An Enduring Sound: Onnik Dinkjian and the Legacy of Armenian Music in America

Thank you to Jesse Kenas Collins, Harry Kezelian, and Harout Arakelian for their collaboration on this article.

“He has a pure, almost innocent love for Armenian music that is definitely contagious.”
—Johnny Berberian¹

This month’s featured artist from the Armenian Museum of America’s Sound Archive truly embodies the definition of a community servant. For nearly nine decades, Onnik Dinkjian has dedicated his time serving the Armenian community by sharing his remarkable talent, the power of his voice. Onnik Dinkjian’s story begins in Dikranagerd where his biological parents Garabed and Zora Milliyan were both born and raised. The Milliyans settled in Paris, France and in 1929 Onnik was born as Joseph Milliyan. Five years later catastrophe struck the family leaving Onnik and his sister orphaned. Onnik’s godparents Nishan and Oghida Dinkjian would become his adoptive parents. Later in life, Onnik would discover that his birth father Garabed also was a musician, a player of the oud. During Onnik’s childhood the folk singing of his mother Zora and the music of the Armenian church captivated him, these inspirations that would empower Onnik to honorably dedicate his artistic career to creating music to further Armenian culture. In July of 1946 Onnik and the Dinkjian family relocated to the United States, Union City, New Jersey. His musical start would actually begin weeks before their departure from Paris, as Onnik had the opportunity to sing as a soloist at the Armenian Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, in Paris, under the direction of Nishan Serkoian. 

“It was one of the happiest moments in my life. It was the verse to give healing and peace and to remember the dead.”
—Onnik Dinkjian²

“Somehow as soon as I crossed the ocean, I don’t know why, I felt I could sing.”
Onnik Dinkjian³

Musically, Onnik’s arrival to the United States coincided with the early stages of a new wave of Armenian popular music, particularly in America. Creative musicians would incorporate or repurpose contemporary and popular non-Armenian melodies and songs. An inventive jazz musician James Batmasian would invite Onnik to record three songs with him on the Batt Masian Records label. One of the selections was a popular Greek tune called Misirlou. In 1947, violinist and songwriter Reuben Sarkisian, (born in Kharpert, residing in Los Angeles) would give the song Armenian lyrics with the title of, Inne Orre (That Day). Within months of that release in 1948, Onnik Dinkjian and the Batt Masian Orchestra would record the song with Reuben’s Armenian lyrics while incorporating a jazz influence and retitling it to Agh Anoushes. An additional two songs would be recorded with the Batt Masian Orchestra, a love song also written by Reuben Sarkisian, Aghvor Aghchig and an ode to Armenia, Hey Jon. With these recordings, Onnik was on his way to becoming a bright star of Armenian popular music.

Onnik Dinkjian’s illustrious career has enabled him to share the stage with a multitude of fellow musicians. His introduction as a serious Armenian vocalist came on April 24, 1949 at New York City’s Town Hall, when he was a featured vocalist for a concert directed by Mihran Toumajan.⁴ During his time in the U. S. Army, Onnik was a vocalist for the famed “Winged Victory Chorus”.⁵  After his military service, Onnik returned to New Jersey and married Araksi Maksian and together they would welcome two children, Anahid and Ara.

Throughout the 1950s and 60s Onnik would perform at a variety of community functions and become an ordained deacon at the St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City. Onnik was instrumental to the progression of Armenian-American music as  he would share the stage with all five of the American born udis, Charles “Chick” Ganimian, Richard Avedis Hagopian, George Mgrdichian, Harry Minassian and especially a long-time collaboration with John Berberian. Onnik’s solo debut recording was on the 45 rpm Caravan label with the songs Ham-Poo-Re and Yar-Moo-Nem in 1957. That same year Onnik collaborated with Chick Ganimian and the Nor-Ikes for their LP “Come With Me To the Casbah” Onnik’s voice was featured on three songs “Halvah,” “Hedy Lou” and  “Daddy Lolo” the last of which was released as a 45-rpm single and had success on the radio airwaves, so much so that Onnik, Chick and the Nor Ikes were invited on two television programs, one hosted by Ted Steele and the other by Herb Sheldon. By 1965, Onnik was ready for his first LP, a co-production with oud player Roupen Altiparmakian, and he was also featured on “The House of the Seven Uncles”. Over a six-year span in the 1970s Onnik would release four influential albums: “Onnik” (1972), “Onnik Encore” (1974), “Inner Feelings of Onnik” (1976), and “Just for You” (1978). And he would appear on three albums with John Berberian: “A Mid Eastern Odyssey” (1973), “Echoes of Armenia” (1976) and “The Dance Album'' (1978).

Another important musical relationship in Onnik’s career is the one with his son Ara Dinkjian, a world renowned master of the oud. In recent years Onnik has performed internationally, notably in the holy city of Jerusalem where he would give a concert accompanied by his son, Ara and an international all-star ensemble at the 2007 Jerusalem International Oud Festival. In 2009, Onnik was invited to perform in his parents’ native Dikranagerd which he followed with multiple returns, especially in 2015. Onnik and Ara were the subjects of the 2013 documentary Garod (Longing) directed and produced by Onur Günay and Burcu Yildiz. Onnik’s most recent release, “Diyarberkiri Hokin” (2015) was a compilation of tunes sung in the Dikranagerd dialect and features an original composition titled “Mamis,” a song dedicated to his mother. For some number of decades he has been the front man of the AYF Olympics "All Stars Band" which performs every year on Sunday Night at the East Coast AYF Olympics, the largest event featuring Kef music still in existence.

“My father Onnik sings because he loves to sing. The fact that his singing has reached generations of people continues to be a pleasant surprise for him.”
—Ara Dinkjian⁶

A serious study into the career of Onnik Dinkjian will show an absolutely unique and important contributor to the progression of Armenian music and culture. His musical recordings have traveled throughout the world and his style and repertoire has influenced generations in the global community of music. In 2021, the National Endowment of the Arts recognized Onnik Dinkjian with its highest honor by being named a National Heritage Fellow for his contributions to Armenian folk and liturgical music.

“I’m happy to say the contributions we old timers made to our Armenian American culture will not be in vain. The future looks very promising with some young, talented musicians.”
—Onnik Dinkjian⁷

p.s. Yes, reader, he, at age 92 will be performing this year (2021) at the AYF Olympics in Providence!

Footnotes:

1 - Johnny Berberian - An Oud Virtuoso, by Tom Vartabedian. Armenian Weekly, Aug. 9, 1980

2 - American Singer with Old-World Flavor, by Phyllis Richmond. The Record, July 12, 1971

3 - ibid

4 - Armenian Chorus Heard - NY Times, April 25, 1949

5 - American Singer with Old-World Flavor, by Phyllis Richmond. The Record, July 12, 1971

6 - Onnik: Portrait of a Legend, by Christian Garbis. Armenian Weekly, Nov. 17, 2012

7 - Amo Sits Down with Onnik, Armenian Weekly, Aug. 10, 2019

Many thanks to Ara Dinkjian for his generous consultation and contribution of additional audio and images to this page.