Viguen

Viguen
Viguen in 1960s
Viguen in 1960s
Background information
Birth nameViguen Derderian
Born(1929-11-23)23 November 1929
Hamadan, Imperial State of Iran
Died26 October 2003(2003-10-26) (aged 73)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actor
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1951–2001
Labels

Viguen (born Viguen Derderian, Persian: ویگن دردریان, Vigen Derderyân; Armenian: Վիգէն Տէրտէրեան,[a][1] Vigēn Tērtērian;[2] 23 November 1929 – 26 October 2003) was an Iranian pop music singer and actor. He was well known throughout the Near East and was called the "King of Iranian pop" and the "Sultan of Jazz." He was an Iranian Armenian by ethnicity and sang in both Persian and Armenian.[3]

During the golden age of Persian pop (the early 1970s) until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many Iranian performers and celebrities—among them Delkash, Pouran, and Elaheh—yearned to be associated with him.[4] He moved to the United States in 1971 and lived the rest of his life there, continuing to perform.

Viguen's innovative and upbeat style of music had a great influence on paving the way for a new genre of Iranian music, influenced by Western European and Latin American styles. His musical and performing talents soon captured the attention of many prominent Iranian lyricists and composers such as Parveez Vakili and Kareem Fakkour, and together they created some of Iran's most memorable songs.[4]


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  1. ^ "Viguen Armenian Songs". Spotify. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  2. ^ Abrahamyan, Lusine (1 September 2011). "Milanda de Mont: "My life is art, art is my life"". Hayern Aysor. Retrieved 8 September 2019. [...] most of my relatives are artists. Vigen Terterian is my mother's uncle's son.
  3. ^ Saba, Sadeq (27 October 2003). "Iranian pop legend dies at 74". BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b Sadeq Saba (26 November 2003). "Obituary: Vigen Derderian". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 October 2013.