Topouzian Launches Kickstarter Campaign for ‘Detroit HYE Times’

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.—Armenian musician and Kresge Artist Fellow Ara Topouzian recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for his upcoming documentary, “Detroit HYE Times.”

“Detroit has been home to more than 40,000 Armenians in the metro Detroit area since the turn of the 20th century,” said Topouzian. “I want to show the public the important role Armenian musicians played in the development of the Detroit community. These musicians came from the ‘old country’ and brought with them folk songs and their identity to Detroit. This documentary is a way to honor their work and contributions to Motown.”

“Detroit HYE Times” will be a one-hour film documentary focusing on the history of Armenian music and musicians from Detroit. It will feature visits to local metro Detroit locations where Armenian music was once prominent, as well as rare interviews with some of the musicians and nightclub patrons of that era. In addition, the documentary will feature clips from a live concert performance of Armenian folk music that was filmed in Midtown Detroit in April 2013.

Kickstarter is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Topouzian was one of the winners of the 2013 Knights Art Challenge Award, a community-wide contest funding cultural projects that engage and enrich Detroit. He will be awarded a matching grant of $12,000 for his documentary.

Topouzian plays the kanun, a 76-stringed laptop Middle Eastern harp. He has performed throughout the U.S. as a solo artist, as a member of Armenian and Middle Eastern ensembles, and with renowned world music, jazz, and fusion artists. His music has been featured in several nationally aired PBS documentaries. In 2012, he performed as a guest soloist with the Virginia Commonwealth University Symphony, performing an original concerto written for the kanun.

To contribute to Topouzian’s Kickstarter campaign, visit http://kck.st/1efHMnk. The campaign ends on March 18, 2014. For more information, visit www.aratopouzian.com.