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1. Soprano Papian Dazzles At Armenian Night At Pops
2. Children of Armenia Fund Summer Soirée In Manhattan
3. Pattie’s Book Asks:Who Are the Armenians?
4. Commentary: The Kurdish Fait Accompli in Turkey
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1. Soprano Papian Dazzles At Armenian Night At Pops
By Nancy Kalajian
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
BOSTON – The 60th annual Armenian Night at the Pops featured world-renowned
soprano Hasmik Papian, who did not disappoint.
The Friends of Armenian Culture Society, Inc. (FACS) is the sponsor of this
annual event, one of the most anticipated Armenian cultural events in the
Greater Boston community. This year, more than 450 tickets were purchased
through FACS; during program intermissions, guests were seen greeting each
other with warm embraces and sharing their thoughts on the unique program.
Held in the majestic ambiance of Boston’s Symphony Hall, this year’s
programming was eclectic. `Triple Crown,’ the first part of the program,
centered on horses and included the premiere of Randy Newman’s Selections
from Seabiscuit. Actress Paula Plum narrated a film on horseracing and
`horses’ mystical relationship with man.’ Though occasionally she seemed to
be drowned out by the music, she nonetheless did an admirable job in a
challenging role.
After a long intermission, conductor Keith Lockhart welcomed the Armenian
community with an Armenian greeting and expressed admiration for FACS’
ongoing support and commitment to this annual event, now in its 60th year.
`This is one of my favorite nights at the Pops,’ shared Lockhart. Most
of
the audience – including many non-Armenians – stood up solemnly as the
Boston Pops Orchestra performed the Hayr Mer (the Lord’s Prayer).
As in previous FACS events, the Armenian talent held the audience
spellbound.
Lockhart introduced Papian, a `distinguished classical artist’ and later
admiringly remarked, `It’s an honor to work with someone of her
international stature.’ In a glittery blue gown, the soprano had great range
without a microphone and showed poise and solid voice in performing a
variety of pieces.
The mystical Aria-Vocalise by Babadjanian was followed by the well-known
Kilikia by Yeranian- Yekmalian. Catalani’s Ebben? Ne andro lontana, from
`La Wally’ was a dramatically expressed piece that drew huge applause and
contrasted with Puccini’s O mio bambino caro, which she sang in a
delicate, sensitive manner. Drinking Song, an upbeat and eclectic work by
talented young composer John Sarkissian, premiered that evening to favorable
review. Listeners gave him a big hand when Lockhart acknowledged him in the
audience.
During the evening, Lockhart also acknowledged Ara Arakelian of FACS, the
20th anniversary of the independence of Armenia and the passing of Dr. Keran
Chobanian, a FACS founder and supporter. `The Armenian Community, the BSO
and Pops lost a great friend,’ expressed Lockhart.
The final part of the program had an unexpected variation with bluegrass
pieces performed by the talented Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. Skaggs
explained the personal significance in the touching pieces he and his fellow
musicians performed with great skill. The audience seemed energized by the
grand songwriting, immense talent and fantastic acoustics during this set.
A new twist this year was that the post-concert reception was held at the
nearby Colonnade Hotel, instead of a hall in the Symphony building. Though
a
bit challenging to access by foot because of a heavy rainfall, most of those
who purchased a ticket attended the reception and seemed happy to meet
fellow patrons and supporters and even meet the evenings’ stars, Papian and
Sarkissian.
During the elegant champagne and desert reception, Arakelian, president of
FACS, welcomed the guests and encouraged the participation of the younger
generation in future cultural events. `Armenians and Armenian culture have
many undiscovered gems and presenting our heritage adds its own unique color
to the cultural mosaic of this world,’ Arakelian reflected.
Special recognition was given to Chobanian for his decades-long strategic
work with FACS. Appreciation was given to FACS supporters, organizers and
volunteers including Raffi Yeghiayan, Karen Ucuz, Jessica Manguikian and
Robert and Sandra Aghababian.
Eating a delicate sweet, Haig Babaian of Brighton felt the reception was a
good place `to chill out after the concert and meet people.’ Countless
conversations at the reception revolved around the evening’s diverse
content.
Sarkissian discussed the creative process in composing Drinking Song. `I
worked on it 10 years ago and recently finished it precisely for this
occasion,’ he said. Joan Sadyan of Connecticut shared with her friends,
`I
thoroughly liked Hasmik.’
Estrellita Karsh of Boston was just as impressed with Papian and felt, `the
spirit on and off the stage was infectious. Papian caught the mood. Each
rendition was perfectly done in a way the composer would have wanted it.’
Indeed, FACS supporters look forward to future memorable events.
