{"id":216172,"date":"2026-05-01T00:53:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216172\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:53:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:53:22","slug":"dinkjian-and-the-ny-gypsy-all-stars-bring-an-international-fusion-sound-to-brooklyn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216172\/","title":{"rendered":"Dinkjian and the NY Gypsy All-Stars bring an international fusion sound to Brooklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"

On April 17, Roulette<\/a>, the Brooklyn-based performance space, hosted Ara Dinkjian<\/a> and the New York Gypsy All-Stars<\/a> for a special evening of music. The event was presented in partnership with Brooklyn Maqam<\/a>, Lotus Music & Dance<\/a> and Robert Browning Associates<\/a>, which is celebrating 50 years of preserving and promoting world music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Performing Ara Dinkjian\u2019s own compositions, the event brought together an international group of artists \u2014 Armenian, Macedonian, Turkish, Greek and American \u2014 making music together as friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n

Dinkjian<\/a> led the group on oud, with Tamer Pinarba\u015fi<\/a> on kanun (zither), Ismail Lumanovski<\/a> on clarinet, Panagiotis Andreou<\/a> on electric bass, Engin Gunaydin<\/a> on drums and Jason Lindner<\/a> on keyboards, combining the music of Armenia, the Balkans and the Middle East with jazz, funk and other diverse rhythms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The chosen pieces and instruments reflected Dinkjian\u2019s background \u2014 American Armenian and Western Armenian. Ranging from mellow to upbeat, the musical fusions added a fresh, innovative flair to the familiar Armenian sound.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ara Dinkjian and the New York Gypsy All-Stars.<\/p>\n

A great example of that was \u201cDancing Girls<\/a>,\u201d the ultimate contemporary kef song. Andreou\u2019s funky scatting and electric bass, and Lindner\u2019s avant-garde synth, blended beautifully with the traditional sounds of Dinkjian\u2019s oud and Lumanovski\u2019s clarinet to create a dynamic beat for today\u2019s Armenian picnics. You couldn\u2019t help but clap your hands and look for space to start a line dance.<\/p>\n

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Dedicated to \u2014 and named for \u2014 bluegrass musician Tony Rice, \u201cPilaf<\/a>\u201d was another lively tune. The metallic tones of Pinarba\u015fi\u2019s kanun married with the bright notes of the clarinet to produce a twang unique to Middle Eastern music that also paid homage to the bluegrass genre.<\/p>\n

In addition to making the audience want to dance, Dinkjian\u2019s compositions showcased music\u2019s ability to heal and bring people together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In \u201cAmerican Gypsy<\/a>,\u201d the audience got a glimpse of the slow, contemplative side of the versatile oud and kanun. On the drums, Gunaydin\u2019s snare brushing evoked the steady rain on a gloomy, sleepy day, while the soft cymbal swell, paired with the cry of the clarinet, brought the sequence to a dreamlike end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The melody for \u201cThe Mountain Sees Us All\u201d came to Dinkjian after church one Sunday and refers to Mount Ararat being the only thing that really knows the truth. Beginning with classical piano, the piece alternated between the ancient and delicate oud and kanun and the hard rocking bass and drums \u2014 a musical East-meets-West. It was not a battle, but a fellowship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey try to tell me some of these guys on stage are supposed to be my enemies,\u201d Dinkjian said before they began. \u201cThey\u2019re not my enemies; they\u2019re my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in the audience, that feeling was evident. There was camaraderie, respect and trust among them as they experimented, played and shared their joy with the audience.<\/p>\n

For more information on upcoming events, follow Ara Dinkjian on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> and the New York Gypsy All-Stars on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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