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 Visa
(from the Latin word "visa", literally means. "paper that has been seen") is an
indication that a person is authorized to enter a country which "issued" the
visa, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual
entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp
endorsed in the applicant's passport but.. recently it is a music
band..
A band that define itself as A passport into a musical endeavor that
touches its conspirator's ethnic, spiritual, literal and musical influences,
while translating them into a perfect musical balance of old world nostalgia and
modern experimentation.
VISA was founded by K'noup Tomopoulos, a talented songs
writer/composer/singer, VISA is briefed as:
Remarkable: Visa is old-soul, take-you-to-another-place music. At its
finest. A side project that just had legs too strong for it to keep marinating
in the backseat, Visa’s grown into an eight-member, world music phenomena. It’s
poignantly emotive, hard-charging, no-boundary folk that’ll lift you out of your
seat whether you’re a hard-to-please grandparent or a punk-rocking prep. Every
piece – percussion, duduk, three guitars, keys, drums, bass and voice – fits in
just so. So well that songs fly past. So well that results are startlingly
beautiful. So well that Visa might just be perfect.
Born to a humble Greek family, the Tomopoulos’ jumped on a ship from Kastoria
Greece, to New York in 1977, following a trend to the US. Through his birth,
Pete, now known as K’noup, has had instilled in him a very deep connection to
his homeland, its people and the solitude of its serene mountains. Now in his
thirties, he reminisces about his upward battle for acceptance from his family
and friends for being a musician. Around the age of fifteen, out of no where, he
boldly announced to his mother that he was going to be a singer and was greeted
by the voice of reason stating at he didn’t have his father’s voice, but his
mother’s and could not sing. Rejection from family and impressionable figures
have fueled K’noup’s desire to be a success. Realistically, what he does is not
a profession by choice, but something that’s in his blood, which he is obliged
to honor.
VISA band members are currently 9 members;
K'noup - Vocals, 12 string guitar
Jivan Gasparyan Jr. - Duduk, Zurna
Orbel Babayan - Electric Guitar, Tar, Vox
Shant Bismejian - Electric Guitar
Andrew Kzirian - Oud
Alex Khatcherian - Bass
Suguru Onaka - Keyboards, Accordian
Chris Daniel - Percussion
Hiram Rosario - Drums
VISA have released 4 albums :
Maktub ~ May. 2007
De Facto ~September. 2007
Visa e.p. ~ March.2008
Eros ~ September. 2008 ... beside tens of live shows around L.A and other
cities ..
Made in Chernoby ~ not yet released
SOADFans were lucky to have the VISA band members to do online fan interview,
they were nice enough to answer our questions, here's what did they have to say
....
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K'noup in the studio
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When your band was reformed and when was your first ever
performance as a band? [question by ZAk]
-The band was first formed in 2004 with the project beginning in 2000 with
K'noup as the founder. First performance was at a local cafe in Glendale, CA. in
2004.
How did the band end up with nine members? [by blakspyder]
-The band first started in 2000 with 2 band members and eventually grew to 5
which now is 9. The idea of VISA is to never limit ourselves in ideas or even
personnel.
Did you know each other before the 'Visa' project?
[by
mezmerize_b]
-A few of us knew each other from rehearsing in the same studio in Burbank CA.
while we were in other bands. We started off as
good friends first and now we work together thus making our bond that much
stronger.
Is it difficult to compose songs with so many members in the band?
[by
redsoxmb545]
-Not at all. The three main songwriters of the group are K'noup, Orbel and Shant
but by no means does the rest of the group take
a back seat. Everyone has their say into the input of each song and in the end
the band's overall opinion weighs most.
Describe Visa in three words.[by blakspyder]
-It's all wrong.
How did you come up with the name 'Visa?' Whose idea was it?
[by
blakspyder]
-K'noup came up with VISA after deciding he wanted to create a project that
bridged various musical cultures almost like an audio
passport.
I am really blown away by the wide variation in Visa's songs, especially
within the rhythm and time-signatures. I'd like to ask what kind of formal
musical training they have? [by mom45]
-Thank you. That is what we strive for, to be inconsistent in what you expect to
hear. The idea of just being a Middle Eastern/Greek band isn't appealing to us.
We want to explore different realms of culture and that involves some technical
skill of course. Some of the band members are formally trained and some aren't,
regardless though every band member has excellent feel and that is most
important to achieving good material.
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VISA performing LIVE with belly dancer:
Nancy Elizabth
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I'd also like to ask what is up with the name "K'noup". Is it a
nickname? Is it short for something else? I mean it just sounds
so......"American rapper". [by mom45 ]
-HAHA! i get that alot along with the VISA credit card joke. K'noup is actually
my stage moniker and it means "mosquito" in Greek
slang.
