Sirusho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sirusho
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Sirusho in the music video for "PreGomesh" in 2012
Born	Siranush Harutyunyan (1987-01-07) 7 January 1987 (age 38) Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
Occupation	Singer songwriter jewelry designer
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Levon Kocharyan ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Hrachya Harutyunyan (father) Syuzan Margaryan (mother)

Siranush Harutyunyan (born January 7, 1987), known as Sirusho, is a famous Armenian singer and songwriter. She started her music journey very young. At just nine years old, she won her first award for a song called "Lusabats".

Sirusho released her first album, Sirusho, in 2000. Her second album, Sheram, came out in 2005. That same year, she won several awards at the Armenian National Music Awards. These included "Future of Armenian Music," "Best Album," and "Best Female Performer."

Sirusho became known around the world after she represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. She sang her song "Qélé, Qélé" in Belgrade, Serbia. The song finished fourth in the final and became very popular in Europe. The BBC even called her a "national treasure" for Armenia during the contest.

In 2012, Sirusho released a song called "PreGomesh". This song inspired her to create her own line of handmade silver jewelry. The jewelry line, also called "PreGomesh," mixes Armenian culture and traditional crafts with modern fashion. Sirusho is the first Armenian artist to be nominated twice at the World Music Awards for her work with "PreGomesh."

In 2013, W magazine featured Sirusho as one of "6 un-American idols." The magazine suggested she could introduce the world to Armenian music and language. In 2017, Sirusho received the title of Honored Artist of Armenia. This was given to her by President Serzh Sargsyan. Sirusho's music style often blends traditional Armenian sounds with modern music.

Sirusho's Life and Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps in Music (1987–2004)

Sirusho was born in Yerevan, Soviet Armenia, on January 7, 1987. Her father, Hrachya Harutyunyan, is an actor and director. Her mother, Syuzan Margaryan, was a very popular singer in Armenia during the 1980s and 1990s.

Sirusho won her first award as a child. It was at the Armenian National Music Awards for her performance of "Lusabats." This is an old Armenian folk song written by Komitas. When she was seven, Sirusho started writing her own songs in both Armenian and English. At nine, she won another award at the Young Talents Contest for one of her own songs.

She released her first studio album, Sirusho, when she was 13 years old. Sirusho finished high school at Yerevan's Khachik Dashtents School #114 in 2004. She also studied piano at the Sayat-Nova Music School. Later, she graduated from Yerevan State University with top honors in international relations.

New Albums and International Fame (2005–2009)

Sirusho mostly sang soul and pop music. However, in 2005, she decided to create an album of Armenian folk songs. This album, called Sheram, featured songs by traditional Armenian folk singers known as gusans. The album also included the popular single "Shorora." Sheram won "Best Album of the Year" at the Armenian National Music Awards in 2005. Sirusho also won "Best Female Artist of the Year."

In 2006, a famous Armenian singer named Varduhi Vardanyan passed away. Varduhi had been a close friend of Sirusho's since childhood. Sirusho dedicated a song to Varduhi called "Mez Vochinch Chi Bazhani" ("Nothing Will Separate Us"). This song is on Sirusho's album "Hima" ("Now").

Also in 2006, Sirusho received the "Best Female Artist of the Year" award. This was at the Annual Armenian-Russian Diaspora Music Awards in Moscow, Russia. Soon after, she released her hit single "Heranum em" (meaning "I am leaving"). This song was also part of her album "Hima." The album "Hima" was a big step forward in Armenian music. It blended soul music and R&B with traditional Armenian instruments like the duduk, dhol, and zurna. Sirusho won "Best Female Artist of the Year" again at the Armenian Music Awards in Hollywood. She received her fourth "Best Female Artist" award at the 2008 Armenian National Music Awards.

Sirusho performing Armenia's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Sirusho was chosen to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. She performed "Qele Qele," which she co-produced with Canadian Armenian composer DerHova. The song competed in the semi-final on May 20 and made it to the final on May 24, 2008, in Belgrade. Sirusho placed 4th with 199 points. She is still the only Armenian participant to receive the most "12 points" from other countries. "Qélé, Qélé" became a huge hit among Eurovision fans worldwide, especially in Greek-speaking areas. A remix version of the song was often played in Greek clubs and on radio stations.

