Deti Picasso is a four-piece band from Yerevan and Budapest, who combine Armenian folk music with psychedelic rock. With a wide variety of influences and unusual instrumentation, they create a unique sound - head-spinning and sharp, with strong ethnic roots, psychodelia and hypnotic energy. They interprete ancient Armenian chants with incredibly expressive female vocals, intensive guitar music and Caucasian beats. At the centre of the band is Gaya Arutyunyan - one of the most original singers of the Armenian world music scene.
As a result of their domestic success in the mid of 2000s, soon they gained international succes and played at the biggest festivals and venues in Europe. They have collaborated repeatedly with Hungarian acid jazz band Masfel, Moldavian ethno funk band Zdob si Zdub, American punk accordeonist Jason Webley, free jazz sax player Istvan Grencso, jazz legend Bobby McFerrin and Alexander Hacke, bass player of Einsturzende Neubauten.
BIO
Deti Picasso was formed in Moscow, in early 2000 by Gaya Arutyunyan and her brother Karen. At the beginning they played alternative rock music with Russian lyrics and gained a fast mainstream success after releasing their distinctive music videos. Soon they found themselves playing at the main Russian music festivals and in the biggest rock venues. As a highlight of their early career they supported Depeche Mode and Massive Attack on their joint concert in Moscow. At the same period the band won the best newcomer band award, nominated by the prestigious Russian music magazine Fuzz.
After 3 released albums and many invitations for festivals and clubs all over Europe, in 2007 and 2008 the two founding members of Deti Picasso, Gaya and Karen moved to Budapest. Between 2007 and 2010 the band toured in numerous European countries and released one more Armenian record called ’Turbo Mairik’.
In 2010 Deti Picasso released a Russian language double album ’Gerda and Kay’, comprising illustrious guest musicians like German bassist Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten), Hungarian saxophone legend Istvan Grencso, trumpet player Lorinc Barabas, Slovenian bassist Nikola Sekulovic (ex-Laibach, ex-Demolition Band), Russian double bass player Vladimir Volkov, singer-pianist Tina Kuznetsova, Norwegian singer songwriters Erling and Bjorg Riibe-Ramskjell (Schtimm, AE).
In 2014 the new band members comprise the Arutyunyan siblings as well as the Hungarian drummer Aron Porteleki and harpist Anasztazia Razvaljajeva. They released their last album in 2015 autumn.
Most important festival appearences:
Festival Musicas do Mundo (Portugal), Italia Wave (Italy), Sziget (Hungary), Rock for People (Czech Rep.), Pulse (United Kingdom), Fete De La Musique (France), Smeltedigelen (Norway), Prinsentuin (Holland), Trnfest (Slovenia), Era Nowa Horizonte (Poland), Nashestvie (Russia), Gogolfest (Ukraine), Tusovka (Finland).
band members:
Gaya Arutyunyan – voice
Karen Arutyunyan – guitar
Anasztazia Razvaljajeva - harp
Porteleki Áron – drums, viola
