Serj Tankian
Birthday: 21 August 1967, Beirut, Lebanon
Height: 179 cm
Serj Tankian was born on August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon. He has been married to Angela Madatyan since June 10, 2012.
I'd rather let the music speak for itself.
I'd rather let the music speak for itself.
I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.
I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.
As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to Show more
As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to writing in a different way. Hide
Composing is what I love most from what I do. Each genre has a unique expression that you cannot sup Show more
Composing is what I love most from what I do. Each genre has a unique expression that you cannot supplant with another. All the records co-inspire each other though they are not tied conceptually in any way to another. Hide
If you allow for a purely capitalistic society, without any type of regulation at all, you will get Show more
If you allow for a purely capitalistic society, without any type of regulation at all, you will get one monopoly that will eat all of the smaller fish and own everything, and then you'll have zero capitalism, zero competition - it would just be one giant company. Hide
Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.
Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.
Awareness in our society has flipped all types of injustice on its head.
Awareness in our society has flipped all types of injustice on its head.
It's probably a combination of personal and non-personal matters that have led us to where we are mu Show more
It's probably a combination of personal and non-personal matters that have led us to where we are musically. Hide
I've got my own studio, and I've got four- to five-hundred unreleased tracks. I've got stuff that's Show more
I've got my own studio, and I've got four- to five-hundred unreleased tracks. I've got stuff that's electronic, orchestral, jazz, I've got rock, I've got metal, you know, I don't have polka. Hide
I think every artist should follow their vision, their hearts is what they need to reveal, not somet Show more
I think every artist should follow their vision, their hearts is what they need to reveal, not something that society is looking out for. Hide
As long as people are living their truth or their vision, whether they're activists or not, that's t Show more
As long as people are living their truth or their vision, whether they're activists or not, that's the important thing. Hide
The percentage of Americans in the prison system, has doubled since 1985.
The percentage of Americans in the prison system, has doubled since 1985.
I'm not comfortable with just entertaining. Although I like entertaining, I also like bringing forwa Show more
I'm not comfortable with just entertaining. Although I like entertaining, I also like bringing forward the truth of our times as minstrels used to in the old days. Hide
People think our music's very aggressive or angry or whatever, and it's just the opposite, really... Show more
People think our music's very aggressive or angry or whatever, and it's just the opposite, really... I like laughing. And I like being really calm before a show, and smiley. Hide
In the last few years I've been listening to jazz more than anything else. I listen to a lot of worl Show more
In the last few years I've been listening to jazz more than anything else. I listen to a lot of world music and experimental here and there. Hide
Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.
Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.
I hate injustice, and I can't help but speak against it. But I don't want to get involved in politic Show more
I hate injustice, and I can't help but speak against it. But I don't want to get involved in politics. Hide
The most important thing about music that I've learned after all this time is that to me, it's a way Show more
The most important thing about music that I've learned after all this time is that to me, it's a way of reaching the truth. Hide
I have a more direct avenue to expression as an artist than I ever would as a politician.
I have a more direct avenue to expression as an artist than I ever would as a politician.
We first fought... in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrori Show more
We first fought... in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change. Hide
Civilization is a failure. We need to think what we can do together in love and peace.
Civilization is a failure. We need to think what we can do together in love and peace.
People get so attached to a position which they identify themselves with that they just spurt it out Show more
People get so attached to a position which they identify themselves with that they just spurt it out, but they can't really give you a viable reason why they feel that way. Hide
I believe very firmly that indigenous populations had a really good, intuitive understanding of why Show more
I believe very firmly that indigenous populations had a really good, intuitive understanding of why we're here. And we're trying to gain that same understanding through psychology and intellect in modern civilization. Hide
Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.
Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.
People always ask me 'do you think there should be more bands doing political music?' and I say 'abs Show more
People always ask me 'do you think there should be more bands doing political music?' and I say 'absolutely not.' Hide
When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of Armenian music, you know, revolutionary music about Show more
When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of Armenian music, you know, revolutionary music about freedom and protest. In the 70s I was listening to soul and the Bee Gees and ABBA, and funk. Hide
You listen to Bob Dylan and you can't help but think of the 60s, it's very relational and if artists Show more
You listen to Bob Dylan and you can't help but think of the 60s, it's very relational and if artists are true artists and not just mere musicians they need to be truthful because the music doesn't come from them it comes from the universe and it's to be shared. At best, we're skilled presenters, and I say that at best. Hide
[on the Armenian Genocide and The Promise (2016)] It's been an honor to be an impartial ear and eye Show more
[on the Armenian Genocide and The Promise (2016)] It's been an honor to be an impartial ear and eye to the film. The best way to counter high-budget disinformation campaigns by the Turkish government is to move people with the truth via the arts. I've been doing it for years with music and wanted to help do it through film somehow. [2017] Hide
I think anytime that you go to the extreme of any mode of economics, be it capitalism or communism, Show more
I think anytime that you go to the extreme of any mode of economics, be it capitalism or communism, you have these feedback mechanisms that make the system turn in on itself. Hide
We first fought the heathens in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs a Show more
We first fought the heathens in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change. Hide
I'm a huge Beatles fan, but I've only really gotten into them as an adult.
I'm a huge Beatles fan, but I've only really gotten into them as an adult.
Sometimes a good love song can change the world and create positive energy more than any political s Show more
Sometimes a good love song can change the world and create positive energy more than any political song can. Hide
The best way to do that is to pick up a new instrument or an instrument that you don't typically wri Show more
The best way to do that is to pick up a new instrument or an instrument that you don't typically write on and see where it takes you. Whether it's using an acoustic guitar, or piano, or electronics as tools, all of these lead to creating different types of songs and I used all of these methods for this record. Hide
Harout Pamboukjian is one of the biggest Armenian folk singers in the world. In the '70s, he was mak Show more
Harout Pamboukjian is one of the biggest Armenian folk singers in the world. In the '70s, he was making these records that were really Zeppelin-influenced. Hide
I've always tried to listen to a lot of different music from around the world.
I've always tried to listen to a lot of different music from around the world.
Serj Tankian's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (15)
