Sarine Balian’s first album: Juxtaposed

Sarine Balian is an Armenian vocalist who was raised in Lebanon and the United States. Her first solo album, Juxtaposed, brings together Armenian folk/traditional music and jazz standards. By working with music that is experimental in nature, Sarine allows for multiple cultures to exist in the space.

During her study of jazz and world music at San Francisco State University, Sarine paired with two influential mentors – vocalist Sandy Cressman and saxophonist Dr.Hafez Modirzadeh. Supplemental to her university training, Sarine studied Middle Eastern percussion.

In addition to several Bay Area performance groups she was a member of the Sweetwater Singers, a pan-Indian northern plains style Powwow drum group that sang regularly at San Francisco Bay Area community events. As a member of the Oakland Jazz Choir, and The High Seas, Sarine performed in San Francisco, Oakland and the greater Bay Area.

Sarine's previous projects include developing and arranging music for theatre productions, including Tamam and Abaga, Armenian music consultation for 9 Armenians, and composing for and performing with SFSU's Creative World Ensemble.

This first album is a reflection of the road that brought me here. Up until now, I defined my music by where it was from and who brought it out of me. Through this collection, I stand on my own without forgetting where I am from. Singing in different languages makes me feel complete; a single language cannot express everything that exists in my world.

Juxtaposed moves sounds from language and music into a new cultural landscape. The stories are about the moments when we look for something that appears unreachable and about the triumphant moments when we find it. The songs hold both the tension and the release, and the places that appear familiar are reimagined.

“This first album is a reflection of the road that brought me here. Up until now, I defined my music by where it was from and who brought it out of me. Through this collection, I stand on my own without forgetting where I am from. Singing in different languages makes me feel complete, a single language cannot express everything that exists in my world.”