Serj Tankian Says “Down With the System”
Few mainstream musicians begin their memoirs with a political analysis of United States foreign policy. But Serj Tankian, the lead singer of Grammy-winning System of a Down, is no ordinary rock star. He has refused to stick to music, and has used his celebrity megaphone to further social justice causes, especially regarding Armenia. In his new memoir, Tankian opens with a powerful analysis of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Since launching his music career in 1993, Tankian has performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He’s also a proud Armenian American and a dedicated activist. Together with Tom Ƶllo, he co-founded the nonprofit organization , which brought together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.
Tankian is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker, and has executive-produced multiple documentaries, including the award-winning , which tells the story of Armenia’s 2018 revolution. He spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about his memoir, Down With The System.
Sonali Kolhatkar
joined YES! in summer 2021, building on a long and decorated career in broadcast and print journalism. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and host and creator of YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali, a nationally syndicated television and radio program airing on Free Speech TV and dozens of independent and community radio stations. She is also Senior Correspondent with the Independent Ƶ Institute’s Economy for All project where she writes a weekly column. She is the author of Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice (2023) and Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence (2005). Her forthcoming book is called Talking About Abolition (Seven Stories Press, 2025). Sonali is co-director of the nonprofit group, Afghan Women’s Mission which she helped to co-found in 2000. She has a Master’s in Astronomy from the University of Hawai’i, and two undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Sonali reflects on “My Journey From Astrophysicist to Radio Host” in her 2014 of the same name.
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