The Armenian Weekly On-Line
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
menianweekly.com
The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 40; Oct. 6, 2007
Youth and Debate:
1. Accuracy for Art’s Sake
By Serouj Aprahamian
2. A Response to Serouj Aprahamian’s Response
By Simon Beugekian
***
1. Accuracy for Art’s Sake
By Serouj Aprahamian
In his Sept. 22 article ("Beauty for Beauty’s Sake, Art for Art’s Sake,"
Armenian Weekly), Simon Beugekian calls for more diversity, creativity and
innovation in Armenian music and art. I share his general sentiment and feel
we should always seek ways to foster originality and creativity among
artists in our community. However, the article makes several dubious
generalizations to support its argument, and paints a quite distorted
picture of our community’s approach toward contemporary musicians and
artists. Equally distressing about the piece is its attitude toward the
nature and role of Armenian revolutionary (heghapoghakan) songs.
One of Beugekian’s main arguments is that the Armenian community is only
willing to accept artists who are "politically active in promoting Armenian
causes." He uses the example of System of a Down to demonstrate this
phenomenon-the assumption presumably being that the community would not have
embraced the Grammy Award-wining band had they not been so active on the
genocide recognition front. Thus, he argues, Armenians cannot accept art
unless it serves as a "propaganda tool" that instills "a certain kind of
ideology in the youth." Yet, one cannot help but wonder what we are to make
of well-known artists such as Arto Tuncboyaciyan and his Armenian Navy Band,
Gor Mkhitarian, Bambir, Jivan Gasparyan, Ruben Hakhverdian, Aram
Khachadturian, Charles Aznavour and others who are not heavily involved in
political activism and whose songs are generally not considered political.
Are these people being embraced simply as a "propaganda tool"? Is their
music created to "keep communities together"? Is their art not made for the
sake of art? Are they not innovative or diverse enough?
The article goes on to insist that our community closes its doors to new
forms of music and such non-Armenian genres as rap and metal. Is the author
aware that both on the west coast and in Canada, the AYF not only hosts
events where musicians, in his words, "play the same old dumbeg" but also
annually holds very popular open-mic nights where young poets, rappers,
dancers, rock groups and other artists perform their work? Is he aware that
in Armenia itself, there are various metal groups and a small but growing
underground hip-hop scene-including not only rappers, but breakdancers and
aerosol artists? Did he know anyone who was in Armenia (or Glendale) in the
summer of 2006 where it seemed like everywhere you turned, you heard the hit
single "Kami Pchi" by the group H.A.Y.Q.? The single is essentially a
non-political, mainstream rap song and the group even features a black
Armenian.
It seems to me that these handful of examples alone demonstrate that there
is a much more considerable amount of diversity among Armenian artists than
the article suggests. Again, I agree that we need to do more to foster
greater creativity and diversity among Armenian artists, but to suggest that
"we leave no room for change" or that Armenians "punish" those who dare to
innovate is a bit of an exaggeration. Indeed, from literature, to abstract
expressionism, to classical music, to rock, to film, etc., Armenian artists
have always made valuable contributions to art and can be expected to
continue to do so in the future.
As for the article’s attitude towards revolutionary songs, there are several
gross mischaracterizations that deserve comment. First, the author claims
that after the genocide, Armenian songs suddenly became impinged with
"seething anger" and were more political and ideological, as symbolized by
the lyrics of heghapoghakan songs. However, what is ignored is the fact that
a significant portion of these songs (including the one the author quotes
from) trace back to before the genocide.
Second, I truly wonder why the author is so "disturbed" or thinks it is
"bizarre" to see young people singing songs which celebrate our fedayees and
remember the tremendous sacrifices that have been made for the defense and
liberation of our people. Whether or not one agrees with this or that select
statement in these songs, the real point that must not be missed is that
they are about defending your rights, sacrificing yourself for your
community, and fighting for justice-not about violence or killing. Besides,
I would be interested in knowing what tangible harm has ever come out of
this supposedly frightful scene of "three- or four-year old" children
running wild and pumping their fists in the air to heghapoghakan music?
Indeed, the tradition of singing such songs is nothing new in our community
and I would argue that rather than promoting senseless violence, they have
helped pass on knowledge of important figures, events and lessons in our
history.
Finally, it is simply misleading to blanketly compare Karnig to Komitas in
the first place, since the revolutionary songs of the former fall into a
somewhat different category from most music and art. Heghapoghakan songs are
unique in that they are born out of larger movements, organizing efforts and
struggle. In that sense, they are more than mere artistic or emotional
expressions. For the ARF and AYF, these are our organizational songs of
heroic figures, revolutionary episodes and ideology. If they seem to be
overtly ideological and political it is because they are meant to be; they
are inseparable from the larger movement and organizational activity that
they portray. Even singers such as Karnig and Nersik are involved in
organizational activity outside of their singing careers.
Indeed, such expression of consciousness through music as seen in
heghapoghakan songs is not unique to the Armenian case. You see the same
characteristics in music of the civil rights movement, the anti-apartheid
struggle, the anti-war movement of the 1960s, and the early labor movement
in the U.S., with famous troubadours such as Joe Hill penning verses
celebrating unions. The fact that we continue singing revolutionary songs
and that new songs are continuing to be written is a testament to the
vitality of our struggle and the thousands of individuals in our community
who continue to be active in organizations like the AYF and ARF. As long as
there is an active movement in our community, you can continue to expect it
to inspire and be reflected in our music and art.
——————————————— ————————————————– —
2. A Response to Serouj Aprahamian’s Response
By Simon Beugekian
I am glad to see that a discussion has been created around the issue of art
in the Armenian community, and I appreciate Serouj Aprahamian’s valid points
regarding the issue. I feel obligated, however, to respond to certain points
made in his article.