On April 1, 2009, Sirusho released "Erotas," also known as "Erotas Ksafnikos" (Sudden Love). This was a fast-paced dance song sung entirely in Greek. Singer Hayko composed it, and Natalia Germanou wrote the lyrics. Sirusho performed it live at the Tashir Armenian Awards in April 2009. "Erotas" became a number-one hit on the Armenian Singles Chart.

In 2009, Sirusho recorded a song about peace. She sang it with other Eurovision 2008 participants, Boaz Mauda from Israel and Jelena Tomasevic from Serbia. The song, "Time To Pray," was released in May. The President of Israel, Shimon Peres, wrote its lyrics.

New Music and Projects (2010–2015)

In February 2010, Sirusho performed her new song Havatum em (I Believe) at the Armenian national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2010. Sirusho wrote both the lyrics and the music for this song. Later that month, she was invited to Malta as a special guest for their Eurovision selection. During her visit, she appeared on local TV shows and performed Havatum em for a charity event.

Sirusho's fourth official studio album, Havatum em, was released in mid-2010. It included her previous songs Erotas and Time to Pray, along with new tracks. In an interview, Sirusho mentioned she would consider returning to Eurovision if her fans wanted her to.

In September 2011, the first song from her next album, "I Like It," was released on iTunes. The music video for it came out on November 11. On December 3, Sirusho was a special guest at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Yerevan. She performed a remix of "Qélé, Qélé."

On December 10, 2012, Sirusho released her new single "PreGomesh." This dance track was co-written by her and Avet Barseghyan. The song was inspired by an old Armenian folk song called "Lorva Gutanerg." The music video for "PreGomesh" brought Armenian traditions to life in a modern way. In the same month, Russian singer Grigory Leps released a new album with a song called “Судьба Зима,” which Sirusho wrote.

Sirusho and Sakis Rouvas announced they would record a duet song called "See" in October 2013. In 2014, she was nominated for "The Best Armenian Singer," "The Best Armenian Song," and "The Best Armenian Music Video" at the World Music Awards. Sirusho also released a new version of "Tariner" (meaning "Years") with fellow Armenian singer Harout Pamboukjian. On November 9, Sirusho held her first solo concert at Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, U.S.

In 2015, Sirusho released a new song called "Kga Mi Or" ("Where Were You"). She dedicated this song to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The song was released in both Armenian and English and was available on iTunes. She also released a music video for it.

Recent Work and New Album (2016–Present)

In January 2016, Sirusho released a new single, "Mi Togh Indz Menak" (Do Not Leave Me Alone), along with its music video. In August 2016, she performed live at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. She was named "Best Armenian Female Act" at the Daf BAMA Music Awards and performed a remix of "Qele Qele." That same month, Sirusho announced her new album, Armat (meaning Root). This album aimed to showcase Armenian culture. In 2017, Sirusho released a new summer hit song, "Vuy Aman," with Armenian-American singer and songwriter Sebu Simonian from the Capital Cities band. She performed at the opening ceremony of the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup in the Republic of Artsakh. In 2021, Sirusho released a song called "Stay" with Norwegian singer Alexander Rybak, who won the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2022, Sirusho helped create a foundation named after the beloved Armenian artist Hayko. The Hayko Hakobyan foundation aims to preserve and share Hayko’s musical work. In August 2022, Sirusho performed at a concert celebrating Hayko's 49th birthday.

Personal Life

Sirusho (second from the left) with her husband's family

On June 6, 2009, Sirusho married Levon Kocharyan. He is the son of Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharyan. Their first son, Robert, was born in 2014. Their second son, Michael, was born in May 2016. Their third child and first daughter, Zabelle, was born in June 2022.

Supporting Her Heritage

Sirusho is a strong supporter of her Armenian heritage. During the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, an image of the We Are Our Mountains statue was removed from Armenia's introduction. In response, Sirusho taped a photo of the statue to her clipboard and showed it while presenting Armenia’s votes. This showed her pride in her culture.

She also supports global recognition of the Armenian Genocide, a historical event important to her people. In a 2017 documentary, she shared how she and her team faced challenges while trying to film a music video for "Der Zor," a song about this event. They had to use iPhones to film, which caused some discussion.

Sirusho's Music Albums

Studio Albums

• Sirusho (2000)
• Sheram (2005)
• Hima (2007)
• Havatum Em (2010)
• Armat (2016)

Singles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Sirusho Harutyunyan para niños