Ukrainian Weekly
Oct 20 2017
Nazar Syneiko
At the concert at Christ the King Parish Center (from left) are: Levon Hovsepian, (piano), David Gvinianidze (tenor), Olga Lisovska (soprano) and Vartan Gabrielian (bass-baritone).
Category: 2017
Music: ‘Extraordinary, magical, unprecedented’ – Little Singers of Armenia perform at Israeli music festival
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 20 2017
The Little Singers of Armenian choir, conducted by Tigran Hekekyan, has taken part in the 52nd annual Abu Ghosh Festival of vocal music hosted by Israel. The Armenian choir has left for Israel upon the invitation of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the Israeli Choral Federation and Abu-Gosh Vocal Festival.
The concert tour of the Little Singers of Armenia was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Armenia and Israel, the choir said in a Facebook post.
The Armenian singers performed concerts in a number of cities in Israel – Rehovot Akko, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Emek-Hefer and Abu-Gosh.
Abu-Gosh Festival is held at the church of the country’s Abu-Gosh village, with the participating soloists, choirs and vocal ensembles meticulously selected by the organizers.
No other Armenian children’s choir has received an invitation to participate in the festival before the Little Singers. The choir enjoyed such a great popularity in Israel that months before the its arrival, the Israeli media already reported that renowned children’s choir conducted by Tigran Hekekyan was among the participants of the festival.
The performance of the Little Singers of Armenia was held in the overcrowded temple. The choir presented a program that combines music by Mozart, Bizet and Debussy with Armenian folk songs, receiving a stormy response by the audience: “It is wonderful, extraordinary, magical, unprecedented ….”
An Israeli deputy foreign minister noted in his speech that many of the choirs are unable to perform Hebrew songs with such a flawless manner as the Armenian Little Singers did. “I cannot find words to say. This is inexplicable. It is impossible to believe everything I heard today. It is wonderful, divine,” he added.
Entertainment: 3 Ways Anthony Bourdain Is Just Like Kim Kardashian (Oh, We Went There)
BRAVO TV
Oct 20 2017
Wait, what?
Entertainment: 2 Armenian-Americans among Variety’s Hollywood New Leaders
PanArmenian, Armenia
Oct 20 2017
2 Armenian-Americans among Variety’s Hollywood New Leaders
Variety’s latest New Leaders feature profiles two Armenian-Americans among the most prominent up-and-comers in the entertainment business.
Appearing on “Hollywood New Leaders: Agents and Managers”, 37-year-old co-founder/partner of Mortar Media Antranig Balian is one of them whose path to showbiz was not a straight one.
He started out as a deputy district attorney, then got his MBA from USC, concentrating on entertainment, eventually moving into management posts. Balian has helped his deep roster of unscripted series stars and digital talents grow their brands, as he did with “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who’s got a house-flipping show on FYI Network, which he executive produced, and Richard Rawlings, star of Discovery Channel’s “Fast N’ Loud,” who has a fourth series set to debut, “Garage Rehab,” and has several national brand endorsements. As for signing clients, “My mom is my focus group — if she hasn’t heard of you then you aren’t as famous as you think you are.”
Another of Variety’s profiles in “Hollywood’s New Leaders in Film” focuses on co-founders of XYZ Films Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian and Nick Spicer.
“XYZ specializes in creative financing structures, utilizing international co-productions to maximize soft money, North American backstop deals, SVOD pre-sales, crowd-funding and combinations of traditional debt and equity. The result? Fifty films produced and executive produced since 2008 and more than 200 feature films licensed since 2009. The trio have produced seven Netflix Originals in the past two years, licensed 21 films to major studios for production and distribution; they also launched “The Raid” franchise, Variety says.
“In 2016, XYZ moved into distribution, branding the global release of “Under the Shadow” and horror anthology “Holidays,” and partnered with Vertical Entertainment to utilize its global digital platform deals. This year, their pic “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. They had six films accepted at Toronto, including Zoe Saldana starrer “I Kill Giants” and “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” starring Vince Vaughn. “We’ve always had full control over the company and our own careers. When people say passion makes movies happen, they really mean commitment. Passion ebbs and flows. Making movies is arduous and you need commitment to go the distance,” they say.”
