All of us love getting presents especially on our birthdays. And I am not an exception as well and I got good presents and wishes today. But there is a present which I want to get this year and I’m ready to receive it even with big delay.

I have already written that the CD of WhoCares supergroup founded by Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan and Black Sabbath's guitarist Tony Iommi was released in May 2011 to support the Armenian charity project.

The CD was recorded at London’s Sarm Studios in October 2010. As Mediamax is Armenia's main responsible for the reconstruction of Gyumri music school I left for London to follow the recording session.

I will never ever forget the day spent in the recording studio and I am not even sure I can properly describe the feelings I had at that time.

Technical manager of Iron Maiden group whose appearance could serve a collective image of hard rock - a lot of jewelry, tattoos and audacious behavior - was the first to come to the recording studio. He brought the drums of Nicko McBrain, Iron Maiden’s drummer. Soon McBrain himself entered the room, dressed very neatly. But he got out of the changing room in a plain T-shirt, shorts and…barefooted. It turned out he is always barefooted while playing.

Then the instrument I had so much heard and read about was brought in. It was the magic Hammond, electric organ of the founder of Deep Purple Jon lord. Rock lovers will understand me: it's already great luck for one to see a live Hammond, and to see Jon Lord's Hammond is just a miracle.

Then Tony Iommi entered. Though we met in Armenia one year back and spent only 2 days he hugged me with such warmth I had the desire to touch myself to make sure it was not a dream.

Ian Gillan was the last to come. At first, he was more discreet and thoughtful than usual. But joining Iommi, McBrain and Lord later on, he became the Gillan I had known.

Gillan introduced me to Lord:

- Let me introduce Ara, he’s from Armenia.
- Nice to meet you, gentleman.

And again it seemed like a dream.

Soon they set to work. In fact, the main job was to be done by Lord and McBrain as they were listening to the song for the first time. I can’t describe how scrupulously these people approached the work and how many times they recorded their parts to reach the desired results. And Bernie, Christina (who came from Australia for shooting the recording) and I walked around the recording studio the whole day, with our faces bright, still not believing in our luck.

What does it all have to do with my birthday present? Two of the great musicians to have gathered in Sarm Studios to help my country, Jon Lord and Tony Iommi, are now fighting cancer. I want to get a gift - let them win that struggle!



Ara Tadevosyan is the Director of Mediamax.