Viza
Executive summary
Viza (stylized VI·ZA; formerly Visa) is an international rock band rooted in Los Angeles that blends hard rock and alternative metal with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditional instruments such as the oud and duduk, forming a distinctive cross-cultural sound and a reputation for energetic live shows and activism [1][2][3]. The band’s career includes long-form touring partnerships with Serj Tankian/Serjical Strike, multiple albums and EPs since around 2000, and ongoing release activity under its “100 project” as of 2023, though exact formation dates and lineup details vary across sources [1][4][5].
1. Origins and identity: rebranding, roots, and number of members
Multiple profiles trace Viza back to an origin as Visa around 2000, with later rebranding to Viza; MusicBrainz and several music archives list the founding year as 2000 and note the name change, while other promotional materials and listings sometimes cite mid-2000s dates, reflecting inconsistent public timelines [4][6][7]. The group is consistently described as a multi-national ensemble based in Los Angeles that integrates Armenian and Greek influences—several sources say the band has up to nine members and highlights that many members are Armenian or Greek, but exact current personnel and roles vary between promotional pages and fan sites [8][9][6].
2. Sound and musical approach: oud, duduk and global rock fusion
Across interviews, reviews and the band’s own materials, Viza’s hallmark is the fusion of conventional rock instrumentation with regional timbres—oud, duduk, saz and diverse percussion—creating an “international rock” or folk-rock/alternative-metal hybrid that reviewers and festival write-ups repeatedly emphasize [3][10][11]. Critics and festival reports credit the band’s live intensity and capacity to spark dancing or mosh pits while delivering music with social and historical themes rooted in members’ ethnic backgrounds [12][8].
3. Career highlights and industry ties: Serj Tankian and touring
A recurring factual strand is Viza’s association with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian: management under Serjical Strike and guest vocals by Tankian on the track “Viktor” are documented, and Viza supported Tankian on Imperfect Harmonies and Harakiri tours across Europe and North America, which materially raised the band’s profile [1][6]. Festival appearances (Sziget and others) and support slots in notable venues such as Webster Hall and Knitting Factory are also cited, indicating sustained touring activity rather than purely studio-focused output [13][6].
4. Discography and recent activity: albums, singles and the “100 project”
Discographic references list releases including Maktub , Carnivalia , Aria, Eros and Made in Chernobyl among others, with some sources noting steady early output and later albums recorded in notable studios; the band’s own site promotes a “100 project” and singles released in 2023, signaling ongoing creative work and catalog consolidation [14][15][5]. Public streaming profiles (Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud) show active listener bases and available catalogues, though exact counts and release histories require consulting those platforms for the most current metadata [16][17][3].
5. Activism, community ties and critical perspective
Viza presents itself as socially conscious, partnering with Armenian advocacy groups and staging benefit concerts addressing human-rights topics such as Armenian Genocide recognition, and members have openly tied their music to activism—a thread reinforced by press releases and community organization partnerships [18][8]. Sources include both promotional material and independent reviews; readers should note that some biographical claims (formation year, member counts, continuous lineup) differ by source, creating ambiguity that cannot be fully resolved from the provided reporting alone [4][6].