Genealogy

Genealogy, an Armenian supergroup, was formed with the purpose of representing Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. The group consisted of six members, five of whom hailed from different continents as part of the Armenian diaspora. The dispersion of their families around the world was a result of the Armenian genocide in 1915. The five artists from the diaspora symbolized the five petals of the forget-me-not flower, which served as the official logo for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, commemorated in April 2015. The sixth member, based in Armenia, represented the center of the flower.

Their entry for the contest was the song “Face the Shadow,” initially titled “Don’t Deny.” However, the organizers decided to change the title due to its political nature, as it alluded to the denial of the Armenian genocide. Genealogy represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 final, held on May 23, 2015, and secured the 16th position overall with a total of 34 points from eight countries, receiving the maximum 12 points from Georgia.

The group comprised individuals from diverse backgrounds. The first member announced was Essaï Altounian, a French Armenian, on February 16, 2015. Tamar Kaprelian, an American-Armenian singer, was revealed as the second member on February 20, 2015. Vahe Tilbian, an Armenian-Ethiopian singer, became the third member, announced on February 23, 2015. Stephanie Topalian, a singer of Armenian-American-Japanese heritage residing in Japan, was introduced as the fourth member on February 27, 2015. Mary-Jean O’Doherty Basmadjian, an Australian opera singer of Armenian descent, joined as the fifth member, announced on March 3, 2015. Inga Arshakyan, who had previously represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 alongside her sister, Anush, completed the group as the sixth member.

On April 28, 2015, during an audience with President Serzh Sargsyan, the five members from the Armenian diaspora (Kaprelian, O’Doherty Basmadjian, Tilbian, Altounian, and Topalian) were granted Armenian citizenship and received their Armenian passports. Inga Arshakyan already held Armenian citizenship at the time.