Author: Tumanian Talar

HEART ATTACK MUSIC
by Jim Provenzano

Bay Area Reporter
sec=music&article=488
June 5 2008
CA

Diamanda Galas, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty (Caroline Records)

To say that one needs to be in the right mood for Diamanda Galas’
music might be an understatement. Fortunately for her (and her
enthusiastic publicist) but unfortunately for me, there did come a
recent day when I felt truly miserable. And that was the perfect day
to listen to Galas’ latest CD, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty.

In seven songs (mostly) recorded at a 2006 concert in New York City’s
Knitting Factory, Galas sings and self-accompanies on piano. While
some of her trademark screeches and ululations pervade, this is more
of a blues album, with covers of songs that twist the music into new
and macabre styling.

At Galas’ live shows, the fact that the piano is a percussion
instrument becomes clear. Chords become jagged rocks for her siren-like
vocals to perch upon before flying off or sinking down to the depths.

The songs’ themes focus on lost love, and loss through death, which
should come as no surprise. Galas’ nearly dozen-plus previous albums
have delved into the horrors of the AIDS plague and the genocide
of Armenians.

In Guilty, we have a more intimate performance, with a variety of songs
by other composers that take on one-on-one loss. The most familiar to
me is the spiritual "O Death." Fans of the Brother, Where Art Thou
soundtrack may know it. While that version has a sweetness like old
whiskey, Galas’ rendition seems to come directly from a horrifying
lunch date with the Grim Reaper himself.

Most people don’t understand or appreciate Diamanda Galas as a singer
and artist. That’s fine. Go buy your Mariah Carey CDs, a sound that
I consider a different sort of horror. Listening to Galas’ latest,
I found my misery acknowledged, vocalized and exorcized.

CHANGES IN ARMENIAN RAILWAYS

Panorama.am
20:13 03/06/2008

"Armenian Railways" company has disposed the official documents to
"Russian Railways" CSJC two weeks earlier, said Gurgen Sargsyan,
the minister of Trasnport and Communication.

"We all are conscious that our railways are in bad conditions. And we
understand that serious changes are needed which is possible only due
to big investments," said the minister. According to him the amount
of investment disposed by the Russian company is 174.54 billion drams.

As for Armenia-Iran railway the minister said that it is just a project
but many are interested in it. "Both we and Iran are really interested
in the construction of the railway. But for its implementation the
railway should pass through Abkhazia and we have discussed the question
with Russia and Iran," said the minister.

NOT A GIFT FROM HEAVEN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 31, 2008
Armenia

`I would like to record over again that most of the problems enshrined
in PACE resolution have already been enshrined in the coalition
memorandum, which has been adopted long before the adoption of the
resolution. The conversation is mostly about the establishment of trust
towards the election processes, ensuring clearer guarantees of activity
for the parliamentary opposition, such as freedom of speech, free
press, more objective mechanisms for the activity of the TV companies,
etc.

These are the problems that were, from the beginning, included in the
agenda of the coalition. So we can’t say that the PACE resolution was a
gift from the heaven and that we don’t know what to do with it,’ Naira
Zohrabyan expressed such idea.

RUSSIA READY TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE IN KARABAKH TALKS – RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

Interfax News Agency
May 27 2008
Russia

While it is up to Azerbaijan and Armenia to choose a mutually
acceptable formula in the Karabakh conflict resolution, Russia is
ready to act as a guarantor in the conflict settlement, Moscow says.

"Russia’s fundamental position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
remains unchanged. We are planning to provide further assistance to the
conflicting parties in finding a mutually acceptable solution. The main
responsibility for the final choice of the conflict resolution formula
rests on Armenians and Azeri themselves," Russian Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Andrei Nesterenko told journalists ahead of the arrival
of Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian in Moscow for a visit.

"Russia would be willing to support a solution that will be acceptable
to both parties involved in the conflict, and in case of a compromise
it will act as a guarantor of the conflict settlement," he said.

FESTIVE EVENTS HELD ON OCCASION OF 90TH ANNIVERSARTY OF SARDARAPAT

916

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Festive events were held in the memorial
complex of Sardarapat on May 28 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary
of the heroic battle of Sardarapat. Serge Sargsian, the President of
the Republic of Armenia, Tigran Sargsian, the Prime Minister of the
Republic of Armenia, Tigran Torosian, the RA NA Speaker, Bako Sahakian,
the President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, the RA government
members and others were present at the event.

They laid flowers at the memorial wall perpetuating the memory of the
victims of the heroic battle, after which there was an entertainment
and a festive concert. Headed by the RA President, the high-ranking
guests also visited the museum of Sardarapat, where a new collection of
pictures and other accessories well representing the events of 1918 are
exhibited.