Descendant of Armenian Genocide survivor awarded ‘genius grant’
PanArmenian, Armenia
Oct 20 2017
Descendant of Armenian Genocide survivor awarded ‘genius grant’
John Hopkins University alumnus Greg Asbed, who is a descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor, was awarded a MacArthur fellowship, or a “genius grant,” last week for his efforts to improve workplace conditions for farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida, The Johns Hopkins News-Letter said.
Every year, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards about two dozen $625,000 grants to individuals who have demonstrated “exceptional creativity” and “promise for important future advances.”
The MacArthur Foundation is a philanthropic organization that addresses global issues such as climate change, mass incarceration and threats to independent journalism. Recipients of the “genius grants” are anonymously nominated and selected by a committee, which has given 942 awards since 1981.
Asbed said that he is committed to improving human rights because of his family history as a first-generation Armenian American. His grandmother survived the Armenian Genocide after being sold to a Turkish family when she was 13.
“In our family, the idea of universal human rights has always been a central tenet, sort of our family’s 10 commandments,” he said.
Asbed co-founded the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a worker-based humans rights organization. Within CIW, he developed the Fair Food Program, a system that helps protect workers from human rights violations like workplace harassment, sexual assault and wage theft.
Asbed is currently developing the Worker-Driven Social Responsibility Network, which aims to spread systems like the Fair Food Program to underrepresented workers around the world to improve the livelihood of millions.
Asbed said that he feels lucky to be part of a community which shares his vision of universal human rights.
Azerbaijani Press: FM: Turkey took necessary measures on persons who illegally visited Karabakh
Azernews, Azerbaijan
Oct 20 2017
18:00 (UTC+04:00)
By Rashid Shirinov
Appropriate steps have been taken in relation to four citizens of Turkey who violated the Azerbaijani border and illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this in his interview with Report on October 19.
He reminded that without informing the Foreign Ministry of Turkey, these persons illegally visited the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
“Naturally, we gave relevant warning to these people and took appropriate steps. Also we have prepared and spread a general warning on not visiting the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region in future without the permission of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan,” the minister said.
He added that Turkey has always maintained sensitivity on this issue.
“No Turk should visit the Nagorno-Karabakh region which is under occupation. An issue sensitive for Azerbaijan is sensitive for us too. As the late President Heydar Aliyev said, we are ‘one nation, and two states,’ and if we say ‘the joy of Azerbaijan is our joy, the sorrow of Azerbaijan is our sorrow’, then our approach to what is happening should be univocal,” Cavusoglu noted.
Being without documents and not getting any consent from relevant executive authorities, four Turks Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally crossed the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan on September 22. The Grave Crimes Investigation Department of Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office filed a criminal case under Criminal Code’s Article 318.2 (illegally crossing Azerbaijan’s state borders) against them.
The Turkish citizens deliberately traveled from territory of Armenia and illegally arrived in occupied Khankendi and other settlements of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. They were declared in the international wanted list. Azerbaijan also sent an appeal to the Turkish law enforcement agencies in order to detain the four citizens.
Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of illegality of visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.
Debut of Oud Music
Theoudplayer will release new material in November 2017
Theoudplayer to release new material in November 2017
LOS ANGELES—Antranig Kzirian, known by his stage name as theoudplayer, is set to release new material beginning in November. The recording project, named “nOUD”, is a concept grounded in the diverse, enriching and overall diaspora experience of an American Armenian oud player who has lived all over the United States, toured globally, and performed countless forms of music. Inspired by numerous devoted interpreters of this ancient and fascinating instrument, Kzirian will present both original and modern renditions of traditional music on the oud.
