HAYQ (a.k.a. LAO)

I know the subject of pirated cds has come up on this site before, and as a music composer/producer myself it naturally upsets me as well, but what recently happened is even more frustrating.

A couple of years ago I met a couple of young local Armenians, brothers, who rap in Armenian. We met up on many occasions brainstorming on ideas, but nothing came about until this past winter. They created a commercial style hip hop group, sort of like an Armenian "Black-Eyed Peas", called HAYQ. The group consists of the brothers - Narek & Felix and songwriter Hayk ... all rapping, African-Armenian dark-skinned Hrant on male vocals (who already has a couple of albums released with his sister), and Syuzi, a cute female vocalist.

They've written quite a few songs already, but one song called Qami Pchi caught my attention, and so they asked me to produce it for them. (My first Armenian song production.) The song is a mixture of rap and vocal (with some hints of Armenian and Mid Eastern vocal melodies), and on the verge of rabiz, but still very pop. We recorded the vocals, I also ended up changing some of the lyrics and melodies, arranged it, mixed it, and recorded the final mix at my studio. I handed over the master copy right before I left for Canada, and they started pushing the track, performing in a few clubs here and there, yet without radio play, no video to promote the song, and no album which anyone could find the song on in stores. What happens next? The song is stolen from God knows where, and put on a compilation called "Tuyn Havakatsu 2006" (Poison Collection 2006). And as if that's not bad enough, the song is out as being performed by Hay Tgheq featuring Sirusho. (For those of you who don't know who Hay Tgheq is, they are the most popular local rap group.)

So the group, HAYQ, barely has money, but they are working on a video now (which they are directing themselves, and being shot by Hrach Qeshishyan's cameraman) and it should be out soon. Apparently the song is already a huge hit. According to friends of mine and the guys themselves, the pirated song is selling like mad, and you can hear the song being played in shops and cars all over Yerevan. I'll be back home soon, and will help promote the song like mad, make it the 2006 summer hit of the country, work on a follow-up, and in the meantime find the _sses that stole the song and call the cops on them. LOL! As if that would change anything.