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 21, 1967. His family comes from different cities in what is now Turkey. His four grandparents survived the Armenian genocide. When he was seven, his family moved to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles.
As a young person, he went to the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School. His future bandmates, Daron Malakian and Shavo Odadjian, also went there. Tankian later attended California State University, Northridge. He earned a marketing degree in 1989. During college, he started playing instruments like the keyboard and writing songs. He also began his activism, working to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide.
Music Career
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System of a Down's Journey
The band System of a Down started from an earlier group called Soil. Serj Tankian was the singer and keyboard player. Daron Malakian played guitar and sang. Dave Hakopyan played bass, and Domingo Laranio was on drums. Shavo Odadjian first managed the band before joining as a guitarist.
After Soil broke up, Tankian, Odadjian, and Malakian formed System of a Down. The name came from a poem Daron Malakian wrote. They added drummer Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian. Later, in 1997, John Dolmayan became their drummer.
The band played in rock clubs around Southern California. They quickly gained many fans. They became very successful, with three of their five albums reaching number one on the Billboard 200 charts. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. Their song "B.Y.O.B." won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006. The band took a break in May 2006.
On November 29, 2010, the band announced they would play shows again. They toured in Europe and North America for the next three years. In November 2020, they released two new songs, "Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". These songs were made to help people affected by the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. All profits from the songs went to the Armenia Fund.
In recent years, System of a Down has played fewer live shows. They performed at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas in 2023. In 2024, they played two more shows, including one at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Solo Work and Collaborations
Tankian's first solo album, Elect the Dead, came out in 2007. The first songs released from it were "The Unthinking Majority" and "Empty Walls". He made a music video for almost every song on the album. He asked different directors to create their own visual ideas for his music.
In 2009, Tankian performed an orchestral version of Elect the Dead with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in New Zealand. This live show was released as a CD/DVD called Elect the Dead Symphony in 2010.
Tankian's second solo album, Imperfect Harmonies, was released on September 21, 2010. This album had more of a jazz and orchestral sound. He also worked on a musical called Prometheus Bound with playwright Steven Sater. It was based on an Ancient Greek story.
His third album, Harakiri, came out on July 10, 2012. He planned for this to be the first of four new albums. The songs "Figure It Out" and "Cornucopia" were released from this album.
On August 12, 2011, Tankian visited Armenia. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan, gave him a special medal. This was for his work in recognizing the Armenian Genocide and for his music. Tankian later performed a free concert in Yerevan in 2015 to remember the 100th anniversary of the genocide.
He released his fourth album, Orca Symphony No. 1, on June 25, 2013. This album is a classical symphony. His fifth album, Jazz-Iz-Christ, came out on July 23, 2013. This album features mostly instrumental jazz music. In 2013, he also worked with Disturbed frontman David Draiman's project, Device.
Music for Film and Television
Tankian has also composed music for movies and TV shows. He was a surprise guest at the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience in 2017. He sang "The Rains of Castamere" from the show. His version was included on the soundtrack for the eighth season of Game of Thrones.
He composed music for I Am Not Alone, a 2019 documentary about the 2018 Armenian revolution. He also helped produce the film. Tankian created the music for the second season of the Netflix series Down to Earth with Zac Efron.
Recent Projects
Tankian released his first EP (a shorter album) called Elasticity on March 19, 2021. He said he had written these songs for a possible new System of a Down album. Since they couldn't agree on the album, he released them himself. The EP includes songs like "Electric Yerevan," which is about Armenia, and "Rumi," a song about his son.
His second EP, Perplex Cities, was released on October 21, 2022.
In October 2023, Tankian announced he would release his first book, a memoir called Down With the System. It is set to come out on May 14, 2024. He said writing it was a fun way to explore his family history and his own reasons for doing things. In April 2024, he also announced a new solo EP called Foundations, which will be released in September 2024.
Musical Influences
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Serj Tankian grew up listening to traditional Armenian music in Lebanon. He sang with his father, Khatchadour Tankian. When his family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, he discovered pop music. He was especially influenced by the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Later, he bought every album by the Beatles, calling them very "universal" artists.
Tankian said the first hard rock album that really impressed him was Angel Dust by Faith No More. He also admires the experimental singing of Mike Patton, the lead singer of Faith No More. Other artists who influenced him include Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Metallica, and Radiohead.
Activism and Views
Tankian cares deeply about human rights, remembering genocides, and social fairness. These beliefs have shaped the lyrics in his songs. He has organized and joined many protests. These include protests for Armenian genocide recognition and those held by Axis of Justice, the group he co-founded with Tom Morello.
His music often talks about important global issues. These include conflicts, overpopulation, genocide, protecting the environment, and the American prison system. In the 2006 documentary film Screamers, Tankian and his bandmates discussed the United States' view on genocide. In the film, Tankian interviewed his grandfather, a survivor of the Armenian genocide.
Animal Rights and Environmental Protection
Tankian also supports animal rights and environmental causes. In July 2009, he signed a petition from PETA. This petition was against certain ways chickens were treated in KFC slaughterhouses.
Personal Life
On June 9, 2012, Serj Tankian married his long-time girlfriend, Angela Madatyan. She is an Armenian woman from Vanadzor. They had a private ceremony in Simi Valley, California. On October 24, 2014, Tankian announced they had a son. The family splits their time between Warkworth, New Zealand and Los Angeles. Serj Tankian is also the brother-in-law of his System of a Down bandmate John Dolmayan, as their wives are sisters.
In 2018, Tankian started Kavat Coffee. This company focuses on Armenian coffee.
Discography (Selected)
Solo Albums
- Elect the Dead (2007)
- Imperfect Harmonies (2010)
- Harakiri (2012)
- Orca Symphony No. 1 (2013)
- Elasticity (2021)
With System of a Down
- System of a Down (1998)
- Toxicity (2001)
- Steal This Album! (2002)
- Mezmerize (2005)
- Hypnotize (2005)
Filmography (Selected)
- Screamers (2006)
- The Last Inhabitant (2016)
- Truth to Power (2021)
Awards and Recognition
System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. They won one in 2006 for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for their song "B.Y.O.B.".
- In 2005, System of a Down won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Alternative.
- In 2006, System of a Down won an MTV Good Woodie Award for their song "Question!".
Images for kids
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Tankian in Armenia, 2011
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Tankian performing with System of a Down in 2012
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Commemorative Medal of the Prime Minister of Armenia
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See also
In Spanish: Serj Tankian para niños