Kzirian has been recording at Foreword Productions Studios in Los Angeles, compiling a substantial and comprehensive collection of compositions in this highly anticipated release. The content will be released on November 12, 2017 in digital format and also as a hard copy CD featuring detailed liner notes incorporating archival artist research provided by Ara Dinkjian, alongside Kzirian’s own contextual descriptive narratives of each track. Both digital and hardcopy releases shall be accompanied by unique, track specific artwork created by graphic designer Simon Majarian depicting a visual interpretation of Kzirian’s oud playing.
Listen to a sample playlist.
“I am very excited to release these songs,” said Kzirian. “These recordings represent an essential guide to many of the artists that influenced me musically over the years, and I can’t wait to share this project with everyone – I view this recording as providing listeners with a glimpse into the world of today’s American Armenian oud musician,” he added. “I also wanted to offer listeners a chance to see brilliant visual depictions of an artist’s interpretation of my music, and Simon Majarian did a tremendous job in striking translations that capture the artistry of the oud,” said Kzirian.
Preorders for “nOUD” will be available beginning November 1 on theoudplayer.com. Those who preorder the record will also receive a special link to free bonus download material that will be available exclusively in digital format shortly after the official album release. “In this day and age, it felt fitting and natural to consider both a contemporary and relevant release philosophy alongside a more traditional approach of hardcopy CDs. It’s really important to reach as broad an audience as possible,” he explained.
Kzirian has performed, toured and recorded with artists such as Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Capital Cities, Gogol Bordello and countless others. “I’ve had a diverse set of artistic experiences that have enriched me through the years – but there’s still nothing like picking up one of my ouds,” he noted.
Keep an eye out for the theoudplayer on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.
Corruption never to be eliminated in penitentiaries (video)
The health of prisoners is much more vulnerable than those who are in freedom.
Does the state, being accountable for the healthcare of those prisoners, fulfill its obligations fully?
A1 + invited Helsinki Committee lawyer Robert Revazyan to talk more about this topic.
Kevin de Leon Officially Launches U.S. Senate Bid
Kevin de Leon during his campaign kick-off rally on Wednesday
LOS ANGELES—California Senate Pro-Tem Kevin de Leon officially launched his bid for the US Senate during a rally Wednesday at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, with hundreds of supporters and fellow legislators in attendance.
De Leon, who is challenging Senator Diane Feinstein, kicked off his speech with a direct jab at the Washington establishment, which he hopes to change as a young Democrat vying for office, which has been held by Feinstein since 1992.
“We are living in unique times, facing unprecedented challenges that require new ideas and new energy,” he told the crowd. “The D.C. playbook is obsolete.”
“Now is the time for a senator who is willing to stand up and be heard, not from the sidelines, but loud and proud from the front lines,” added de Leon, who has been at the forefront of the “Resistance” movement in California against President Donald Trump’s policies.
“We’re overdue for a real debate on the issues, priorities and leadership voters want from their senator,” De León told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. “I think California needs a senator not just fully resistant to Trump’s presidency, but who understands the issues most Californians face every day.”
Since his days in the California State Assembly and continuing during his tenure at the state Senate, de Leon has been an outspoken supporter of Armenian-American issues in the California legislature.
Aside from recognizing and commemorating the Armenian Genocide every year, de Leon was instrumental in garnering support for legislation that recognized the independence and right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.
In 2014, de Leon was recognized by the Amrenian National Committee of America-Western Region with its “Legislator of the Year” award during the organization’s annual banquet. That same year, de Leon, who was elected to the California State Senate in 2010, was chosen to become Senate President Pro-Tempre, leading the upper house of the California legislature.
Prior to being elected to the California Senate, De León served four years as a State Assembly member for the 45th district that included Hollywood and more specifically the Little Armenia neighborhood, which is home to the St. Garabed Armeian Church, Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, the Armenian Youth Center of Hollywood and the headquarters of the Asbarez newspaper and Horizon Armenian Television.
