{"id":32766,"date":"2018-06-11T06:54:47","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T10:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=32766"},"modified":"2018-06-11T06:54:47","modified_gmt":"2018-06-11T10:54:47","slug":"voas-music-man-for-africa-leo-sarkisian-dies-at-97","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/voas-music-man-for-africa-leo-sarkisian-dies-at-97\/","title":{"rendered":"VOA’s Music Man For Africa, Leo Sarkisian, dies at 97"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FILE – Leo Sarkisian, center, his wife, Mary, and VOA Director David Ensor smile during a celebration that followed the renaming of VOA Studio 23 in Sarkisian’s honor, Jan. 29, 2014. (Source: VOA News)<\/p><\/div>\n

In February 2013, Leo Sarkisian and his sweet wife, Mary, invited me to their home and studio in Maryland and I recorded what turned into a 3+ hour audio interview.<\/p>\n

Sitting with him, time seemed to disappear as I was absorbed by stories about his travels and experiences. He was so kind and gracious–he even insisted that I walk away with one of his amazing drawings which I’ve since framed for my office.<\/p>\n

Leo passed away on June 8, 2018 at the age of 97. Rest in peace, Leo.<\/p>\n

Here’s the story from VOA News:<\/p>\n

(Source: VOA News<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Leo Sarkisian, the creator and longtime producer of The Voice of America’s “Music Time in Africa,” has died. He was 97.<\/p>\n

Known by his fans as the “Music Man of Africa,” Sarkisian spent a half-century traveling Africa, listening to local musicians and capturing their performances. Those recordings became the basis of VOA’s longest-running English program.<\/p>\n

“Leo always left you feeling like you were special. He didn’t treat anyone less or greater based on their social standing or age or anything, it seemed. He was a true gentleman and optimist and lover of the beautiful things in life,” said Heather Maxwell, an ethnomusicologist who succeeded Sarkisian as the host of “Music Time in Africa.”<\/p>\n

Meeting Murrow<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarkisian arrived in Africa as a soldier in the U.S. Army. In 1961, a fateful encounter changed the course of his life. Edward R. Murrow, newly minted as the director of the U.S. Information Agency, came to Sarkisian’s apartment in Conakry, Guinea, and asked if he’d like to join The Voice of America. Four years later, he went on the air with “Music Time in Africa.”<\/p>\n

He spent the next 47 years traveling the continent with his wife, Mary, whom he married in 1949. Together, they met thousands of local musicians and gave their art a global stage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n