Author: Hovhannisian John

By David Ng

In a profession dominated by Italian and German repertoire, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian has had the privilege of performing in two languages that are not normally associated with the standard operatic canon: Armenian and the Elvish tongue known as Sindarin.

The latter language she sang in the 2002 Peter Jackson blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel. The soprano performed the ethereally mournful song “Evenstar,” heard as the elf Arwen envisions a desolate future without her beloved Aragorn.

Singing in her native Armenian can pose its own challenges because her concerts often attract fellow Armenians.

“They won’t let me get away with anything,” she said.

On Thursday, Bayrakdarian will perform an all-Armenian concert at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. The concert, which includes pieces ranging from ancient hymns to 20th century songs, comes on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in what is now Turkey.

“I don’t consider myself political, but I am an artistic activist,” said the soprano, whose grandparents survived the 1915 genocide.

“I grew up hearing their stories. To this day, I feel their pain, because their pain wasn’t resolved. … Keeping the songs alive gives voice to my grandparents and to all the Armenians who were silenced.”

The San Fernando Valley is believed to be home to the world’s largest Armenian diaspora.

“Not only is there a significant Armenian population in the Valley, but there’s a large Armenian student body at Cal State Northridge,” said Thor Steingraber, executive director of the Valley Performing Arts Center, which is on the university’s campus.

The concert includes folk songs collected and saved by the Armenian priest and musicologist known as Father Komitas.

“I grew up singing some of them,” Bayrakdarian said. “One of them [‘Oror,’ or ‘Lullaby’] is something I sing to my children. … It puts them to sleep!”

The soprano has a young son and daughter with her husband, pianist Serouj Kradjian, who will accompany her on Thursday and who arranged some of the music on the program.

Bayrakdarian, 41, divides her time between Fresno and Santa Barbara, where she teaches music at UC Santa Barbara. Born in Lebanon, she grew up as the youngest of six siblings in a family where they spoke Armenian at home, Arabic in the community and English at school.

As a teen, she moved to Canada with her family and pursued biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto, where she graduated in 1997. But music beckoned her.

“I needed an outlet so I started singing on the side, taking lessons. Initially, I just wanted to be able to sing better in church,” she recalled.

“I wasn’t in a music program, so the only chance I had to really perform was in competitions. And then I started winning them.”

In 2000, Bayrakdarian took first place at Placido Domingo’s Operalia competition, which was held that year in Los Angeles. She later had to choose between a job at an engineering firm or a tiny role in a production of “Iphigénie en Tauride.”

“It was a no-brainer. I didn’t want to be 40 and regret not going this route,” she said. To this day, her engineering background still proves useful.

“It has come in so handy. For a long time, I was cramming new roles. To be able to memorize and keep the information — that comes from the discipline of engineering.”

Not long after she launched her international career, she was called to London to sing for “The Lord of the Rings.” Composer Howard Shore wanted her to sing in a ghostly voice using no vibrato normally associated with opera.

“I was like, ‘Are you sure? You don’t want me to use the operatic voice I’ve trained for years?’ ” she recalled.

Speaking multiple languages proved useful on the movie. “I could draw on Arabic vowels. There were so many things I could tap into to make it authentic,” she said.

“Learning languages is so important — not just in today’s world, but in life.”

Iraq may request Russian air strikes against Islamic State on its soil soon and wants Moscow to have a bigger role than the United States in the war against the militant group, the head of parliament’s defence and security committee said on Wednesday, Reurers reports.

“We might be forced to ask Russia to launch air strikes in Iraq soon. I think the upcoming few days or weeks Iraq will be forced to ask Russia to launch air strikes and that depends on their success in Syria,” Hakim al-Zamili told Reuters.

Iraq’s government and powerful Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias question the United States’ resolve in fighting Islamic State militants, who control a third of the country, saying U.S.-led coalition air strikes are ineffective.

Russian air strikes against the government’s opponents in Syria have raised hopes in Baghdad that Russia could become an effective partner against the ultra-hardline group.

“We are seeking to see Russia have a bigger role in Iraq. … Yes, definitely a bigger role than the Americans,” Zamili said.

 

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$21 million loan for theThird Public Sector Modernization Project (PSMP III) for Armenia. This project will further assist the Government of Armenia in its on-going efforts to improve quality of the public financial reporting and to improve access to selected enhanced e-government services.

PSMP III supports three main components: (i) Public Financial Management Information Systems; (ii) e-Governance Solutions for Improved Service Delivery; and (iii) Capacity Building and Small Capacity Building Interventions.

The first component will assist the Government to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and comprehensiveness of its financial management and accounting through the development of a Government Financial Management Information System (GFMIS). The proposed GFMIS modules will include improvement, among others, in budget planning, budget execution, public procurement, debt management, accounting, budget reporting, and the general ledger.