Among his contributions to local community efforts, de Leon spearheaded the effort to erect signs on the 101 Freeway to direct drivers to Little Armenia. For years, he and his office have helped the Armenian Relief Society’s Hollywood Social Service center by providing assistance and gifts that are distributed during the holiday season. Most recently, through Senator de Leon’s efforts, famed international singer and musician Charles Aznavour received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The S-400 missile system will in any case not be used elsewhere they were intended to be. Emmanuel Dupuy
Categories
Armenia
Artsakh
Politics
Region
World
Interview with Emmanuel Dupuy, President of the Institute for Prospective and Security in Europe.
In Ankara, during the Putin-Erdogan meeting, were discussed bilateral relations and two problems – Kurdish and Syrian. Russia received an advance from Turkey for the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. What do You think about russian-turkish relationship and are there any opposites that Turkey will transfer S-400 to Azerbaijan or apply it on the border with Armenia?
Firstly, we must asses that Vladimir Putin seems to fill in the Middle East Power Vacuum that Donal Trump is unwilling as well as irrelevant to assume. The Russian president seems to have become the new « Cheikh » confirmed by the fact that everyone adknowledges him of being the real « peace maker » and « security godfather » both in the South Caucasus as well as in the MENA region (Libya, Syria, Irak – and thus in regards to the Kurdish issue after the 25th of September Referendum assumingly preparing the independence process engaged by the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government – KRG – Massoud Barzani). The most illustrative example of this new middle-east diplomatic strategy from Moscow, is the 3 billion dollars deal between Russia and Saudi Arabia that was pending the recent historical visit of Saudi king Salman in Moscow. This confirms this new geopolitical and local reality.
Secondly, despite the shooting down of the russian SU-24M jet on the Syrian border by turkish military, in november 2015, the Erdogan-Putin relation seem to work quite well. During their last meeting, they discussed about stabilisation in Syria, as they are engaged together in the Astana peace process along with Iran in order to de-escalate the conflict.
Thus, the S-400 surface-to-air missile system which Turkey as decided to purchase regardless of it’s appartenance to NATO was an important issue. Ankara is giving the signal in that manner of the reluctance of Turkey to collaborate with EU member states, concerning the iraqi-syrian agenda. Moreover, President Erdogan wants to play its own «partition» when it comes to the monitoring of its allies and proxies in Syria (Turkmens as well as other armed militias still fighting the Assad Regime) as well as inside the KRG security apparel. I
t is commonly documented that 150 turkish special forces and 20 armed turkish vehicles are engaged against ISIS alongside with the Kurdish peshmergas since the beginning of 2015. Therefor, the S-400 missile system will in any case not be used elsewhere they were intended to be, thus the Turkish-Syrian as well as the Turkish-Irakian border. At this stage, the missile will not be deployed at the turkish border with Armenia. No risk then of having a S-400 on one side/Iskander M & Iskander E ballistic system on the other (taking in consideration the confirmation of Russians troops in Armenia deploying the missile system), leading to what can become a middle range and short range ballistic missiles confrontation in the area.
What is your opinion about speech of president Serzh Sargsyan during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly that Armenia will declare the protocols on the normalization of ties with Turkey ‘null and void’ in spring of 2018? What can be the answer of Turkey? And is that was discussed in Ankara, during the Putin-Erdogan meeting ? Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the UN General Assembly was mainly about the Karabakh issue with the traditional bullet points. Ilham Aliyev tried to justify “the right to war” on the one hand which he had lost in the result of the military actions in April, and on the other hand, he confessed that the issue of territories is not on the agenda of the international community. How do you comment on this?
The speech of Armenian president at NYC, in the occasion of the 72nd UN General Assembly was, in effect, not only focused on the blurred relation between Yerevan and Ankara, but also obviously about the Karabakh issue.The difficult relations between Armenian president and its turkish and azerbaïjanese counterparts, have not only been discussed in NYC, but will also be addressed during the Sotchi CIS meeting which will start the 11 of October. President Serzh Sargsyan insisted on the « one sided » responsibility of president Elham Aliyev. The majority of the 193 states represented at the United Nations all agree on the fact that no military solution is valuable to overcome a 25 years conflict. An obvious but yet difficult political engagement is needed not only to win a war but to win peace.
