rabiz

Rabiz or rabis ( or ) is a genre of Armenian popular music, distinguished by its lyrics and dance-oriented synthesized melodies in time signature with elements of Armenian folk music. Rabiz first emerged in Yerevan in the 1970-80s and was often associated with Armenian migrants from Baku, Ganja, Tbilisi and rural regions of Armenia. Rabiz singers are with few exceptions male. More recently, rabiz songs have been augmented with heavier arrangements and electronic dance music elements in their instrumentation.

Though the singers and their audience primarily refer to rabiz as a music genre, the term is also used broadly to refer to a certain type of subculture with its particular fashion, Russian-derived slang, and lifestyle. The genre has received criticism from various music critics due to its perceived similarities to Middle Eastern music. Prominent performers of the genre include Aram Asatryan, Tatul Avoyan (known by the mononym Tatul), and Hayk Ghevondyan (known as Spitakci Hayko or more commonly by the mononym Hayko).