Born to an artistic family of composers and performers, Serouj Baghdassarian, also reworded as “C-rouge”, developed a passion for music at an early age.
C-rouge released his debut album, “genoTrancide,” in 2007. Influenced by his father, Seto Baghdassarian, as well as his Armenian cultural heritage, the young emerging producer made his roots apparent all over his debut album, “genoTrancide”, by blending electronic sounds with traditional Armenian melodies.
The critically acclaimed project was well-received by listeners, topping No. 1 on “Virgin’s Best Sellers” list for weeks in Lebanon. From there, it was obvious that the foundation of the DJ/producer’s career in music had been laid.
In late 2007, “genoTrancide” was nominated for “Best Trance and House Album” at the Armenian Music Awards held in the United States.
C-rouge began 2008 with a series of gigs at clubs and other venues across Lebanon. Balancing between moving crowds on the dance floor over a wide range of audiences and sharpening his mixing & arranging skills in the studio became part of his regular lifestyle.
In September 2008, C-rouge reworked a traditional Armenian song called “Dlé Yaman” — featuring vocals by his own mother, Shaké Baghdassarian. The single was later released with a vivid music video directed by Suzie Selman in April 2008.
During autumn that same year, in October 2008 more precisely, C-rouge’s second album, “Eternity,” was released by GEKA Records (USA) which quickly earned the title for “Best Selling Album” at Virgin Megastores Lebanon for the second time in less than two years.
In December 2009, “Eternity” won “Best Electronic and Dance Album” at the Armenian Music Awards. The show took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, with the presence of world-caliber performers including legendary French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour and rock band System of a Down’s lead singer Serj Tankian.
As an effort to meticulously prepare a third studio album, C-rouge released his second music video “Black Garden“ in July 2012.
On April 26, 2013, C-rouge released his third album “Guardian Angel“, which was sponsored by the very renowned KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Concurrently, the album underwent a déjà vu at the Virgin Megastore Lebanon, scoring “Best-Selling Album” for a 3rd time in the region.
2013 became the year where the multiskilled producer began exploring new avenues with music. His first soundtrack project for “CEDARIA: BLACKOUT”, a 3D adventure game in a Middle Eastern steampunk setting was developed by Search for Common Ground — a human-conscious organization that works to end violent conflict and build better communities.
In the coming years, C-rouge released numerous Singles, such as Ganchoumem, Ari Ari, Winds of the North and Mardigi Yerke.
In 2016, he explored score writing for the very first time on “Women of 1915”, a documentary film directed by Bared Maronian, delineating the plight and survival of the brave Armenian women during the Genocide of 1915.
In 2017, C-rouge officially remixed “Vuy Aman”, a sensational love song performed by Armenian Pop singer Sirusho and Sebu Simonian, one of the lead singers of Los-Angeles based indie pop duo Capital Cities.
2019 set the stage for more motion picture work, with composition on the original soundtrack for a documentary film named “Bloodless: The Path to Democracy”, directed by Bared Maronian.
Enjoying working in the film score genre, C-rouge began carefully listening and studying movies and games soundtracks, developing an enormous appeal for epic orchestral music. Inspired by Hans Zimmer & Two Steps from Hell, he began experimenting in the studio with a laser-focused desire to come up with his own unique sound. And that is where an idea struck C-rouge: “I can create compositions with a style that merges Armenian, Electronic, and Epic Orchestral Music into one.
Also in 2019, the rumbling debut single “Daredevils of Sassoun” was released, paving the way for an upcoming album. The massive positive response from loyal fans encouraged C-rouge to push his boundaries and deepen his level of knowledge and research on orchestral instruments. With new and innovative composition techniques acquired, a handful of Singles were released — each a jewel on its own.
His upcoming and 4th album, “Daredevils of Sassoun” is planned for release by the end of 2021.
C-Rouge now lives and works in Armenia, with visions to take on exciting new projects in the near future, collaborating with new local talent. Inspirations that turn into creative ideas — who then become majestic sonic experiences!