Month: December 2008

SCENE AND HEARD: THE RISE OF SLAVIC RAP
John McDonnell

Guardian
Monday 15 December 2008
UK

I thought Armenian rapper Kro was one of a kind when I wrote about
him recently. But he’s just the tip of the iceberg

I recently stumbled across the above video of an Armenian rapper
based in LA called Kro. As you can see, he uses lots of the cliched US
gangsta rap iconography like fast cars, wads of cash, his mean-looking
"homies" throwing up gang signs, plus that age-old rap video trick
of superimposing yourself next to a large purring lion, which you
are pretending to stroke.

Deciding that Kro was simply too special to have any counterparts,
I assumed his broken English gangsta rap with traditional eastern
European folk crooning shtick had to be an anomaly – until I received
an email from a journalist called Charlie Amter, who writes about
nightlife for the Los Angeles Times. After seeing the video on my
blog, Charlie wrote to inform me that there was a thriving Armenian
rap scene in and around LA: "Los Angeles is rife with Armenian rappers
who have dreams of ‘making it’ in the rap game. Some have aspirations
of crossing over into the commercial realm, but most seem content
to make videos that are passed around on YouTube, giving them fame
in their communities. Armenians who grew up here have adopted rap
as their music, just as easily as they have adopted the Los Angeles
Lakers as =0 D their team."

There are an estimated 1.5 million Armenians living in the United
States and it is in California where you will find the largest
Armenian-American population. Heavily influenced by the historic west
coast hip-hop scene, young Armenian men in and around LA have been
making their own form of gangsta rap. The heart of this scene resides
in Armenian hotspots like the San Fernando Valley and Glendale –
a city where over a quarter of the residents are Armenian.

I have been trawling the internet in search of some of these rappers –
and have discovered they are almost all as, erm, unique as Kro. The
standouts include Apostles – a pair of identikit cannabis-adorned
doo-rag-wearing rhymers who make PJ & Duncan look like Biggie and 2Pac,
a dense-looking chap called 118 whose cheesy rhymes are apparently
supposed to be sexy, and Super Sako, who looks like a cross between
DJ Khaled and Airport’s Jeremy Spake, but is the most accomplished
lyricist out of all the Armenian rappers I have encountered (ie he
is able to string a slightly coherent sentence together).

The homoeroticism in lots of US rap is also evident but these
Armenian guys often take it to another level. Some of the videos are
so overtly camp it’s hard to tell whether or not they are spoofs. But,
according to Charlie Amter, they are deadly serious about their music:
"Laugh at your own peril – everyone in LA knows that Armenian guys
are not to be fucked with.

These guys may not have the best flows, but you can bet they know
how to fight. And some have guns."

LA also has a large Russian contingent who appreciate some home grown
eastern European rap. Last year a Kiev-born promoter flew Russia’s
most popular rapper, the award-winning Seryoga (accolades include
a gong for best ringtone at the MTV Russia Music Awards in 2005,
don’t you know), from Moscow to play a packed club on Sunset Strip,
with tickets starting at $60.

Seryoga, who has been labelled the Slavic Eminem, has sold well
over a million albums worldwide and his debut LP went to number one
in countries including Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Just like his
Armenian pals, Seryoga also has a penchant for some traditional folk
instrumentation and crooning in his tracks. His music is much more
agreeable though. In fact, I’ve repeatedly found myself humming
the tune to songs like Gangsta No More over the past couple of
days. There’s something about a wistful accordion riff which strangely
complements a polished hip-hop beat.

With the help of an excellent blog about lesser-known hip-hop scenes
from around the world (hiphopattack.blogspot.com), I’ve come across
lots more rappers from eastern and central Europe. None so far has
been able to match the affecting and thought-provoking rhymes of
Hungarian rapper and YouTube sensation Speak (you know, the "Yeah,
c’mo n" guy) but there are a few with unusual names.

Broken English, it seems, isn’t just used in the rhymes of these
rappers.

