The California Report Magazine

An Ancient Armenian Instrument's Healing Power; Lodi's Hidden Wrestling Scene

Published: July 24, 2026

Duration: 31:08

This week we're featuring two of our favorite stories from the past year.

Meet the Duduk Whisperer: A Bay Area Armenian Folk Musician Revives Centuries of Soul

San Francisco Bay Area-based Khatchadour Khatchadourian is pushing the boundaries of traditional Armenian music. The vocalist and musician plays the duduk, an ancient double reed wind instrument carved from apricot wood, which has cultural ties to the country. Last October, KQED’s Elize Manoukian brought us this profile about how Khatchadourian is preserving culture through sound.


Small Ring, Big Dreams: The Central Valley’s Ba...