Singer Boris Davidyan, known as Boka, has passed away

Singer Boris Davidyan, known as Boka, has passed away. This was announced by host Vahe Ghazaryan on his Facebook page. “R.I.P. Boris Davidyan (Boka)… So sad((,” he wrote.

Boris Davidyan was born in Baku. His father was a participant in the war and, after its conclusion, worked in a factory, while his mother, Margarita, was a biologist who died at a young age.

From an early age, Boris was interested in music, playing the guitar and singing songs in the yards and entrances, which gained him much recognition. His musical career was greatly influenced by his father, who played the mandolin and knew many songs dating back to wartime.

Boris studied at the Tashkent Machine Engineering Institute and recorded his first album in 1972. He and his musician friends frequently performed at various gatherings. Between 1973 and 1974, Boka worked nights recording his songs at the “Melodiya” recording studio in Tbilisi. In 1987, Boka lived in Moscow and sang at the “Pomidor” restaurant. He recorded the album “Dolya Varavskaya” in 1988.

In early 1996, Boka lived in Yerevan with his family before moving to Moscow and then to the USA. Boka performed for many years alongside musicians such as Alexander Baghdasarov (clarinet), Hamlet Galustyan, Suren Keryan (keyboards), Igor Safarov, and Georgi Agabopov (who passed away in 1995). One of Boka’s close friends was Yuri Vardanyan, to whom the musician dedicated a song.

He performed concerts in Austria, Turkey, Russia, and other countries.