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2. Children of Armenia Fund Summer Soirée In Manhattan
By Aram Arkun
Mirror-Spectator Staff
NEW YORK – The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) held a fundraiser on the
evening of June 22 at New York City’s Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking
District. Armenian-American actress and comedienne Andrea Martin, artist and
designer Michael Aram and fashion boutique chain founder Khajak Keledjian
served as hosts to a crowd of some 230 people.
The event was aimed at attracting a younger crowd than COAF’s annual
banquet, and it seems to have succeeded. Despite the early evening
thunderstorms, the hotel room and surrounding terrace were packed by
fashionably-dressed guests enjoying the view, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
More than $20,000 was raised, permitting COAF to build a wing on one of the
schools it is renovating in the large village of Miasnikian.
The formal portion of the event was fairly brief. Martin, a steadfast
supporter of COAF, pointed out the importance of the organization’s work.
She spoke both at the start and the end of the event with humor and charm.
She said that five years ago when she was first approached to serve as the
entertainment for a COAF event, she asked for money, a car, a dress and
`this and that,’ but when she became familiar with the work that COAF did,
she no longer could ask for any payment. She said that once any audience
member would go to Armenia and see for himself the impact of the
extraordinary work being done on people’s lives, `You will sell your house
and give it to COAF.’
Aram said that the poverty levels he saw in Armenia after the fall of the
Soviet Union were extreme. Students had to go to schools with no heat,
crumbling walls and holes in the floors. Aram continued, `Living conditions
and study conditions were among the worst I have ever seen in my life, and
I
have lived in India for 20 years of my life.’ One COAF Board member was
visiting a school in Armenia, and some students passed out from hunger at
that time. Aram asked for the help of those present to improve this tragic
situation.
Businessman Dr. Garo Armen, who founded COAF in 2000, introduced two short
videos. One was prepared by children in Armenia who had received the
necessary equipment and training through a COAF grant funded by the Paul
Newman Fund. They showed how buildings and the environment affecting their
lives had changed in a two-minute video. The video ended with the children
all saying thank you to their COAF donors.
The second was an unfinished draft begun some eight days ago, showing what
COAF does in a broader sense through animation. It was the work of a young
group of Armenian college students from Boston.
Armen provided the audience with basic information about COAF, recommending
that they visit their website for more details ().
Approximately 30 people work in the Armenia offices. Everything is directly
done by COAF in Armenia to avoid corruption. Armen said that in the 11
villages in which COAF works, there are some 25,000 people, of which some
6,000 are school-age children. Economic conditions are worsening there; thus
more than 10 percent of the population cannot afford the most basic things.
Though the schools are free, books, equipment and personal items such as
clothing and meals are not, therefore poor families sometimes cannot afford
to send their children. It takes approximately $350 per year per child to
provide what is necessary. Approximately 500 of the 6,000 children depend on
COAF for these necessities.
Keledjian said that COAF staff members are paid their salaries through board
members, so that all donations go directly to the children in Armenia. He
gave the example of his own birthday present to his brother Haro, who was in
the room. He went with Haro to Armenia, which allowed them to see the
difficulties Armenians there are facing. However, despite all their talk and
plans, they did not do much until Keledjian joined COAF. Keledjian pointed
out to the audience that Larry Feinberg, the biggest donor to COAF, was not
even Armenian, and that made him feel even more motivated to participate. So
Keledjian donated the presents from his 38th birthday to COAF. He urged
those present, lucky to be living in New York, to help Armenians in the
Republic of Armenia who are living without the same opportunities.
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3. Pattie’s Book Asks:Who Are the Armenians?
By Nancy Kalajian
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
Dr. Susan Pattie, author of the newly-released paperback, Who are the
Armenians?, has produced a contemporary, colorful and informative guide and
accompanying CD to introduce Armenian history and culture. When she recently
spoke about the book to a full house at NASSR in Belmont, Mass., nearly 50
copies of the book were sold that evening alone.
Aimed at children aged 5-12, the format and design of the book easily
engages readers of all ages; there are 16 sections or mini chapters, and
each section makes good use of background color, font color changes,
captions and highlighted words, to share and distinguish related
information.
Information is usually presented within a few paragraphs on each page, or
occasionally on lists, for example, on traditional Armenian instruments or
letters of the Armenian alphabet.
The readability level and font size might be a bit challenging for an early
elementary age student, though the spacing between lines of print is
generous, which can make it easier for younger readers to access.
For those youngsters who may have difficulty reading it on their own, an
older sibling or adult could easily read it to a child who could follow
along looking at the attractive visual information. Indeed, the wonderful
family photographs, illustrations, friendly and simple captions and wealth
of information will likely capture the interest of readers of all levels.