One Russian artist called Ligalize has decided to adopt the
bastardised language for his moniker, and I’m hoping it was a case
of something being lost in translation with the unfortunately-titled
Polish MC Molesta. It’s not all bad names and silly pseudonyms,
though. Bulgarian rapper Mechoka has the best hip-hop album title
I have ever encountered: Gladna Mechka Horo Ne Igrae (Hungry Bear
Doesn’t Dance).

As talented and respected a rapper as Lil Wayne may be, I don’t think
he’ll be coming up with a title to match this any time soon.

SITUATION ALONG ARMED FORCES CONTACT-LINE DISCUSSED IN KARABAKH

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 15, NKR President Bako
Sahakian held a consultation with the supreme command staff of the NKR
Defense Army at the head of Defense Minister Movses Hakobian. Issues
related to army building, situation along the contact-line between
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan armed forces, and improval of social
conditions of the servicemen were discussed at consultation. Noyan
Tapan was informed about it by the Central Information Department of
the NKR President’s Office.

OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL EXPRESSES HOPE THAT NEGOTIATIONS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT WILL PROCEED AT HIGH LEVEL

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The statement of OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chairs adopted at the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Helsinki meeting
gives the hope that the conflict settlement negotiations will continue
at the high level, OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut
stated at the December 15 press conference.

As to conflict settlement terms, the OSCE Secretary General said that
"practical flexibility is needed here, which is an issue of mutual
confidence, mutual respect." Marc Perrin de Brichambaut also said that
the situation in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement is rather complicated
and we should contribute to the settlement of the formed situation.

In response to Armenian opposition’s assertion that OSCE observers’
conclusion on presidential elections in fact gave a green light to
violence by the authorities, the OSCE Secretary General said that
many do not imagine clearly OSCE observers’ mission. In his words,
observation reports’ goal is not to estimate the situation as good
or bad. "A report on elections is not an instrument of statements on
the bad, but means of democratic transition, and the OSCE observation
mission follows that way."

TIGRAN KARAPETIAN CONSIDERS INEFFICIENT WORK OF NA AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON EVENTS OCCURRED ON 1-2 MARCH AND OF FACT-FINDING GROUP

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The Nagorno Karabakh settlement
negotiations are inefficient and no progress will be recorded in that
direction in the current year. Tigran Karapetian, the leader of the
People’s Party, reported at the December 15 press conference.

Touching upon the home political situation, he said that Armenia has
not become a democratic country yet, as there are cases of violation
of human rights in the country. According to him, the authorities
show not a legal, but a political approach to those arrested on the
March 1 case. "Unless there are facts proving those people’s guilt,
they should be released," he said.

T. Karapetian considers wrong the approach that applications are
demanded from people not pleading guilty to grant them an amnesty. The
PP leader also considers inefficient the work of the NA Ad-hoc
Committee on Events Occurred on 1-2 March and of fact-finding group.

IT IS NOT EXCLUDED THAT ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS’ CONFERENCE WILL BE AGAIN POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The application on providing
the government sitting hall to the Armenian National Congress for
holding a conference submitted to the government on December 3
received no answer as of December 15. Noyan Tapan correspondent was
informed about it by ANC Coordinator Levon Zurabian. He said that ANC
members consider government’s silence as a refusal. In his words, as
all Armenia’s hotels and organizations have received an order "from
above" never to provide a hall to opposition forces, ANC discusses
alternative ways of a place to hold a conference. L. Zurabian did
not exclude that the conference will be again postponed due to the
obstacles regarding the conference place. It should be mentioned that
at first it was planned to hold the event on December 12, but then
it was postponed until December 19.

