Iveta Mukuchyan (Իվետա Մուկուչյան) was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1986. She grew up in Hamburg, Germany where her family moved in 1992. At the age of 23, she returned to Armenia to audition for the popular television show Hay Superstar (the Armenian version of American Idol). Although she was eliminated in the semi-finals and finished in 5th place overall, the program marked her first step onto the public stage in her home country. Mukuchyan then began studying jazz-vocal performance at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. In 2010 she was recognized as the “Discovery of the Year” at the annual Armenian Music Awards in Moscow. In 2012, Mukuchyan was a contestant on the second season of The Voice of Germany with mild success. Her popularity began to rise, and the same year she was put on the cover of El Style magazine as “Sexiest Armenian of the Year.” In 2013, she again participated in The Voice of Germany and this time made it to the final round live shows.
Speaking about her dual identity, Mukuchyan has described herself as a person who “thinks in German, but loves in Armenian.”
Her most recent steps into the spotlight were as Armenia’s representative in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Stockholm, Sweden. She came in 7th place with 249 points, performing, in English, the dance pop hit “LoveWave.” Mukuchyan did spark some controversy during the Eurovision first semi-finals when she breached the contest’s very strict ban on political messages by raising the flag of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, an Armenian-backed movement on territory fiercely disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is known as one of the “frozen conflicts” of the post-Soviet world. The European Broadcasting Union warned that any further rule breaking would result in sanctions against Armenia’s Eurovision participation. When questioned about the incident, Mukuchyan said “My thoughts are with my Motherland. I want peace everywhere.”
In 2016, Mukuchyan made her acting debut in the Armenian-language film Run Away Or Get Married (Փախիր կամ ամուսնացիր), a comedy written by Ashot Abrahamyan and directed by Hayk Kbeyan, co-starring Mukuchyan and Armenian actor/comedian/writer Mkrtich Arzumanyan.
Her latest song “Hars” (Bride/ հարս) is a rousing tribute to Armenian traditional folk music. The opening credits of the music video read “This music video wouldn’t have been made possible if not for the people who preserved and passed on to us the age-old Armenian song and dance. We bow before them.” The video shows grainy black and white clips of mountain landscapes and people dancing at a traditional Armenian wedding. Hars is her second collaboration with DJ/Producer Serjo, the first being the 2015 “Ari Yar” (Come, my lover/ Արի յար). She has also released a few tracks in English, including “Simple like a Flower” (2015) and “Target” (2015).
While still relatively new to the Armenian pop scene, expect to hear more from this up and coming young artist.
Find Iveta Mukuchyan on Amazon
Ari Yar/ Արի յար / Come, my lover (ft. Serjo)
Lyrics for (Արի յար):
Կանգնել եմ առվի ափին
Հոպ, յարո ջան, հոյ աման
Կանգնել եմ առվի ափին, առվի ափին,առվի ափին
Կանգնել եմ առվի ափին
Հոպ, յարո ջան, հոյ աման
Աչքս գցել քո ճամփին
Ելնեմ դարը, գնամ սարը,
Գտնեմ յարը, իմ թառլան յար (2x)
Արծիվը սարի դոշին
Հոպ, յարո ջան, հոյ աման
Թափ տամ փափախիդ փոշին
Յալվա անեմ, կոճակ շարեմ
Ճթիդ գցեմ թևերս յար (2x)
Սարի ճամփին օրորա
Հոպ, յարո ջան, հոյ աման
Իգիթ յարս մոլորա
Ելնեմ դարը, գնամ սարը,
Գտնեմ յարը, իմ թառլան յար (2x)
Սարեր ջան հով արեք
Հովեր ջան զով արեք (4x)
Արի յար ջան արի
Արի յար տուն արի (4x)
Կանգնել եմ առվի ափին
Հոպ, յարո ջան, հոյ աման
Աչքս գցել քո ճամփին
Ելնեմ դարը, գնամ սարը,
Գտնեմ յարը, իմ թառլան յար
Hars/ հարս/ Bride
Lyrics for “հարս”:
*this song is brand new and lyrics have not yet been posted online*
