Could Anna Der-Vartanian have seen Armand Tokatyan Singing in cafes before he was famous?
Armand Tokatyan Armand Tokatyan (June 16, 1894 – June 12, 1960) was an operatic tenor. An Armenian born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, he travelled to Egypt with his parents where he sang in cafés to a favorable response. He was then sent to Paris to study tailoring, but instead sang in Left Bank cafés. In 1914, he returned to Egypt and earned his living by again singing in the cafés. He took up operetta, soon becoming a matinee idol, then in 1919 went to Milan to pursue an opera career. His operatic debut was in 1921 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Puccini's "Manon Lescaut". With the help of Italian conductor Giuseppe Bamboschek, he joined the touring Scotti Opera Company in the United States, and was soon noticed by the Metropolitan Opera where he debuted in 1923. For many years he performed there and at many other opera houses in the US and Europe. He was proficient in numerous languages. Many recordings were made of his performances.
Ilanit Hanna Dresner-Tzakh (Hebrew: חנה דרזנר‎ ‎ ; born September 17, 1947), better known by her stage name Ilanit, is a female Israeli singer who became one of the most popular singers in Israel during the late 1960s to the 1980s, both as a soloist and in the duo Ilan & Ilanit. Ilanit also represented Israel twice in the Eurovision Song Contest. In a career spanning over 4 decades, Ilanit recorded and produced over 600 songs and more than 30 best-selling albums.