COVID-19 Measure: Read Full Magazine Here. Music plays an important role in our daily lives and is woven into the fabric of society.
We listen to music while alone or in company, in a dance club or at home, through simple headphones or via high-end speakers, as background or as foreground, after we get up or before we go to bed. Music accompanies us when we are traveling, doing sports, shopping, working or relaxing. This omnipresence of music raises several questions: What is the relation between the society we live in and the role, function, and position.
Music can raise someone’s mood, get them excited, or make them calm and relaxed. Music also - and this is important - allows us to feel nearly or possibly all emotions that we experience in our lives. The possibilities are endless. ... It is an important part of their lives and fills a need or an urge to create music.
Reading the above, it is time to know more about the world’s famous music conductor Vartan Melkonian who began his life as an Armenian refugee in Lebanon, spending his early years in an orphanage outside Beirut, followed by living rough on the streets for many years. How did Vartan overcome such adversity, and what do his experiences tell about a post-Covid world?
Sir Vartan Melkonian was brought up in the early ’50s as an orphan in the Birds’ Nest orphanage in Lebanon until the age of eight. He then lived rough in the slums of Beirut, scouring the streets of the city with thousands of street orphans like him.
Remarkably, this ‘street-slug’ – as he used to be called in the gutters – with a severe speech impediment, would grow up to become a conductor of classical music in London’s most famous halls conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and others, as Melkonian did since 1985.
Arriving in the UK in 1972, fleeing the civil war in Lebanon, Melkonian worked as a singer on the ‘Northern-Clubs’ and was soon discovered by a local agent. His singing voice soon won him a place on TV’s New Faces.
By the mid ’70s Melkonian had become a leading singer and producer in a number of famous West End night spots: The Celebrité Club in New Bond Street, the Talk of the Town in Leicester Square and other notable venues. He also directed TV video clips, No Easy Walk to Freedom for Nelson Mandela’s release . . . but it was his interest in classical music that led him to a new field.
Vartan has composed a 55 minute long symphony: Impressions of Oman, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 1995 by the London Symphony Orchestra, with Melkonian himself as the conductor. In the same year he made a number of recordings with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Budapest.
As part of his work to inspire underprivileged children with hope, he has expressed his gratitude to the orphanage where he was looked after as a child by setting up a children’s charitable trust.
Vartan’s novel, The Young Nomad and the City, follows Dikran Pakradouni’s life in the city of Beirut from his birth until his sixteenth birthday.
In May 1999 Melkonian produced the Children of Kosovo concert at the Royal Albert Hall in support of Save the Children’s ongoing work in the Balkans. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Choral Society, Amanda Roocroft, Sally Burgess, Willard White, Stephen Kovacevich and many more leading artists gave their services free for his charity’s aims. The concert was supported by the Princess Royal and the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and was transmitted in its entirety on Classic FM.
In April 2003, Melkonian conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall: celebrating Favourite Classics in an Easter concert in aid of the Birds’ Nest Orphanage.
Melkonian believes that we can all contribute to society provided that a chance and the right opportunities are give and consequently everyone will contribute something towards society.
“I see a great many people still look at refugees, people like me, with disdain perhaps, but I hope that I will be a demonstration that people like me and many others can indeed contribute wonderful things to the society in which we live,” he told BBC Hardtalk.
Recently and With the UN’s encouragement, Vartan launched his long awaited Seva Coin which is not a traditional cryptocurrency. Seva Coin is a transparent digital wealth platform. When people buy Seva Coin, both the people and their community will benefit at the same time. The more people buy Seva Coin, the more valuable it will become.
Just after two days into the launch of Seva Coin, there has been an overwhelming positive response. A new idea will be launched at some point in the coming winter.
This month, BUSINESS LIFE magazine had the opportunity for an exclusive interview with the world’s famous music conductor Sir Vartan Melkonian. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Philanthropist and Adventurer. Sir Vartan needs no further introduction. Music leaders have a special beauty, that they bring to light.
BL: How can you contribute and cooperate with society and especially with the refugees and the less fortunate people?