L. Zurabian did not render it more clear what issues will be
on conference agenda. He only said that representatives of the
Zharangutiun (Heritage) party will be among the invitees. The
oppositionist also added that if the conference is held on December
19, ANC activists will find some possibility to simultaneously take
part in the first court sitting on the "case of the seven" to be held
the same day.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"WE SHOULD TRY TO GATHER IN THIS LAND AND LOOK AT THE FUTURE:" INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REPATRIATION PROBLEM ORGANIZED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. A conception-program on repatriation
will be worked out in Armenia and according to RA Minister of Diaspora
Hranush Hakobian, a deep, scientific study of repatriation experience
of the Soviet period should be conducted for it. Besides, as the
Minister affirmed it, programs should be worked out contributing
to repatriation of thought and spirit, study of resources and
possibilities both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, clarification
of problems and tasks regarding repatriation, ways and methods of
repatriation fulfillment.

As Hranush Hakobian mentioned at the opening of the 3-day international
conference under the title 1946-48 Repatriation and Its Lessons:
Repatriation Problems Today held in Armenia, world repatriation
experience, national and international legislation regarding
repatriation should be also studied.

According to the Minister, the conference, very likely, announces the
start of a new type and new quality of Armenian people’s repatriation,
first of all, repatriation of spirit and thought, return to the
Armenian identity.

The conference has a goal to analyse all mistakes, omissions of the
past, to listen to all specialists, and to come to a right conclusion.

In his greeting speech to conference participants RA President Serzh
Sargsyan, in particular, mentioned that "The state will do its best
to contribute to establishment and preservation of Armenian national
identity, as well as to repatriation. It will not only contribute to
Armenians’ physical return to the homeland, but also will assist to
the everyday struggle of our brothers and sisters against assimilation
in foreign lands.

"The homeland always waits for its sons, it is never late to return,"
President’s message read.

The message of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II read that
repatriation is not only RA state, but also national problem. "Only
fragments have remained from our mighty colonies today. Today our
compatriots face the danger of physical and spiritual extermination
in the Diaspora."

RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian mentioned in his greeting speech
that first of all we should create a democratic, legal homeland, if
the situation in the human rights sphere remains the same as it is,
an Armenian, for instance, living in France will not try to come
to Armenia.

ARFD Bureau member, RA NA ARFD faction head Vahan Hovhannisian
emphasized: "Only those, who share and make part of Armenian people’s
collective fate, are Armenian." According to V. Hovhannisian’s
evaluation, dual citizenship is the only right legal way of
repatriation, but the dual citizenship institution is not completely
and effectively used in society so far.

VivaCell company Director General Ralph Yirikian presented those
present with his experience of returning to the homeland and addressed
two calls to those present: to Armenians abroad: "come, see, breathe
Armenia’s air," and to Armenians living in Armenia not to leave
Armenia: "Let’s work together and make prosperous the country together
and show to the world that we, Armenians are not 3 million, we are 10
million, we should try to gather in this land and look at the future."

HOVHANNES TAMAMIAN: MAJORITY OF CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS NOT DISCLOSED

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The police operation in Yerevan’s
Liberty Square on the morning of March 1 was led by the head of the
Main Criminal Search Department of the RA Police, Colonel Hovhannes
Tamamian based on operative information received and with permission
of the RA Police head Hayk Harutyunian, H. Tamamian said in response
to reporters’ questions at the December 12 press conference.

When responding to the question: "What was your mission when you
came to Liberty Square?", the police official replied: "The purpose
was to search for arms, ammunition and other items that those who
gathered in the square had, there was no point in dispersing those
gathered". He also said that during the operation, some additional
forces were moved to the area but they intervened only after a clash
began between operative employees and demonstrators.

H. Tamamian informed reporters that in 2008, "thieves in law" were
arrested by only the Main Criminal Search Department: there are five
of them. "We will struggle so that there will be no "thieves in law"
in our society and we will not allow any clans to form," he stated.