Many of the sections include an `activity,’ whereupon the reader can reflect
on a personal connection and then think of that connection outside the box,
for example in a global context. In the diaspora, for instance, the reader
is asked to trace their roots, where they have lived and changes that have
taken place there. Then it asks the reader to discover `famous’ Armenians
living in their country or perhaps other diasporan countries. In religion,
the activity focuses on the Jashagestzouk prayer said before a meal; not
only are the words there in transliteration but can be heard by a group of
people, perhaps a family, in the accompanying CD.
In one of the last chapters, Armenian Children around the World, you can
meet children of Armenian descent who live throughout the diaspora, like
Anush and Felipe in Buenes Aires, Sarine and Garen in Boston (both attend
the Armenian Sisters’ Academy), Dzovinar and Chouchane in Paris, Noemi in
London, Mikel in Beirut and Eduard, Monika and brothers Vilen and Hakob in
Yerevan. Living in the diaspora, many of the featured students seem to
attend Armenian, parochial or private schools and it would have been
interesting to also include an example of a student who attends a public
school in the US and goes to Sunday School and Armenian School on weekends,
as I did. But the main focus here is on children in the diaspora and how,
through learning the Armenian language and culture, or connecting with their
friends, families and especially grandparents, students can learn and keep
their unique heritage alive and be proud of who they are and where they have
come from. Through their words, photographs and games shared, we learn of
their passions and commonality with peers around the world, an effective
approach to multicultural understanding.
The Armenian language section describes its connection to the Indo-European
language family. You can open the book to the section and use the CD to
learn how to say in Armenian the numbers 1-10, the recited alphabet as well
as an alphabet song, and most importantly, how to say and respond in both
Eastern and Western Armenian to, `Hello. How are you?’
Reading this book took me down memory lane, especially when I read about
yadess and the custom of breaking a chicken bone; decades ago, this game
was as common an occurrence around our Sunday lunches with our grandparents
as was the bulghur pilaf I always looked forward to. Here, the game of
yadess was explained along with nardi (tavloo/backgammon), ashik (jan
) and Havgitakhagh (cracking colored eggs during Easter).
The section titled Food Customs is one of my favorites; a recipe for
Anooshaboor, sweet soup, is included, as well as a description of reading
coffee cup grinds. The layout of Dance includes a photo of immigrant
families dancing at a picnic in the 1930s in Pennsylvania, contrasting with
a contemporary picture of women doing an Armenian line dance in Paris.
There’s even a pocket guide with the CD that describes step by step how to
do the Tamzara line or circle dance, that `originated in the Gagharkounik
region near Lake Sevan in Armenian.’ Tamzara music is even included in the
CD.
At her talk at NASSR, the audience seemed genuinely interested in the
subject matter discussed in the presentation, thanking the author for her
careful research and well-written book. When the author discussed writing a
second children’s book on a similar theme in the future, she was receptive
to audience members’ feedback and some ideas she might consider in the next
go-around.
In summary, this book is a grand discovery and can meet the needs of diverse
audiences of all ages, whether you are `new’ to Armenian culture, need
to be
refreshed on the somewhat familiar, or simply love to learn and want to
experience Who are the Armenians? answered in an uncomplicated,
informative and enlightening manner. Who are the Armenians? was published
by the Armenian Institute in London and is being sold and distributed in the
US through NASSR.
Pattie is the director of the American Institute in London and has a PhD in
cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her
previous book, Faith in History: Armenians Rebuilding Community, was
published in 1997.
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4. Commentary: The Kurdish Fait Accompli in Turkey
By Edmond Y. Azadian
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is considered a political wizard who
can play any dirty trick and come out on top. These credentials have more
takers in the West than anywhere else in the world.
Emboldened by his bravura, the prime minister has developed such a degree of
confidence that he believes he can dupe or mesmerize theWest through his
democratic reforms while keeping the genie of democracy in the bottle. But
since the June parliamentary elections in Turkey – where his AK party won a
majority – the prime minister is suffering the predicament of the sorcerer’s
apprentice, because the genie is already out of the bottle and he is between
a rock and a hard place. He cannot undo the reforms, which will certainly
offend the West, and he cannot control ethnic minorities and those in
opposition, which have broken the chains of repression. The prime minister
and his ruling Islamist party will be facing further challenges as they
undertake the promised amendments in the Constitution. Beginning with
President Abdullah Gul, and all the way down to the military brass, the
powers-that-be are opposed to the proposed changes in the constitution.
Already, many highly-ranked members of the military are in jail or in the
process of ongoing investigations of the Ergenekon conspiracy, creating a
very volatile situation in the country.
But events are moving faster than Mr. Erdogan and his ruling party can act.
