  
If you like traditional Armenian music, soft folk melodies that your grandmother might have whispered when placing lavash into the tonir in a small village somewhere in Armenia, Alla Levonyan's "Hayastan" is definitely for you. Following the excellent legacy of Ara Gevorgian and Nune in making traditional Armenian music more appealing to modern listeners, Alla's debut album is a masterpiece. Without a single "filler" track, there's no surprise that the album was nominated for The Best Original Song during the 2000 Armenian Music Awards.
The disc is filled with incredibly smooth melodies and Alla's amazing voice (she was also nominated for The Best Female Artist). The prodigy is not only a great singer whose voice mesmerizes the audience, but a talented composer and writer as well, since most of the music and lyrics are written by Alla herself. The music arrangement and overall production quality is also impressive - Armenian folk motives sound marvelous thanks to background efforts of Arthur Grigorian, Arthur Asatrian and Hako, who himself was nominated for The Best Male Artists and his debut album "Romance" nominated for The Best Pop Retro Album.
Alla's tender voice and calm style is a contrast to Nune's more aggressive approach. Most of the tracks from the album sound very soft, but also inspiring. As soon as you hear "Sevan" and close you eyes, you won't help seeing the cool waters of the sparkling lake, while "Hayastan" will remind you our hilly country. The disc also includes the hit "Hoy-Nar" which is a stunning success all by itself.
The beginning of the disc is filled with dreamy rhythms ("Veradardzir" can almost be classified as Enigma with Armenian soul), but the album picks up the speed and becomes more upbeat towards the end. Patriotic "Sparapet" is dedicated to the memory of Vazgen Sarksyan, while "Kgtnem" and "Heqiat" are pop compositions, but of course, with an Armenian flavor.
All in all, "Hayastan" is an album that clearly stands out from the rest. Alla's voice and music are a big step in the right direction towards the revival of Armenian traditional music. Her talent deservingly makes her a star, while her vision of our music should be embraced by others. A great future awaits Alla Levonyan, and "Hayastan" is just the first step.
Arman Harutyunyan
-- DemkRadio.Com
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