Aprahamian argues that it is "misleading" to say that the Armenian community
does not embrace different art forms. He argues that Armenians do embrace
musicians and artistic acts that are not involved in the pursuit of the
Armenian cause. He lists the Armenian Navy Band, Gor Mkhitarian, Bambir,
Jivan Gasparyan, Ruben Hakhverdian and Charles Aznavour as examples.
Aprahamian should remember that my Sept. 22 article was published in the
Youth Insert of the Armenians Weekly, and was mainly geared toward diasporan
youth. In it, I had mentioned how in Armenia the art scene is a lot more
diverse and free, namely because Armenians living in Armenia have no reason
to "use" art for the sake of survival. Still, I would like to ask
Aprahamian: How many 16, 17, 18, 20, or 25-year-old Armenians listen to
Charles Aznavour? Perhaps 5? 16? I can say quite accurately that most
diasporan youth have barely heard of Ruben Hakhverdian. As for Jivan
Gasparyan and others-well, even less. The issue is not the absence of
diversity in Armenian art, the issue is that the diasporan Armenian
community, especially its younger constituency, simply does not embrace
these artists, and generally tends to embrace non-Armenian artists.
Aprahamian asks whether these people are being "embraced as propaganda
tools." My answer is that these people aren’t being embraced at all. If you
ask a 20-year-old Armenian if s/he listens to Aznavour, s/he might just
laugh at you. And that’s from my personal experience.
Aprahamian then argues that our community does not close its doors to
different forms of art. He mentions the single "Kami Pchir" by H.A.Y.Q.,
which a year ago one could hear wherever you turned in the Armenian
community. So, my question is, why hasn’t Hamazkayin invited H.A.Y.Q. to
perform under their banner (at least on the East Coast; I’m not aware if
they have done so on the West Coast). And why was that song a one-hit
wonder? What happened with H.A.Y.Q. is what happens with many popular,
non-political Armenian musical acts. While Aznavour is embraced by an older
generation of Armenians, he is almost entirely ignored by the younger
generation. H.A.Y.Q., on the other hand, was embraced by the younger
generation and snubbed by the established Armenian institutions.
This is a Catch-22. The non-political art advocated by the older generation
is seen as old-fashioned by the youth and out of touch with their daily
realities. The non-political art embraced by the youth is seen as almost
sacrilegious by the older generation.
Then Aprahamian argues that we actually promote Armenian filmmakers,
painters and musicians, regardless of what they create. I take serious issue
with that statement. In the last half century, how many Armenians filmmakers
has the community embraced? I think I can count four or five off the top of
my head. And how many of them did not have titles such as "Ararat"? Now,
"Ararat" is an interesting example, and shows exactly how blind the Armenian
community can be to art. I have nothing against Atom Egoyan, and I have
nothing against the movie. But you’ve got to admit, "Ararat" was chosen by
several magazines as one of the worst movies of that year. Criticism
abounded. The movie was considered to be needlessly presumptuous, and in its
attempt to be "artistic," it gave most critics-along with my friends and
I-the feeling of a failed experiment. Now I’m not saying people should not
have seen the movie. After all, taste in movies is completely personal and
subjective. But did anybody criticize "Ararat" seriously in the Armenian
community? Armenians flocked to the movie theaters to see this movie just
because of its subject matter. That movie, from the perspective of the
Armenian community, was not to be judged and evaluated as a piece of art. It
was to be judged and evaluated as a propaganda tool.
I would love it if Aprahamian would name me a filmmaker-or a painter for
that matter-who does not create political art and who more than 10 percent
of Armenians ages 18-25 would know.
As for Armenian revolutionary songs: I knew my arguments would hit a few
buttons here, and Aprahamian thinks I have "grossly mischaracterized" those
songs.
First, the majority of these songs do not trace before the genocide, and if
they do, they certainly do not trace before the massacres of Armenians in
the 1890s in the Ottoman Empire.
I, of course, agree with Aprahamian that revolutionary songs are or should
be about national rights, freedom, and all those good things he lists.
Aprahamian says these songs have served a very important purpose, that they
have educated the youth and that they do not promote violence.
I have no doubt these songs have served an important purpose. That is
irrelevant; I’m not ready to argue that the end justifies the means. I also
don’t have an issue with all revolutionary songs, although yes, I do find it
disturbing when kids sing some of these lyrics.
How would you feel if you had a four-year-old child running around talking
about killing people? And you know-very well-that whereas some revolutionary
songs don’t have that element in them, many do.
This is a very personal issue. No matter what the context, I cannot stand
seeing children sing songs that glorify violence. "Miyain Zenkov Ga Hayots
Prgoutyun" ("Only with the gun can we salvage Armenians") is the example I
gave in my previous article. Furthermore, how many revolutionary songs do
you know that use the term "Shoun Tourk" (the Turkish dog)? Yes, I have a
huge problem with a kid running around generalizing like that… I don’t
think that’s a very healthy message. Armenians children simply cannot
differentiate between the Turks who committed the genocide and other Turks.
I don’t know about you, but if I have children I’m going to wait till they’re
a bit older, a bit wiser, and then, if they want to sing those songs, they
can, because they will understand what they are singing.
That said, this is a healthy debate that needs to continue and all of
Aprahamian’s points are both valid and logical. I can not disprove them,
only counter them. Now, just as an exercise, think back to the last 15
years. Think about which Armenian musical acts, which Armenian painters,
which Armenian filmmakers we have embraced as a community. Then make your
own decision as to where our community stands in terms of artistic
creativity.
http://www.ar