Hamshen Armenian music "Sra Bar"

The Hamshen Armenians (Hamshentsiner) are a distinct subgroup of Armenians from the Black Sea region of modern Turkey. They are classified into three groups: 1: The western group inhabits the province of Rize in Turkey and the are around Hamshen proper. They are Muslims who now speak a dialect of Turkish, although it is filled with Armenian words. 2: The eastern group inhabits the province of Artvin in Turkey in the areas around the costal city of Hopa. They are Muslims who speak a dialect of Armenian which is not mutually intelligible with standard varieties. 3: The northern group live in Abkhazia and the former Circassian homeland areas of Russia. They are Christians who speak a version of the Hamshen dialect which differs somewhat from the one spoken in Turkey. This is a piece of music of the Abkhazian Hamshen called "Sra Bar". Singer: Spartak Sagaryan (Karavan Group)