Biography
Who is Vahe Tilbian?
Early life and education
Vahe Tilbian was born in Ethiopia. His parents are Garo Tilbian and Ani Aslanian. His family history traces back to the Armenian genocide, as his paternal grandfather left Syria to settle in Ethiopia.
Vahe attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Science. Before focusing entirely on music, he spent three years working in the business sector after graduating. He eventually left that role in 2008 to pursue his artistic career full-time.
Professional dance and music beginnings
Long before his music career took off, Vahe was a professional ballroom dancer specializing in International Style Latin American dancing. He even co-created and choreographed the Salsegnochu Dance Group.
His vocal training included singing as a lead tenor in an Addis Ababa choir called The Motley Singers. This diverse background helped him develop a wide-ranging musical style that spans rock, techno, reggae, R&B, and Latin music, performed in both Amharic and Armenian.
Musical career and Eurovision
In 2012, he released his debut studio album titled Mixology. Before that, he wrote the lyrics for his first original song, Life or Something Like It, which featured a melody by Michael Hailu. His single Don’t Stop received a nomination for an Armenian Pulse Music Award in 2012.
Vahe is also known for his time as the lead vocalist for the Zemen Band, a position he held for two years. He collaborated with various established Ethiopian artists including Zeritu Kebede and Michael Belayneh. In 2015, he joined the musical group Genealogy to represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest. The group performed the song Face the Shadow and finished in sixteenth place overall. He has also released a music video for the song Yene Tizita, a modern take on a classic Ethiopian track.
Other professional work
Outside of his stage performances, Vahe has contributed to the media industry as a columnist for Zoma magazine. This publication is based in Addis Ababa, where he has lived and worked for much of his career.
His path into full-time music was supported by friends and local producers after he was discovered singing at a bar. He previously worked as a supporting vocalist for Kenny Allen and the 251 Band, which allowed him to perform at local music festivals. He also auditioned for the Big Brother Africa reality show in 2011.
Birthday and age
Vahe Tilbian was born on February 17, 1980, which makes Vahe 46 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Vahe shares the date with 50 other famous people.
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