Which of your songs would you pick to make video clips? How do you
imagine them?
[by mezmerize_b]
-Any Visa song is a potential video clip, don't you think?
Visa is an "audio passport". Will you pass your albums also in Europe
and maybe the rest of the world? [by
sweetfan07 ]
-Our plan is to tour the world and with that we wish that everyone hears our
sound.
What do you do to put yourself in a good mood before a gig? Maybe
alcohol? drugs? others? [by sweetfan07]
-Well we consider ourselves a party band with an all around good energetic
presence. Prior to or after a show its all about setting
the tone for everyone around us to enjoy themselves. We don't do drugs, however
we do drink and everything else is in the spur
of the moment.
What do you consider as the message of your music? [by sweetfan07]
-The message of our music is to put LIFE on display in every emotion felt
possible and to do it with an artistic integrity that seems to be forgotten
nowadays.
In your own words describing VISA, A passport into a musical endeavor
that touches its conspirator's ethnic, spiritual, literal and musical
influences, what are the ethnics, spirituality and musical influences behind
VISA?
[by ZAk ]
-Good question. VISA is all about moral values and self placement. We categorize
our influences as something you may learn from or may even subdue into. Either
way LIFE once again is what comes into play.
Talking about influences, your first album called "Makroub' is an arabic
word means 'written' or sometimes it refers to 'destiny", choosing an arabic
word as a title, and maybe some arabic musical elements (words, instrumental,
chords ..etc) in your music, is that a reflection of an arabic influence or just
liking the elements and re-function them?
[by ZAk ]
-MAKTUB comes from one of our favorite books called "THE ALCHEMIST" by Paulo
Coelho and it means "all is written." In the album MAKTUB it was the way we we
put the record together that was almost already pre-destined and since its
influences at the time were very arabic to begin with, we went for that in
itself within the composition.
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VISA performing at the KEYCLUIB 2009 |
What is your (all of you!) personal favorite song from your albums?
[by sejana]
-here are a few:
K'noup - SANS RED
Orbel - KINGS & QUEENS
Shant - ITS ALL WRONG
Hiram - DEBKE
Chris - ITS ALL WRONG
Every creative endeavour faces certain obstacles at some point. Does the
band have something to share about a certain memorable incident that proved to
be a turning point in their career?
[by blakspyder]
-Shant: First and foremost we are all brothers and like any brothers there will
be quarrels. In one instance after a night's rough rehearsal we sat and argued
over related issues and as that was happening I wrote a guitar melody that all
of a sudden ceased the disagreement and eventually turned into KEYHOLE. We have
a certain way of squashing things.
How do you (all) see System of a Down as a band, are any of you a
fan?
[by ZAk ]
-Great band, very influential to say the least.
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VISA perfomring at the House of Blues |
How did you meet Serj Tankian? Which side of you approached the other
that lead to the band signing with Serjical Strike Records?
[by blakspyder]
-We met Serj Tankian through our music. He heard our songs, came to a show and it
went from there.
What is it like to work together with Serj, and do you plan to make
songs in which he also takes part either instrumental or vocal way?
[by AngelVae ]
-Its a dream to be working with him and we are very grateful. You'll just have to
see what happens.
After signing with Serjical Strike, would we expect any major changes or
progression in the band new album and upcoming live performances?
-VISA is going for a more aggressive sound and live approach for sure.
Speaking of live performances, many fans are demanding a tour in Europe
and North America, any plans yet made for this?
[by ang+serj - mezmerize_b - gigo36 -
gracz54]
-We are heading to Canada this Fall with efforts to tour Europe soon after.
What was your best live performance yet ever made? or/and funniest
experience happened while performing live?
-On a blistering summer outdoor performance in Los Angeles, Shant's soles on his
shoes melted due to the heat coming off the scorching stage. He was left with no
soles during the show which was later met with heckling from the rest of us,
"Shant you have no soul!"
Does the album "Made in Chernobyl" draw any influences from the infamous
Chernobyl disaster of 1986 or does the album name come from somewhere else
entirely? [by Skit]
-MADE IN CHERNOBYL certainly has reference to that tragic event but also has a
sense of strange irony. How many things have you heard to be made in chernobyl?
Well we decided to answer that with a record.
Finally, when to expect new album to come out? or new materials ?
[by ZAk ]
-MADE IN CHERNOBYL will be out soon just keep checking up on all our sites or
even here on soadfans. THANKS!
To follow-up VISA news, please check their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/visamusic
and their myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/visa
photo credits: Jake Hagopian
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