To begin with, the opposition parties boycotted the oath-taking ceremony in
the parliament, because some of their elected party members had been jailed
under different charges. Erdogan used his negotiating tactics – coupled with
some threats – to convince Kilicdaroglu’s Republican party to return to
fold. Similarly other parties followed suit, except the Kurdish party, which
had a surprise in store.
The Kurds were already complaining that Turkey is too vast a country to be
ruled by one prime minister, and on July 14 the Kurdish party called Popular
Collective Convention (with the Kurdish acronym DTK), declared Kurdish
autonomy in Diarbekir.
This declaration came on the heels of a major bloody confrontation between
the army special units and PKK militants, claiming 13 victims from the army
and seven victims from the
Kurdish ranks. Seven other soldiers were also wounded. The prime minister,
who was flying to Istanbul diverted his flight to Ankara, and after
consulting with army, police and interior ministry chiefs, he flew to
Diarbekir to fire his threats to the restive Kurds.
The Kurdish convention lasted for six hours and was attended by co-chairs
Ahmed Turk and Aysel Tugluk. Following the declaration of Kurdish autonomy,
the latter further commented on the move by adding: `The basic Kurdish
problem can be resolved only when Kurds are given recognition as a distinct
ethnic group and enjoy the same rights exercised by the Turks in the
country. There are no other people in the world whose rights are trampled
more than the rights of 40 million Kurds=85We are declaring autonomy on behalf
of the Kurdish people based on the principle of sharing a common homeland.
We are pleading the Turkish people to be in peace with us.’ He further
clarified that `the declaration of autonomy does not mean to undermine the
Turkish state. This is not a state apparatus. The autonomy will be exercised
by accepting Turkey as a common homeland and by remaining faithful to the
unity of all nations in Turkey.’
Then he appealed to his fellow Kurds to consider themselves as citizens of
the `popular autonomous Kurdistan.’
Currently, the Kurds are populating most of historic Armenia. Now that the
Kurds are planning their future homeland in historic Armenian territories,
what does that mean for the site of the Armenian case in history? We should
have built a bridge with the Kurds a long time ago. Maybe it’s not too late,
yet.
This will shake the foundations of the Turkish state as has been feared for
a long time. Erdogan faced the challenge head on, first castigating the
perpetrators of violence by saying, `No one should expect concessions from
us by committing such acts. I feel sorry for the loss of 13 soldiers, but I
speak very frankly that no one should expect tolerance and understanding [if
they are committing] these acts of terror. These people have only one
option: giving up their arms. The military operations will continue as long
as militants have not given up their arms.’
He was equally categorical in answering the Kurdish declarations of
autonomy: `There is no Kurdish problem in this country. There is only a PKK
problem.’
This bold Kurdish initiative does not have only domestic ramifications for
Turkey.
The issue should rather be analyzed on the broader chessboard of the Middle
East politics. For a long time, Turkish leaders, especially Erdogan himself,
were fighting tooth and nail to preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq,
because the partition of that country would inexorably lead to the creation
of an independent Kurdistan, fanning the aspirations of the 15 million Kurds
in Turkey. Although Iraq’s territorial integrity was preserved, in part by
having a ceremonial president of Kurdish heritage (Jelal Talebani), in fact
the country was partitioned because Israel was seeking a firm foothold in
that country.
Israel armed and trained the Kurdish army, contributed to its administration
and stability and pacified the region. Much of Erdogan’s anger and
frustration against Israel is derived from their conflicting interests in
Iraqi Kurdistan.
Now Kurdish aspirations of autonomy – and eventual independence – have
spilled over into Turkey.
But today, there is an irony in the political developments of the Kurdish
issue. For the declaration of Kurdish autonomy, Turkish leaders are blaming
Iran, which is reacting to the Turkish initiatives to topple Syria’s
President Beshar Assad, Iran’s only ally in the region. If the accusations
prove to be true, whatever Israel began, its Moslem enemies are bringing to
its culmination.
Turkey had hardly mended its fences with Syria, by eliminating the visa
regime with great fanfare, it soon turned its back to its newly-won ally and
began plotting against Syria at the urging of the West.
Hosting Syria’s `government in exile’ on its territory constituted the straw
that broke the camel’s back.
Additionally Turkey threatened to invade northern Syria, under the pretext
of `protecting’ the refugees. Therefore it is not inconceivable that Syria
and Iran may react in a manner to destabilize Turkey by inciting the Kurds.
Erdogan was caught by surprise, believing that his Kurdish initiative had
gone far enough to tame their aspirations. Now that the genie is out, the
world is watching Erdogan’s wizardry, to see if he can put back the genie in
the bottle. Meanwhile the Kurds have created a fait accompli and will not
retreat unless they face a bloodbath in traditional Turkish style.
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