Armenian folk

The love – the love for the music, the love for the culture, the love of father & son – is palpable in this video.

Pops Hayes and I had a falling out when I was sixteen. I moved out of his house and never moved back. I spent a lot of time in my teens and early twenties trying to define myself as anything other than what I saw in him. Eventually that meant running away from the life I was living. The dangers implicit in that new life eventually led to a reconciliation, one which he initiated & worked at until I trusted him enough to reach for the outstretched hand. Getting to know Pops again as an adult eventually led to friendship. Getting to know him as a humble, dying man ennobled by his approach to mortality led to admiration. Getting older without him has led to recognition – I see him in my face, I see him in my better moments, I see him in my less admirable moments. I might have succeeded in completely defining myself as something apart from him, but I don't think I would succeeded at maintaining that difference forever.

Pops laid the foundation for a lot of my musical taste. I grew up listening to Johnny Cash & Chicago, Louis Armstrong & CCR, polka on KWNO, bluegrass on WIZM, & oldies on KQEG. As I got older, my sonic adventurism led me to new musical places. Once we were back on speaking terms, we spent a fair amount of time talking about music. Pops didn't always like the stuff I brought him – he didn't care for Johnny Cash's American Recordings albums, for example – but he kept an open mind.

With one exception, the music I've played this week is stuff I've discovered since Pops died. It's stuff I would've liked to share with him, to hear what he thought. I think he'd really have enjoyed most of it, and at least been intrigued by all of it. We aren't Armenian, so "Bari Arakeel" has no special cultural significance to my family. But the performance...I know Pops would have been interested in the music. I know he would've recognized the love.

It'll be five years tomorrow. I love you, Pops.