Levon Minassian

Lévon Minassian is a French doudouk player of Armenian heritage who released some solo albums, yet is perhaps best known for his early-'90s work with Peter Gabriel. Hailing from Marseille, France, Minassian began his recording career with a variety of film soundtracks. His big break came during the early '90s when he collaborated with Peter Gabriel on the commercial blockbuster Us (1992) and toured internationally with the British progressive rock icon in support of the album. In addition, he appears on Secret World Live (1994), a live album recorded during the Us tour, and Big Blue Ball (2008), a collaborative album overseen by Gabriel that was recorded primarily during the same era but not finalized for release until many years later. In light of his high-profile work with Gabriel, Minassian found himself in steady demand as a doudouk player, appearing on a couple albums a year. Most notable among his album appearances are Tony Levin's World Diary (1995), Khalil Chahine's Opake (1995), Afro Celt Sound System's Volume 1: Sound Magic (1996), Patrick Fiori's Patrick Fiori (2002), I Muvrini's Jalalabad (2002), Sting's Sacred Love (2003), and Hélène Ségara's Humaine (2003). He also continued working on film soundtracks, most notably that of the Mel Gibson film The Passion of Christ (2004). As a solo artist, Minassian made his album debut with The Doudouk Beyond Borders (1999), a full-length effort billed to Lévon Minassian and Friends that was later reissued by the Long Distance label in 2003. He also released the album Songs from a World Apart (2006), a collaboration with French composer Armand Amar, on the same label.