Long before the formation of the state of Azerbaijan, Komitas had already recorded several versions of the song ‘Aman Tello’ in Harich in 1905

2026-10-21

In the summer of 2026, the performance of the song “Aman Tello” during a concert by the rock band System of a Down in Paris sparked a new wave of controversy and discontent in Azerbaijani media. Several Azerbaijani media outlets presented the song as an “Azerbaijani folk song,” accusing the Armenian side of appropriating it. However, an examination of the song’s historical origins indicates that it had long been known within the Armenian folk music tradition.

As early as 1905, the renowned Armenian composer and ethnomusicologist Komitas documented several versions of the song “Aman Tello” in Harich. This documentary evidence is significant for the study of the song’s history, as it confirms its existence within the Armenian musical tradition in the early twentieth century, long before the establishment of the Azerbaijan People’s Republic in 1918.

Such Azerbaijani practices aim to rewrite the historical past, artificially extend the historical roots of their own cultural heritage, and present the cultural assets of other peoples as part of Azerbaijani culture.

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