Sir Vartan Melkonian : I believe we all have a certain gift unique to us which helps us improve our lives and in particular, the lives of others. I believe we all have a duty of care to ourselves and to those less fortunate than ourselves. We should all endeavour to demonstrate that the less fortunate people do have just as much potential as anybody else to contribute good things to society given the opportunity, given the spirit of care and consideration towards others. I have a vision, like many do, that one day the whole world becomes one nation with multitude of cultures, variety of folklore, different colours, various kinds of music… yet, we all live in one country, in one nation – a global nation.
BL: What is your role in society?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: I think of society as I think of my home. I think of how can I improve my home, my society? How can I make my home be more hospitable and more welcoming when neighbours come in for a visit? I consider my role as the society’s caretaker, as we should all be, the custodian of our homes, be proud of our homes, embracing our society as we embrace our families, our relatives, and our dear friends, be together as a well organised community with a common goal for the betterment of human life.
BL: How did you evolve throughout the years?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: I look at my work as my leisure as well, throughout the year. I strive to find joy in my work however tedious it may seem. Every year is like a road you travel along which is lined with streetlights, and wonderful opportunities, if you miss one, there will always be another. Just remember, traveling is going towards new opportunities with every mile, and be ready to make use of these opportunities for yourself, for your family and for your community.
BL: What is the importance of music on your life?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Music has been my passport to go around the world many times. I’ve found deep solace in music since my early days living on the streets of Beirut scouring the slums, doing any kind of work, searching the pavements for scraps of leftover food. Music for me is nothing less than the life-giving air I breathe. Music and life for me is one and the same thing; they have always been inseparable phenomena; one doesn’t exist without the other.
BL: What about your experience and your past and present status in UK and abroad?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: My experience, living in the Birds Nest Orphanage at an early age and then living on the streets of Beirut, is the solid and indestructible foundation on which I have built my present status here in UK and abroad. On the streets, I had to make decisions crucial to my own existence, so one can only imagine how quickly I learnt to walk the dark alleyways of the city at a young age without fear. But for that solitary upbringing, I don’t think I could have ever built my life the way it is today. I don’t think I could have ever walked through palaces of different kingdoms… I am forever thankful for that start in life.
BL: What are the most important roles of music in society?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Music is as important to society as the sound of your heartbeat is to you, as critical as the oxygen you inhale. Without that life-giving beat, without that life-giving oxygen, society wouldn’t even be alive. Have you ever been in a place where there is no sound, no sound of the wind in the trees, no sound of the waves in the sea? Even clouds have sound of their own if you just listen. Well, there is no place on earth where there is no sound, and sound is music. Therefore, music and sound together are a part of reality, part of the universe since creation.
BL: Why is music important to culture?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Music is the identity of a culture, the manifestation of culture, the making of a culture. Think of samba music, for example, and you cannot help but to think of Latin America. Think of flamenco music, and you cannot help but to think of Spain. Wadie Al Safi, for example, sung the songs of Lebanon, Elvis Presley, the songs of America, Edith Piaf, of France… Each culture is decorated by its own colour characteristic to its own folkloric music, distinctive to its own tradition and culture.
BL: What are the benefits of music?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Music benefits us in a way more profound than any other kind of inspirations, and more intimately. It lifts our spirits when we are down, it calms us down when we’re in upheaval – it does all sorts of things to our emotions. We each are moved by the sound of music unique to us as individual. It moves each of us in a different way. One kind of music may evoke sadness in someone and yet to someone else it may arouse happiness. You can sing along with it, dance to its beat, or remember someone, or different places, by its melodies. That’s the mystery of music.
BL: Why music is beneficial to society speech?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: When we speak, we deliver our utterance with various kinds of mini melodies. The words, ‘how are you?’, for example, has a melody of its own, but each one of us say them in different melodies, in separate variations. Like the old saying, music is an international language. Music has no geographical or artistic boundaries; it mostly occupies the domains of the feeling. It belongs to no nation, yet it affects everyone young and old, and understood by all societies, modern or primitive. And one of the things that unites us all is communications, talking with music.
BL: The Covid-19 crisis was a huge shock for the market, companies and states, how far did it impact your career?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: My professional life in music and TV were affected in a most profound way because of covid-19. My work has always evolved traveling to different parts of the world, having to stop over in different cities and give concerts and TV appearances. But all that came to a sudden halt, with a devastating effect on the whole art industry. One minute you have packed your luggage ready to travel, next minute you are locked down, imprisoned in your own home, with nothing much to do, with a bleak foresight to the future.