“Strengthening governance through improved public service delivery is among the priorities for Bank support,” said Laura E. Bailey, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia. “I will particularly highlight the proposed Citizen-Government Interface for Accountability under the second project component. This will support the establishment of feedback mechanisms to facilitate citizen and business access to government services, address grievances, and monitor client satisfaction.”

The second component will support the implementation of select priorities as identified in Armenia’s e-Governance Strategy. Key elements will include: development of the enabling environment by strengthening policy, regulatory frameworks and building institutions and capacity within the government to undertake introduction of e-governance platforms, and introduction of foundational platforms and infrastructure necessary for government-wide e-services.

Other sub-components are focused on developing:e-Transport modules to improve efficiency and the quality of transportation services in Yerevan; additional modules to the current e-Consular system, including a consular registration process for travelers and issuing e-visas; and upgrading the current e-Licensing system through automation of the simplified procedure of licenses issued on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, management of electronic license registry, and streamlined reports and notifications.

The third component seeks to strengthen the capacity of the Civil Service Council and Armenian Academy of Public Administration to modernize the training system for public servants and raise the quality of trainings.

PSMP III continues the reforms supported under PSMP I and PSMP II (on-going).  PSMP-I, implemented between 2004 and 2011, supported institutional reforms in the areas of policy formulation, local government and civil service, together with Public Financial Management interventions in the areas of public procurement and external and internal audit.

The World Bank will provide a US$21 million IBRD fixed spread loan with a 14.5-year grace period and a total repayment term of 25 years.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments to Armenia total approximately US$2,179.730 million.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

The parties hailed the high-level bilateral relations and emphasized the importance of the agreement on visa facilitation that came into force in 2015.

Reference was made to the perspectives of development of Armenian-American economic cooperation. The interlocutors exchanged views on the forthcoming founding meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Council.

Minister Nalbandian briefed Victoria Nuland on the process of constitutional reforms in Armenia.

Cooperation within international organizations was also on the agenda. The Assistant Secretary of State expressed gratitude to Armenia for the active participation in peacekeeping operations.

The Armenian Foreign Minister and the US Assistant Secretary of State exchanged views on the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Minister Nalbandian presented the situation established as a result of harsh violations of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan.

Victoria Nuland expressed her deep concern over the escalation of tension and stressed the importance of observing the ceasefire.

The interlocutors referred to issues of fighting terrorism, the developments in the Middle East, the protection of minority rights.

FAIR, French Armenian International Network, aims to promote economic
synergies between the business entrepreneurs of the Rhone-Alpes region and their
counterparts in Armenia for the creation of a regional hub providing access to the region’s
markets, such as Georgia, Iran, and other CIS countries.

The worldwide networking of FAIR, which is a recently created business association, shall
definitely include the still-untapped economic potential of the Armenian diaspora, from the
Middle-East countries to the Americas, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union.

The Rhône-Alpes Regional Parliament is set to host the official launching of FAIR in a
special ceremony on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.

The event is organized under the sponsorship of Raffi Haladjian, inventor of NABAZTAG
and a pioneer in the field of connected items and other state-of-the-art technologies.

Six men are facing charges of “battery and other violence” after they allegedly broke into a dolphin aquarium, got into a brawl with security guards and demanded the mammals be set free in Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city Batumi, reports.

Batumi Dolphinarium’s Public Relations manager Berdia Kutubidze said the men forcefully reached the area only meant for staff and obstructed the working process earlier last night.

The men claimed the dolphins were “locked in prison” and they needed to be released.

Kutubidze told journalists the “offenders” also used tear gas against the security guards.

Head of the Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals, Temur Lachkepiani, said he and nine other animal rights defenders from different countries were protesting against the imprisonment of animals when they were “beaten by security guards”.

Lachkepiani also said one of the activists had pepper spray for “self-defence” purposes only.

He said the activists were from different countries including Georgia, Belarus, Turkey, Russia and Iran.

The Dolphinarium Administration said several visitors including minors, were frightened and “stressed” following the aggression from the “vandals”.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry said an investigation has been launched into the case.

Governments and civil society must do more to document the fate and whereabouts of people who disappear in conflicts or other circumstances and give stronger support to the families left behind, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.

“Whether someone has disappeared during war, or migration or a disaster, the suffering of the families remains,” said Marianne Pecassou, who heads the ICRC’s team working on the missing. “It’s essential to collect information that is available today on people who disappear, how and where they have disappeared, that might be useful at some point in time to bring answers to the families,” said Pecassou, speaking as the world prepares to mark the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30.

But providing answers takes a long time and is often not possible while a conflict is still ongoing. For some families, there might never be a definitive answer. And in the meantime, families have a range of needs for support.