In his words, the majority of crimes committed against journalists
were not disclosed but it does not mean these crimes "are out of
control, they are under our control and work on their disclosure
is continuing". A person was arrested in connection with the latest
crime – the violence committed against the chairman of Investigative
Journalists NGO Edik Baghdasarian, however, according to H. Tamamian,
in this respect information is not published in the interests of
the investigation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMALIA KOSTANIAN: FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS ONLY DONE IN LOWER LINKS IN ARMENIA, WHICH IS WRONG

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Fighting corruption should be
started with the upper links and be finished with the lower ones,
Amalia Kostanian, the Chairwoman of the Transparency International
anti-corruption center, considers.

During the summing up the results of the two-year program under
the title The Role of Media, NGOs, and State Government Bodies in
Fighting Corruption she refuted the affirmation of another speaker,
Chairman of RA Civil Service Council Manvel Badalian that we should
look for corruption not in the upper but at the lower links. According
to her, there is corruption in Armenia in both lower and upper links,
and we should attend to "very and very dangerous political corruption
in the upper links."

The arrests of lower link officials are not convincing, as they
"are not the people, who are most of all guilty," she said.

Raising salaries is only one method to fight corruption, but the
prevailing majority of people interrogated by the center does not
consider that, in particular, raising judges’ salaries will lead to
reduction of corruption phenomena in the judicial system. "These system
issues should not be solved one-sidedly," the NGO head said. "Let us
fight corruption in an adequate way," she appealed.

According to A. Kostanian’s evaluation, Armenia has a terrible
regress in the spheres of human rights and freedom of press, fair
legal procedure. No efficient fight can be carried out in the tax
body or any other sphere unless justice and freedom of expression
are ensured. "They attack journalists or intimidate civil activists,
on the one hand, they call them for fighting corruption, on the other
hand, beat and intimidate them."

According to her, fighting corruption is not systematized in Armenia.

U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to RA Marie
Yovanovitch said that corruption is a human evil, which should be
fought every day, fighting corruption is not only government’s task,
the whole society should take part in it. According to her, certain
steps are undertaken in Armenia, nevertheless society wants to know how
much the authorities are ready to unmask the high-ranking officials,
businessmen having strong contacts.

NUMBER OF CRIMES GROWS, CRIME DETECTION INDEX DECLINES IN ARMENIA IN FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 2008

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of crimes grew by 7.4%
in Armenia in the first 11 months of 2008: 8,192 crimes were recorded
in the indicated period.

The number of grave crimes grew by 15.3%, that of especially grave
crimes – by 6.9%, the head of the Main Criminal Search Department
of the RA Police Hovhannes Tamamian announced at the December 12
press conference.

According to him, in the total number of crimes against man, a growth
was recorded in murders, attempted murders, infliction of heavy damage
to health, rapes and attempted rapes. The number of crimes against
property increased by 11.8%, including a growth in burglaries (12.6%),
robber attacks (76.1%), and robberies (78.2%). In the total number of
crimes against property, there was a decline in the number of frauds
(by 10% or 37 cases) and crimes committed with the use of fire-arms
(16.3%), while the number of autothefts increased by 70 cases.

In the 11 months of 2008, 665 units of fire-arms were either seized by
the police or handed over voluntarily by citizens, which, according to
H. Tamamian, is the highest index since 1993. The police representative
said that the growth in the number of crimes is mostly conditioned
by the activation of supervisory work done by the police heads with
respect to territorial sub-units, especially the registration carried
out by these sub-units in recent period.

A fall in the crime detection indices was recorded in parallel with
the growth of recorded crimes.

INITIATION OF GYUMRI TECHNOCITY IS REALISTIC, IRISH EXPERT ON TECHNOPARKS SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

GYUMRI, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The idea of founding a technopark
(technocity) in the city of Gyumri (Shirak marz) with a significant
strategic intervention will become a reality, Kevin Tompstone, a
member of the working team developing the guidelines for fulfilling
the Armenian government’s initiative to turn Gyumri into a technocity,
stated at the December 12 round table on the subject "The Business
Model of Gyumri Technopark" held in Gyumri. K. Tompstone is an advisor
of Shannon International company (Ireland), former director of Shannon
Developments company and the chairman of the National Technopark.

