Tamar Kaprelian

Tamar Kaprelian

Kaprelian in 2015
Background information
Birth name Tamar Mardirossian
Born (1986-10-28) October 28, 1986
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Genres Pop, pop rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, musician, pianist
Instruments Vocals, piano
Years active 2008–present
Labels Interscope
Associated acts Genealogy
Website http://www.tamarkaprelian.com/

Tamar Kaprelian (Armenian: Թամար Գաբրելեան) is an Armenian American musician and singer.[1] She is best known for her single "New Day" and for winning the Cover Contest in March 2008 with "Apologize" by OneRepublic. She was selected to be part of Genealogy, a collective Armenian international music band to represent Armenia in 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna with the song "Face the Shadow".

Family and early life

Born Tamar Mardirossian (Armenian: Թամար Մարտիրոսեան), better known by her artist name Tamar Kaprelian, was born in Scottsdale, Arizona to Armenian parents, but she grew up in Georgia and California.[1] Kaprelian is her mother's maiden name and she chose it in honor of her grandfather who died a few years before her career began. Tamar is incredibly proud of her heritage and she wants people to know that she is an Armenian. Her great-grandparents are from Old Armenia. On her mother's side of the family, her grandfather Girair Kaprelian was born in Kharpert and her grandmother Hasmik Kaprelian was born in Mousel. They met in Iraq, where her grandfather owned a successful textile manufacturing business in the Middle East. On her father's side, her grandfather George Mardirossian was born in Jerusalem and her grandmother Victoria Ewin was born in Liverpool. They met in Egypt and moved to Manchester where they started an Armenian hotel/restaurant. Her parents, Avedis and Silva Mardirossian, met in Manchester and moved to the United States (Scottsdale, Arizona), where they raised her brother and her.[2]

Her interest in music began when she discovered the works of Billy Joel and Paul McCartney, although she also cites classic Disney film songs as an early influence.[1]

Career

Kaprelian won the OneRepublic "Apologize" Cover Contest in March 2008, and as a reward, Ryan Tedder helped bring her to the attention of Interscope Records which signed her shortly afterward. Wax Ltd produced her song "New Day," which went on to be her first single, and her first album Sinner or a Saint on Interscope records was released August 24, 2010. During 2010, she performed Dev's part of "Like a G6" with The Far East Movement at selected live performances.

Her first EP, California, was released on June 19, 2012.

Tamar represented Armenia in Vienna at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 along with Essaï Altounian, Vahe Tilbian, Stephanie Topalian, Mary-Jean O'Doherty Basmadjian, and Inga Arshakyan —all with Armenian backgrounds. She became an Armenian citizen along with the other foreign members of Genealogy on 28 April 2015 after being given Armenian passports by President Serzh Sargsyan.[3]

After the contest, Kaprelian released a collaborative single "The Otherside" credited to Tamar Kaprelian featuring Elhaida Dani, Elina Born, Maria-Elena Kyriakou & Stephanie Topalian.[4][5] Dubbed "Eurovision 2015 Song Contest Unity Version", it included Kaprelian who was part of Armenian entry Genealogy with Dani who represented Albania, Born who represented Estonia, Kyriakou who represented Greece and the Japanese American Armenian Topalian who like Kaprelian was part of Armenia's Genealogy pan-Armenian diaspora band.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Sinner or a Saint
  • Released: August 24, 2010
  • Label: Interscope Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming

EPs

Title Album details
California
  • Released: July 19, 2012
  • Label: Killer Tracks
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Yours to Keep
  • Released: May 19, 2015
  • Label: Killer Tracks
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US Adult Top 40
"New Day" 2009 37[6] Sinner or a Saint
"Face the Shadow"
(as part of Genealogy)		 2015 — non-album single
"The Otherside"
(featuring Elhaida Dani, Elina Born, Maria-Elena Kyriakou & Stephanie Topalian)		 — non-album single
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category City Result
2016 Pan Armenian Entertainment Awards Best female singer of Armenian Diaspora LA Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About". Tamar Kaprelian – Official Site. Interscope Records. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  2. ↑ "I want people to know that I am Armenian – interview with Tamar Kaprelian". style.news.am. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (28 April 2015). "Eurovision Armenia: Genealogy meet the president of Armenia". Esctoday. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Wiwibloggs: Tamar Kaprelian releases ESC collaboration "The Otherside"
  5. ↑ iTunes: "The Otherside"
  6. ↑ "Killer Tracks Artist Series To Release Sequence of Original EPs". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tamar Kaprelian.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Aram Mp3
with Not Alone		 Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
(as part of Genealogy)
2015 		Succeeded by
Iveta Mukuchyan
with LoveWave


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