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| Cool Gardens, de Serj Tankian |
Someone's most delicate side can be found in the noble way their words express themselves. The name Serj Tankian is known by the majority of people as being associated with music. The vocalist of System of a Down, besides writing lyrics, also writes poetry. There are so much examples that show how important the words really are, the simplicity of some words can cause tickling in our ears, and the brutality of some can crush our heart, in opposition, the strength found in logotherapy, created by Viktor Frankl, has in itself the capacity of taking people out of depressive states. If you have already watched the film The Professor and the Madman, you can surely recognize the value within each word and that several men and women kept those same words alive in encyclopedias to be explored and kept by everyone.
Today's Wunderkammer tries to present in a succinct manner what the vocalist Serj Tankian has been doing as a poet. Besides his poetry, he has been an activist in music, fighting for the legitimacy of history and the cultural legacy of his country of origin. Armenia has not received until this day any apology or even recognition by Turkey in respect of the injustices perpetrated in its neighbour country whose right to exist and be independent was legitimate.
It is known that the vocalist would be focused in preparing the documentary Truth to Power related to a specific theme (sadly) still relevant in our days and that deserves now more than ever to be exposed, Armenia still faces hostile confrontations with its neighbour countries, last year besides also being afflicted by the pandemic, Armenia was also a victim of attacks by Azerbaijan, hounded by Turkey whose interests are centered around conquering territory that is populated by armenians. Truth of Power focuses on the involvement of the vocalist in the armenian revolution and will have its official release date 19th of February. In favor of the armenian revolution that began in 2018 favouring the democrat and present chief of State Nikol Pashinyan, Serj composed several soundtracks like in "1915" that brings to memory the shadow of the genocide of armeninan people perpertraded by the turkish armada in 1914, or the documentary "I am Not Alone" about the great hero of the armenian revolution, Nikol Pashinyan. However, in "Truth To Power" it's the musician that becomes the target of Garin Hovannisia's camera.
"Truth to Power" also approaches the way Tankian works in his music. The documentary contains interviews of several key figures like the producer Rick Rubin or Rage Against the Machine's guitar player, Tom Morello, who is also an activist for human rights. SOAD'S vocalist is also a critic history wise in regards to Turkey's role towards Armenia, being a country who has been a force of regional oppression, like in the Armenian Genocide of 1914, or in the support it has been giving to Azerbaijan in the border's conflict with SOAD'S vocalist's native country. One of the most touching moments of SOAD remains as an historical record of extreme importance which is the band's concert in the middle of the square of republic in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, part of the Wake up the Souls tour that served as a reminder for the 100 years of the armenian genocide and served as a means to bring awareness to the events that took the lives of more than one million and a half armenians under the hands of the Ottoman government in 1915.
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We know the song lyrics may well be beautiful poems transmuted by symbolism that guides us to a place that is beyond the literal. One of the major highlights of song writers that won the Nobel award for literature and who is not part of the writer's community is Bob Dylan, who serves as an example that it's not always novels that are candidates for that award. However, there are those who try to turn poetry and prose into a challenging vessel that is naked of verbal ornaments. Serj Tankian's debut book baptized under the name Cool Gardens is a collection of prose that unites seven or eight years of reflections by the north american of armenian ancestry.
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The book showcases the author's style, whose non-traditional approach is eclectic, introspective, and sometimes quite straightforward and crushing. The poems deal with sensitive issues like euthanasia and the nature of time. Cool Gardens envelopes the reader in the same multifaceted approach as Serj's music. The art for the book was created by the young and talented artist resident in Los Angeles, Sako Shahinian. In the turn of the 19th to 20th century, art started to worry more about the sense of Truth and in that way Serj can be called an artist, because he is not afraid of the effects of his inner voice in those who listen to it.
I can feel you far away your hesitation matching mine
Sadness left us as the residue of uncompromising love
Between the blind seeking adoration of bright doorways
And sweet melodic voices dispersed by the wind crested
In the park I can feel you far away with your earth blue eyes
Catching the waves of unknown oceans not born harvesting the sea
Of torn lullaby's in the skies your grief matching mine touching glasses
Toasting the totality of all time when lovers fought behind the
Lines of red wine pouring from the gashes left behind by the
Sweet petals of a misunderstood rose
Poema: Misunderstood Rose, de Serj Tankian
Text: Priscilla Fontoura
Translation: Cláudia Zafre