In his opinion, there are opportunities and potential for turning
Gyumri into a technocity, although some obstacles exist as well, and it
is necessary to use a strategic rather than a stage approach and act by
a coordinated action plan in order to fulfil this initiative. During
a presentation based on his studies, the expert said that in order to
localize the experience of the Shannon Development National Technopark
in Gyumri, the efforts of state bodies: the RA Ministry of Economy,
the RA Ministry of Urban Development, Shirak regional administration
and Gymri municipality should be combined with efforts of a) business
structures: the Union of IT Enterprises of Armenia, Viasphere
Technopark, Synopsys, National Instruments, Unicomp, Microsoft,
Instigate, Armproject. Ericsson, Gyumri-based Selenit-Gold, Pul,
Arshaluys, Msho Tghek, Analitsark and Shirak Airport companies;
b) educational institutions: the Gyumri IT Center, the Turpanjian
Foundation, the Gyumri branch of State Engineering University
of Armenia (SEUA), the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute, the
Polytechnic College, the Academy of Arts, and the American University
of Armenia; c) state bodies providing business services and structures
providing assistance to the state in this sector: the Small and Medium
Entrepreneurship Development National Center and its Gyumri branch,
the Armenian Development Agency, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation,
the USIAD-financed Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) Project,
and the Technical Library of Gyumri.

These efforts should be coordinated by the Gyumri Economic Development
Office.

K. Tompstone considered the existence of higher educational
institutions with strong academic traditions and scientific heritage
in Gyumri as a positive circumstance, however, considerable and
efficient investments in buildings, infrastructures and research work
will become the guarantee of the technopark’s success, while the high
speed Internet at reasonable prices is necessary for attraction of
export-orientated investors. The expert expressed an opinion that the
SEUA Gyumri branch should be moved to the area of the technopark. In
general, it has been proposed locating the technopark of the technocity
in the branch’s building to be repaired, the business park – in the
building of the idle Plant of Manufacturing Machinery, while the
educational center and the special and recreational centers should
be located in "Kumayri" historical and cultural preserve and the
SEUA branch.

The use of the preserve will enable to restore and develop its urban
development environmnet. It is envisaged that the technocity will have
status of a special economic zone, and investments for its foundation
are assessed to amount to 55 million USD.

By the concept of reconstructing the city of Gyumri into a technocity
of the RA Ministry of Economy, thanks to the concept’s implementation,
tourism, ITs, engineering (modern urban development and construction
technologies), fashion and textile industry, arts, jewelry making,
craftsmanship will develop. The implementation of the concept will
give an opportunity to ensure the development of not only Gyumri,
but also other settlements in its agglomeration and turn Gyumri into
a regional development center. The experience gained in Gyumri will
be used to form a knowledge-based economy in Armenia.

In the words of the RA minister of economy Nerses Yeritsian, Gyumri
as a technocity will give first results in five years after its
formation stage and will be completely established as such in 10-15
years, according to international experience. The minister said
that agreements to set up educational laboratories in Gyumri have
been reached with the Association of Three-Dimensional Modellers of
Armenia and Sun Microsystems company. It is envisaged that in the
near future the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) together with
scientific institutions of Gyumri will conduct scientific studies with
state budgetary allocations of 40 million drams (about 133 thousand
USD). The minister informed those present that the World Bank and
USAID have expressed a willingness to assist the Armenian government
with turning Gyumri into a technocity.

During the round table, the grant programs of the scientific research
projects implemented by the indicated laboratories, as well as
the projects implemented jointly by the EIF, the U.S. Civilian
Research & Development Foundation and the RA ministry of economy
were presented. Speeches were made by the regional governor of Shirak
Lida Nanian, Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasian, and the deputy minister
of urban development Vatche Terterian.