"The May 28 of 1918 is of exceptional value in the history of the
Armenian people, as it bears the symbol of unity," Hasmik Pohgosian,
the RA Minister of Culture, said in her interview with a Noyan Tapan
correspondent. According to her, if there was not unity on May 28,
there would not be either the Soviet Armenia or the current independent
state "and we today should be proud of being the worthy successor of
the values preserved as a result of that unity."

Armenia vs Greece match on June 1st

armradio.am
30.05.2008 14:58

On June 1st the Armenian national football team will hold a friendly
match with the team of Greece. The match will take place in the German
city of Offenbach.

On May 28 the friendly match in Tiraspol between the national football
teams of Armenia and Moldova ended in a draw (2:2). The goals were
scored by Marcos Pizelli, Ararat Arackelyan, Levon Pachajyan and Sergey
Alexeyev.

"ARMENIANS AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICS" CONFERENCE DUE IN NEW YORK

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2008 14:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ British journalist and activist Tariq Ali will lead a
panel discussion on "The New Imperialism: Old Problems, New Challenges"
in New York on Friday, May 30. Joining Ali will be David Barsamian,
founder and Director of the Colorado-based Alternative Radio, and
Neil Smith, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography at
the City University of New York.

This event will serve as the opening plenary of the third annual
"Armenians and Progressive Politics" conference. The three panelists
will examine globalization, superpower rivalries, the nature of
advanced capitalism, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
addition, the contemporary politics of empire and its destructive
effects on small nations will be discussed, as well as alternatives
to the current structure.

V. KAZIMIROV: EXCLUDING POSSIBILITY OF WAR RESUMPTION IS MOST IMPORTANT
IN SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM

YEREVAN, MAY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Excluding the possibility of resumption
of hostilities is most important in the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, deputy
chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats Vladimir Kazimirov
stated at the May 27 press conference. In his words, as long as the
Azerbaijani party hopes to gain revenge, while the Armenian parties try
to keep the most advantageous military positions for fear of military
operations’ resumption, any progress in the political settlement
process is impossible. V. Kazimirov expressed an opinion that it is
more important to reach an agreement on the conflict’s settlement in an
exclusively peaceful way than by raising the issues related to return
of territories or refugees. "I do not quite understand the Armenian
parties that agree to discuss the issue of Karabakh’s status 10-15
years later. The positions here are so definite that 5 years would be
enough," he said.

As for the agreement about a cease-fire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
contact line, which was reached 14 years ago, V. Kazimirov stated that
in addition the protocol signed in Bishkek on May 5, which is much
spoken about now, there are another 2 documents to have created a basis
for this: the statement on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which was adopted
by the heads of CIS member states in April 1994, and the document on
maintaining the cease-fire, which was signed by the heads of the
military departments of the three conflict parties. V. Kazimirov
underlined that no date is given in the document on maintaining the
cease-fire, which was signed in Baku on May 9, 1994, in Yerevan – on
May 10 and in Stepanakert on May 11.

The former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group noted that he is critical
of not as much the Minsk Group which has become an advisory body as of
its co-chairs. According to him, the matter of the parties’ coming to
an agreement on the conflict settlement ideas – which are now being
discussed – is still in question and requires a long time at the best.
Its implementation is in question even in case of signing the
respective agreement. Whereas, along with discussing the common ideas
about the settlement, the parties may reach an agreement on small
issues and solve some problems of autonomous importance: preservation
of monuments, water supply, and environmental issues.

KHAZAR IBRAHIM: CONDITIONS CREATED TO CONTINUE PEACE TALKS

armradio.am
27.05.2008 13:08

The conditions have been created to continue the peace talks on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesperson
of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, said to media while commenting
on the upcoming meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
in St Petersburg on 6 June.

"Azerbaijan expects a constructive position from the new Armenian
government on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict,"
Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim, Armenia should demonstrate a will, understand
realities, and should take steps for the solution of the conflict. "The
new conditions to continue the peace talks can contribute to the
solution of the conflict," said Ibrahim.

The Resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh passed by the UN General Assembly
has created favorable conditions to continue talks between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Ibrahim stated.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN REJECTED SERGE SARGSIAN

AZG Armenian Daily
27/05/2008

Local

Levon Ter-Petrosian office rejected the proposal to be involved in
the Public Council to be formed on the initiative of President Serge
Sargsian, according to "Azatutyun" radio-station.

Levon Zurabian said to "Azatutyun" that the issue of involvement
in the mentioned council may become a subject of discussion only in
case of satisfaction of their demands – to release all the political
prisoners, to annul the changes in the Law of Mass Meetings and to
start an independent investigation into March 1 incidents.

"Our position is clear – the country is in political crisis and
in order to overcome that political crisis a dialogue is needed
between the authorities and the opposition during which we will find
compromised resolutions to come out of this political crisis", he said.