Welcome to my Website
Shaké Karajian
Born in Beirut/Lebanon, of an old Armenian aristocratic family, where a wide knowledge of art, music and literature was
cultivated and was part of the daily life.
Already at the age of seven, she took part in different theatrical plays - singing
and dancing solo parts. During the Lebanese civil war she moved to Vienna.
Her language teacher in Vienna, a young Spanish composer and conductor, was so impressed by the timbre of her voice, that
he sent her to Dame Melitta Muszely for vocal training. Dame Muszely recognized the talent of her student and already
after a short time she let her take part in one of her concerts.
Further studies and training with Gariné Garabedian, Prof. Gertrude Schulz, Maestro Gottfried Hornik of the Vienna State
Opera and Dame Elisabeth Schwarzenberg.
Shaké has sung in the most beautiful churches of Vienna, in the "Konzerthaus", in the State Opera, Italian and French
Cultural Institutes, Ö1 (ORF-Österreich 1 Radio Station), where she was introduced as an outstanding talent and sang her
own two flower songs.
These amongst concert tours in Austria, Athens, Brussels, London, Germany and the USA. Shaké has taken part at numerous
charity concerts: For José Carreras Leukemia Foundation, Caritas, 'Ärzte ohne Grenzen', Red Cross, Flood Victims, the
street children in Bulgaria, Rumania, India and Afghanistan, also for the United Nations and Tibetian orphans.
Shaké composes songs to her own texts. So far she has composed more than 50 songs, including two "Ave Maria's" and three
Christmas songs.
Her songs really touch the emotions, the feelings, the depths of one's soul and fill the heart with joy and love. She has the
talent to write a song on any subject that makes the heart sing.
For Maestro Aram Khachaturjan’s 100th anniversary concert organized by the Armenian Mechitarian Monastery in Vienna, Shaké
wrote and sang "A Tribute for Maestro Khachaturjan", which was celebrated with great success (attached is the text).
Maestro KhatschaturjanHer poem "Tribute to Gibran Tueini", the assassinated Lebanese MP, author and star editor, was chosen and published in a special magazine dedicated to him and was also on Internet for a very long time (attached is the text):
Maestro Khatschaturjan
Aram Khatschaturjan
God bless your soul
We want to praise your name
For being a true giver
Of hundreds & thousands musical notes
Your vivid Armenian tonalities
Have touched the hearts of so many
Bringing love and joy.
The power, the beauty, the spirit, the harmony
Of your great works
Give us the freedom of the soul
Up-lifts us to heaven & more
Embracing our hearts, inspiring our minds.
Not only your symphonies
Not only your “Spartacus”
Have made you a great Maestro
But your works
For the children of the world
The story of Iwan and many more …
May your loving memories
May your great works
Bring more love into our world
May your loving memories
May your great works
Bring f r e e d o m into our world.
A Tribute To Gibran Tueini*Laka youm ya zalem!
You were given the power of the Word
Just like the Christ
And you used the power of the Word
Just like the Christ
Your weapons were the Words
Just like the Christ
You fought for freedom and truth
with the Words
Just like the Christ
You paid a very high price
Just like the Christ
They think they can kill your Soul!
But because your are blessed,
Now you are in Heaven next to the
Christ
And from there you will inspire us
all
To fight with the Words
For our tortured Lebanon
Against the barbarians
To whom I scream
With my might voice:
"Laka yowm ya zalem!"
It's an Arabic saying which means: *You, torturer, your day will be coming...
In November 2007, Shaké won an international competition with her song: "Teddies' Tea Party", which was chosen out of
hundreds of entries.
This is now engaging her in several interesting projects (attached is the text).
Teddies’ Tea Party
The teddies wanted a tea party
They gathered beneath the apple tree
The apple tree, the apple tree
Was the place for the teddies’ tea party.
They opened their baskets
Spread the carpets
Put down the cups and the cutlery
The apple tree, the apple tree
Was the place for the teddies’ tea party.
The Sr. comes with the cookies
The juniors bring the tea and jellies.
First they laugh, then they hug
Then they sing and dance and jump…
But at 5 o’clock they all sit down
To have a cup of tea
Beneath the apple tree.
The teddies tea party,
Beneath the apple tree.
Beside singing, Shaké has years of training in all sorts of dancing (ballet, modern dance, national dance and flamenco). Also she plays the piano with great delight and dedication, not to forget her long training in languages.
Shaké writes and composes her songs with great love. She is working on her two musicals: "The Heroine" and "What made the Tyrant King Think".
Being a child of war (civil war in Lebanon), not to forget the tragic family/national history: The Armenian Genocide, Shaké is always present - with all her talents and energies - to be of service for the World Peace.