Armenian rock band FairWind has released a new EP titled “HAMAHAYEREN,” recorded with Armenian musician Apo Sahagian. The 2 songs are performed in both Eastern and Western Armenian, with the shared roots of the two branches placed at the center.
Sahagian, a longtime friend of the band, was born and raised in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, to a family that settled there as survivors of the Armenian Genocide. He learned guitar at the local Armenian school, began composing at 13, and in late 2013 founded the pop-rock band Apo & the Apostles, while his solo work reinterprets Armenian folk music and preserves endangered dialects, splitting his time between Jerusalem and Armenia.
Sahagian said: “For those familiar with my music, I not only cover old folk songs but also try to write new songs with different dialects, even ones that are dying (example, Musa Ler and Hamshen dialects). Although there are many Western Armenian speakers, as a proper native speaker, I do recognize the sad reality that it might be on its way out since many in Diaspora no longer speak it, or if they do it then they speak it in a broken way with many foreign words.”
Speaking about the project, FairWind founder Vardges Hoveyan said: “Language has always been one of the strongest threads connecting Armenians across borders and generations. Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian are not competing identities – they are two voices of the same nation. With ‘HAMAHAYEREN,’ we wanted to celebrate both, reminding ourselves that our diversity is our strength and that the more we understand and embrace one another, the stronger we become. In a world that often seems increasingly divided and chaotic, preserving our common language and building bridges between our communities is more important than ever.”
Sahagian added: “I’m just doing my part in trying to convey the intimacy and ‘laid-backness’ of Western Armenian through my musical projects and to give it a fighting chance in the Diaspora and in Armenia where I actually hear more proper Western Armenian than in the Diaspora these days. Speak your language! Keep it alive, there is nothing sexier than someone who knows where they come from and who they are.”
The EP follows FairWind’s recently released album, “Love, Fire and Rock ‘n’ Roll” (“Ser, Krak yev Rock’n’Roll”), which came after two and a half years of work. A private, intimate presentation took place in June 2026, bringing together the large family that has formed around the band and the people who have been an inseparable part of its 19-year run.
FairWind was founded in 2007, and the album opens a new chapter in a history that is approaching 20 years. The musicians describe it as a story about reality, love, inner fire, dreams, and staying true to oneself.
Hoveyan said the album is a cinematic musical work that can be heard as one cohesive piece or as 9 separate songs. He said the band is holding to its goal of making rock music in Armenian, and that the record asks listeners to keep dreaming, acting, loving, and living.
“Love, Fire and Rock ‘n’ Roll” is already available on all major streaming platforms, with a vinyl release to follow.
Listen to “HAMAHAYEREN” by following the link – https://amara.am/m/hamahayeren
Listen to “Love, Fire and Rock ‘n’ Roll” by following the link – https://amara.am/m/ser-krak-yev
