Album Notes

"This is one of the most beautiful recordings of Armenian folk music I have ever heard. Passionate, playful, and deeply emotional, I found it haunting."
-Atom Egoyan, Award-winning Director, International Filmmaker, Writer, Producer

Zulal is an Armenian a cappella folk trio comprised of three women: Teni Apelian, Yeraz Markarian, and Anaïs Tekerian. Keeping to the folk tradition, Zulal writes its arrangements in an organic style, using the simplicity of voice to capture the heart of Armenia's rural music.

In three years, Zulal has developed a solid performance record including a coast-to-coast U.S. tour, performances at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, and a unique performance with Cirque du Soleil. Nominations include "Best Folk/World Song" at the 2004 Annual Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards and "Best Folk/World Album" at the 2005 Annual Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. Zulal received two awards in 2005: "Best Vocal Traditional" and "Best Newcomer" at the 2005 7th Annual Armenian Music Awards.

The vocal trio collaborated with producer J. Armen (Armen J. Meschian, www.jarmen.net) and painter/live-illustrator Kevork Mourad (www.kevorkmourad.com) in 2004 to create this enhanced CD, which includes: performance video, weblinks, English translations of songs, and 12 audio tracks.

Zulal is currently recording their second album. For more information and tour dates, visit www.zulal.org.


"Within two weeks of being added to the CD Baby database, which now stands at over 73,000 artists, this compelling vocal trio has already become a best-seller. Featuring their original a cappella arrangments of Armenian vocal folk music, Zulal, meaning "clarity," is most appropriately named as they are to be commended for their tight, on-point vocal harmony -- the brightness, precision and uncompromised musicality of their performances is evident from start to finish. Presenting songs that explore and convey the sounds of longing, celebration, struggle, desire and reverie, they pay tribute to their motherland's traditions while still bringing a renewed, inventive approach."
-Tamara Turner, CD Baby