“All too often, especially in conflict situations, the problem of the missing is just not on the radar. Governments and other actors need to make sure it is on the agenda and do more to address the practical and emotional needs of the families,” Pecassou said.

The disappearance of a loved one may leave the family without economic support and often they will have to use up their dwindling resources on the search for their missing relative. In many cases, the family does not want to declare a missing person dead and so for example, they can’t access the person’s property or salary.

Families also suffer on an emotional and social level – they might experience isolation, sadness and marginalization and often need long-term support in order to overcome these difficulties and regain control of their lives.

There are over 4,500 people registered by the ICRC as missing in relation to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, including more than 400 in Armenia. The ICRC supports the authorities in their efforts towards clarifying the fate of missing persons and addressing the needs of families of the missing in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. This includes collection of biological reference samples from the close relatives of the missing, which would increase the probability of the identification of human remains.

The ICRC also offers support of various kinds, working on the ground with the Armenian Red Cross Society and other local partners. Based on the needs of these families, the ICRC’s assistance encompasses economic security programs aimed at helping them improve the existing or establish new livelihoods, provision of legal, medical and administrative assistance, as well as emotional care and help with trying to find out ways of remembering their missing loved ones.

Armenian midfielder Gevorg Ghazaryan has joined the Portuguese team Maritimo.

“I am very happy for my contract with Maritimo and I am sure we will have great season . I am thankful to have the opportunity to work with this team,” Ghazaryan said in a Facebook post.

Gevorg Ghazaryan was officially presented as a reinforcement of the Maritime Sunday.

49 times Armenian international, having faced Portugal last month, is the first player from the country to act in the I League.

Speaking to MarítimoTV, the attacking midfielder said he hopes to “win many games, scoring many goals and be very successful” in green-red club.

Ghazaryan previously played in Greek Kerkyra and Olympiakos. The 27 year old also played for Ukraine’s Metalurh Donetsk and the Shakhter, Kazakhstan, after he left Pyunik, Armenia.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have topped Forbes‘ list of the world’s most valuable sports teams for the third year running, reprts.

The 10-time European Cup winners head the world rankings with a value of $US 3.26billion, ahead of NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys and MLB’s New York Yankees, which are both valued at $3.2bn.

Manchester United remain England’s most valuable club, despite dropping from third in 2014 to fifth on the list this year at $3.1bn.

Manchester City, valued at $1.39bn or £890m, are 29th overall, Chelsea ($1.37bn) sit 31st and Arsenal ($1.31bn) are placed 36th.

The American business magazine has been valuing teams in the major sports leagues since 1998.

Champions League holders Barcelona, who sit fourth on the list with a value of $3.16bn (£2.02bn), are the remaining top five team.

American sports dominate the rest of the top 10.

The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins of the NFL and baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers all make the top 10.

Ferrari, at $1.35bn, rank 32nd and are Europe’s only non-football representative on the list.

The average current value of a team on the list is $1.75bn, the highest ever, which represents a 31 per cent increase from last year.

Legal troubles appear to be catching up with Egypt’s most celebrated belly dancer, Safinaz, after a local court upheld a six- month prison term against her on charges of insulting the national flag during a performance, reports.

The Cairo Appeals Misdemeanour Court arrived at its decision on Saturday during a session in which Safinaz was conspicuous by her absence.

Safinaz’s lawyer said she was unable to appear before the court since she was abroad and added that he would appeal afresh against the verdict.

Authorities have placed Safinaz, an Armenian citizen, on a watchlist and plan to arrest her on her arrival in the country, security sources said.

In May, a lower court sentenced Safinaz to six months in jail and imposed a fine of 15,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh7,500). The court also asked her to pay up an extra 10,000 pounds to secure bail.

The 30-year-old dancer has repeatedly said she had meant no offence when she performed wearing a costume fashioned after the Egyptian flag.

The case is related to Safinaz’ performance at a concert at a resort outside Cairo in July 2014.

In TV interviews, Safinaz, who is married to an Egyptian, accused unnamed rivals of seeking to damage her reputation.

“It was a message of love to Egypt and its people,” she said in one interview, referring to her controversial outfit printed with the red, white and black colours of the Egyptian flag.

Last year, Egyptian authorities issued a law that makes showing disrespect to the national flag or the national anthem an offence punishable by up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of 30,000 pounds.

Safinaz has become a dancing sensation in Egypt in recent years.

With a surge in Islamist political spin in Egypt in recent years, most Egyptian belly dancers quit the profession, bringing in a stream of foreigners.

In September last year, a private Egyptian TV station cancelled a belly-dance talent hunt contest after the country’s top Islamic body condemned the show as a “corruption of morals”.