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Mike And The Mechanic
By Ani Amirkhanian
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He's found a mix fixing transmissions during the week and singing on his cable TV show on the weekends.
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Gorgen Zargarian can fix a transmission one minute and break into a song the next.
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The 57-year-old father of two considers himself successful when it comes to his two passions in life – auto mechanics and singing.
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“I like both equally,” Zargarian said. “My singing and work are my favorite.”
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During the week, Zargarian, a Glendale resident, runs his business – Arlen's Transmission – in Burbank. On the weekends, he is the host of “Gorgen Show.”
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The show, which he started about 13 years ago, appears on Charter Communications cable channel 30 in Glendale and Burbank from 8 to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
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Zargarian was in the third grade in Iran when he started singing, and it didn't take long before began belting out tunes for his friends.
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But he never sang in public or in front of the camera.
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“If there was an occasion for friends, I would sing,” he said. “There really wasn't an opportunity to sing in public, and at the time, it was hard to be accepted.”
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The opportunity to appear on television didn't come knocking until he moved to the United States in 1989.
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He turned his focus to starting a business.
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Zargarian had gained auto mechanic experience working at his uncle's shop in Iran. That's where he learned to rebuild transmissions.
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Later, he started his own shop.
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When he moved to the United States, Zargarian decided to start a transmission business here.
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After getting settled here with his family, he started coming up with ideas for a show.
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“I spent a lot of money,” Zargarian said. “My family encouraged me to go further.”
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Zargarian set up his studio in his garage and eventually started working out of commercial studios to use more sophisticated engineering equipment.
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His shows are broadcast live about 80% of the time, Zargarian said, adding that his show can also be viewed via satellite.
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Zargarian's show caters to a predominantly Farsi-speaking audience.
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He interviews Persian and Armenian personalities, shows footage of Iran and sings in his own pop music videos.
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“He always brings memories of home back,” said Madlen Davoodian, a viewer.
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Davoodian, 48, also appreciates Zargarian's showmanship.
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“What I like about him is that whatever he sings comes from his heart,” the Burbank resident said.
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Zargarian's fan base also includes a younger generation.
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Karlet Torosyan of La Crescenta doesn't speak or understand Farsi, but despite her unfamiliarity with the language, she watches the show and listens to the music.
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“When the music comes on and since I love Middle Eastern music, his music makes me dance,” the 22-year-old said. “I get up on my couch and dance. It's a happy show to sit down to watch, and it brings the family together.”
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The language barrier doesn't seem to bother Torosyan, who is more accustomed to speaking Armenian and English.
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“I don't understand Farsi, but I always have my mom translate what he is saying,” she said. “I honestly don't feel like you have to understand the language to like the music.”
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Zargarian hires a songwriter, and once the words are written, he adds the music.
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But singing just a few Armenian songs is one of the challenges Zargarian faces as a performer with his Armenian-speaking viewers.
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Some of his Armenian viewers, who don't speak Farsi, have difficulty understanding his songs, he said.
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Zargarian performs mainly in Farsi because it's the language he was mainly schooled in, adding that 80% of the educational instruction in Iran was in Farsi and 20% was in Armenian.
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So far, Zargarian has one CD titled “Gofteh Goo,” which is Farsi for “Conversation.”
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The album includes seven Persian songs and one English song. The Persian songs are more traditional and are set to the sounds of classical Middle Eastern instruments, including the tar, sitar, ood and dombag.
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After getting numerous requests from his fans, Zargarian plans to compile more than 40 of his songs onto three CDs.
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“I've never thought I would make money singing,” he said. “I just love to entertain others.”
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For more information about “Gorgen Show,” visit www.gorgenshow.com.
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The contents of the website are in Farsi.
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Source: Burbank Leader, CA
Jan 16 2007
Jan 16 2007
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Hear two of his Armenian songs here.