BL: What are your suggestions to correct the current mishaps in the current Lebanese politics?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: My life revolves around the Art. I compose music, conduct music, direct TV programs for the Arts, therefore, I wouldn’t be able to give any significant comments about the current political system in Lebanon, or about any country for that matter. I just hope that a new government will be established in Lebanon and the economic situation will be improved, soon.
BL: Recently you have launched Seva Coin online, would you elaborate on Seva Coin?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: People are often tired of being asked to give donations, again and again. You can give as much as you can, once, twice, three times… but at the end you cannot sustain this giving for ever. You have your own financial responsibilities. You need to look after your children’s education, pay for your personal outgoing... So, we all have our financial burdens. Seva Coin will hopefully change all that, which means you invest in Seva Coin and your investment will grow for you and for the community, the more people invest, the higher the investment will grow over time.
BL: How can people buy Seva Coin to benefit themselves and the wider community?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: In October 2019 we were having a private discussion about the digital money market at the UN, and what impact the digital currency is making on our lives which most of us in the community are totally unaware. The idea of the Seva Coin began back in October 2019, and it has taken more than a year to develop because of its highly advanced digital technology.
BL: What are the principles of Seva Coin?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Seva coin is in a limited supply. It has been minted on the Ethereum Blockchain, therefore we cannot possibly mint any more than the amount we have already minted, that’s the nature of the Ethereum Blockchain technology. Unlike other digital wealth, 30% of the total supply of Seva Coin is reserved for the community. There will be grants to be given to good causes, like hospitals, schools, places of worship, sports facilities, and other worthy projects. To get an idea, you should visit the Grant page on www.seva.coin.com. Seva Coin is predicted to rise in value quite rapidly, and therefore, help and benefit the buyer and the community all at the same time.
BL: What is the difference between Seva Coin and Bitcoin?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: Bitcoin started about nine years ago, also on the Blockchain technology, and the price of one coin was less than $1 each. Ordinary people took no notice of it, but the financial world looked at it with a magnifying glass. Now, in 2021, the price of Bitcoin is more than $50,000 each coin. Like Seva Coin, Bitcoin is also in limited supply, that is why the more people buy it the higher the price will rise. But unlike Seva Coin, Bitcoin is decentralised, which means Seva Coin is operating with the UK Company House rules and regulation. All its income is accounted for and tax paid – unlike Bitcoin. But Seva Coin’s profit-line is along the line of Bitcoin – sky is the limit...
BL: What are some long-range objectives?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: In these pandemic times, long-term objectives mean nothing more than hope for the future. No one really can confidently say when the pandemic will be over, even at World Health Organization. Yes, vaccine seem to have some positive affect, but that’s only in a few countries, but what about the developing countries, like India, for example, with a population of over one billion people, when will they all be vaccinated? So, the future can only be seen as hope for now.
BL: What are your current challenges?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: We, in the world of art, in public concerts in particular, are hit the hardest. There no concerts taking place. There are no theatres to attend, no cinemas to go to. This unbelievable situation has been like this for over a year now. Even the UK government is unable to say when crowd of people will be able to sit together in a concert hall, or in a theatre, or in a restaurant, without being subjected to the rules of social distancing. However optimistic you are, you cannot bypass the natural law of keeping safe for your sake and for the sake of others. There are many major challenges for us all – the whole world is just one big hospital, and there is not enough medicine to go round.
BL: What are your major achievements till date?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: I consider my major achievement is being able to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Through my profession I am able to have a platform where I can play elegant music and at the same time remind people that there are children – yes, children – out there on the streets without education and through no fault of theirs. What would the future generation say about us if we live the current situation as they are now? That is what the UN is striving for, to make the world a better place now for the future.
BL: What are your expectations and plans for the 2021? Do you feel optimistic about 2021 and 2022?
Sir Vartan Melkonian: I am optimistic, even in the face of the current gloom. I must be. That is all we have, be optimistic. There are talks about this particular aspect at local and international level. Perhaps we would be able to start putting on major public concerts again at the tail-end of 2022. So, that is a long way away yet. But just keep hold on tight to the ropes of hope, optimism and confident spirit and we will all get there – I promise!
