# Jivani
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{{Short description|Armenian poet and musician (1846–1909)}}
{{for|the Canadian social entrepreneur|Jamil Jivani}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Jivani
Ջիվանի
| image = File:Jivani2 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Ashugh Jivani (center) with instrumentalists
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = Serob Stepani Levonian
Սերոբ Ստեփանի Լևոնյան
| birth_place = [Kartsakhi](/source/Kartsakhi), [Tiflis Governorate](/source/Tiflis_Governorate), [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) (present-day [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(country)))
| birth_date = {{Birth-date|1846}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1909|3|5|1846}}
| death_place = [Tiflis](/source/Tbilisi), [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) (present-day Georgia)
| occupation = [Poet](/source/Poet), [ashugh](/source/Ashik)
| nationality = [Armenian](/source/Armenians)
| citizenship =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| period =
| genre =
| subject =
| movement =
| notableworks =
| spouse = Ashkhen
| imagesize =
| ethnicity =
}}
'''Jivani''' ({{langx|hy|Ջիվանի}}; 1846–1909), born '''Serob Stepani Levonian''' ({{langx|hy|Սերոբ Ստեփանի Լևոնյան}}; also known as '''Serovbe Stepani Benkoyan''', {{langx|hy|Սերովբե Ստեփանի Բենկոյան}}), was an [Armenia](/source/Armenia)n ''[ashugh](/source/Ashik)'' ([bard](/source/bard)) and [poet](/source/poet).[Michnadar, by Agop Jack Hacikyan, Gabriel Basmajian, Edward S. Franchuk, Nourhan Ouzounian - 2002 - Page 1036]
==History==
Jivani was born in [Kartsakhi](/source/Kartsakhi), near [Akhalkalaki](/source/Akhalkalaki), [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(country)). He became an orphan when he was 8, his uncle looked after him. He learned music composition and performance on [kemanche](/source/kemanche) and [violin](/source/violin) with the support of master Ghara-Ghazar ({{langx|hy|Ղարա-Ղազար, Սիայի}}). In 1866 along with gusan Sazain (Aghajan) Jivani moved to [Tbilisi](/source/Tbilisi), where he continued his musical activities. The further development of Jivani's art is connected to [Alexandropol](/source/Alexandropol) ([Gyumri](/source/Gyumri)) and its musical culture. He lived and worked there in 1868–1895. In Alexandropol he headed a circle of fellow gusan-singers, and was awarded by the honorary title of ''ustabashi'' (leading master). Jivani had concerts all over [Transcaucasia](/source/Transcaucasia), including [Batumi](/source/Batumi), [Baku](/source/Baku), [Kars](/source/Kars) and [Tbilisi](/source/Tbilisi). In 1895, he returned to [Tbilisi](/source/Tbilisi).
left|thumb|An Armenian postal stamp featuring Jivani playing a ''kamani''
Jivani was an author of more than 800 songs, written in romantic, ironical or realistic styles. He had the good knowledge of 19th century [Armenian literature](/source/Armenian_literature), and was influenced by it. He used clear forms of [Armenian language](/source/Armenian_language), avoided of foreign transliterations. His songs were mainly devoted to the problems of social protest, poverty and lawlessness ("The Life in the Village", "Worker", etc.).[The keyboard music of Armenian composers, by Marie Etian - 1983, Page 13. {{OCLC|9474965}}] In his songs Jivani condemned oppressors, represented the struggle of [Armenian people](/source/Armenian_people) against foreign rule, sang about the brotherhood of people.[Contributions to the study of the rise and development of modern literatures, by Oldřich Král, Zlata Černá - 1970, Page 167. {{OCLC|224781861}}] Many of Jivani's songs ("The Unhappy Days", "Mother", "At this night", "A good comrade", "I am an apricot tree", "Look at them") became popular.[[https://feb-web.ru/feb/litenc/encyclop/le3/le3-2452.htm Литературная энциклопедия: Дживани]]
The first compilation of Jivani's poems was published in 1885. His music was performed or used by [Kristapor Kara-Murza](/source/Kristapor_Kara-Murza), [Komitas Vardapet](/source/Komitas), [Aram Khachaturian](/source/Aram_Khachaturian), and many others, [Maxim Gorky](/source/Maxim_Gorky) and [Valery Bryusov](/source/Valery_Bryusov) were interested in his poetry. He is recognized as the "greatest Armenian ''ashugh'' of the 19th century".[{{Cite web |url=http://armenianhouse.org/djivan/bio-am.html |title=K. Durgarian about Jivani |access-date=2008-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011123725/http://www.armenianhouse.org/djivan/bio-am.html |archive-date=2008-10-11 |url-status=dead }}]
==Memorials==
[Ashough Jivani's House-Museum](/source/Ashough_Jivani's_House-Museum) opened in 2016 in Kartsakhi.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://armenianhouse.org/blackwell/armenian-poems/djivan.html Djivan's Poems (translated by Alice Stone Blackwell)]
* [http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Jivani Jivani at Armeniapedia]
{{Authority control}}
{{Armenian literature}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jivani}}
Category:1846 births
Category:1909 deaths
Category:People from Samtskhe–Javakheti
Category:People from Tiflis Governorate
Category:People from Georgia (country) of Armenian descent
Category:19th-century Armenian poets
Category:Armenian composers
Category:Burials at Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi
Category:Armenian male poets
Category:19th-century Armenian male writers
Category:19th-century Armenian male singers
Category:Armenian people in the Russian Empire
Category:Poets from the Russian Empire
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jivani](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jivani) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jivani?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.