rabiz

Meaning

Noun

• A popular modern Armenian music style that shows Middle Eastern influences and is related to Russian blatnyak and Azeri mugham. Most of the songs have a 6/8 rhythm.
• A member of an Armenian hillbilly subculture embracing rabiz music, exhibiting materialistic flamboyancy, using a blend of Russian and Armenian slang words, and wearing matching sport suits, sunglasses and shoes called ծիծակ.

Origin

• Borrowed from Armenian ռաբիզ, perhaps an abbreviation of Russian РАБотники ИСкусства (Rabotniki Iskusstva, "Workers of Art"), a Soviet organization into which performers of folk music were once associated.