From frozen to resurgent, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan seems to be no longer on international community’s mind. The 1992 OSCE Minsk Group Process seems irrelevant, as both the United States and France tend to consider that it does not work when trying to prevent the resuming of violence, such as the 2nd to 5 of April 2016 fights.
An important number of States, among which neighbourhood countries such as Iran, Irak, Turkey and Georgia, assumes the fact that the issue of irredentist territorial claims must not burden the regional agenda, as the growing threats of expansion of ISIS outside of Syria and Irak and the answers to address the return of foreign fighters in their homeland is becoming a common subject of preoccupation as well as a shared responsibility. Therefor, any other agenda is secondary, as the global fight against terrorism is the new milestone of both Russian, American and European (mostly France, Great-Britain and Germany) diplomatic efforts and military engagement in the South Caucasus/Mena area.
Even Russia seems more reluctant to foster a hard line over the disputed South Ossetia and Abkhazia occupied territories over Georgia during the 2008 war, taking also in consideration that the Ukrainian issue since 2014 has considerably weakened its diplomatic positions.
In conclusion, one must also take in consideration that the referendum in Kurdistan (25 of September) and Catalunya (1st of October) will most certainly focus on the importance of multilateralism (UN proposition of mediation for Kurdistan and EU proposition for a neutral engagement in regards to the issue of autonomy, self determination and independence in Catalunya) and more likely also focus on the importance of regional mechanism of confidence building measures.
Thus, the urgency to enhance a new diplomatic and security agenda allowing all of the states implicated in the settlement of the Karabakh issue (Armenia and Azerbaijan + « strategic » neighbors such as Russia, Iran and Turkey) and international « mentors » such as European Union, United States – to whom I would add China, on behalf of it’s «New Silk Road » and « One Belt, One Road » project – to propose a new approach.
This new way of thinking could and should be compared to the P5+1 (5 permanent membres of the UN security Council + Germany and EU) mecanism which lead to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the Vienna agreement on Iranian nuclear issue in july 2015.
The next political and legal process against Baku began on the international arena (Israel, Council of Europe, Bulgaria…). And the draft resolution on the application of Magnitsky Act to Azerbaijan was submitted to the US Senate. It seems that Azerbaijan has almost come close to the dangerous line of the rogue state. What do you think?
The « Magnitsky Act » , also known as the « Rule of Law Accountability Act » is in priority not to say exclusively dedicated since voted as a bipartisan bill in 2012, to punish Russian officials, mostly the ones considered to be responsible for the death of Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. It is true that some Republican senators are now willing to enlarge it to Azerbaijan, based on the internet leaks and Washington Post and USA today last two months articles having lead to the « Caviar diplomacy » accusations.
But these accusations have to be broadly understood in the scope of a political tentative to « dilute » in a way the impact of focusing only on Russia’s corruption habits as american-russian relations are fading from stable to confrontational, and as some close advisors of the White House actual Administration may be convicted for having had close ties with russian interest during the last Trump electoral campaign.
The tentative to focus on other CIS states such as Azerbaijan cannot in any case be considered as relevant, at least in regards to the Magnitsky Act, since it was not voted for that purpose.
Michigan became the 8th US state that recognized the independence of Artsakh. How do you assess this process? What can recognition lead to, how will it affect the political process around Karabakh?
I tend to not believe that one can take in consideration that the accountability of recognition by non state entities is accurate. Otherwise, honesty must prevail. On that behalf, when the Senate of Michigan makes this statement, let us not forget that, prior to that, 20 other american states went in a complete other direction, considering, on behalf of the 1992 UN 822/853/874 and 884 resolutions, the recognition of the integrity of the whole of the territory of Azerbaijan, thus including Karabakh !
On 25 September, a referendum on independence was held in Iraqi Kurdistan. Artsakh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the referendum, the official Yerevan preferred to refrain from assessments. What could change in the region after independence?
First we must wait and see if the referendum process will lead to the independence of Kurdish Irak ! If the votes are high in favor of that perspective (92,73%) it is not yet sure that president Barzani will proclaim the independence, or at least not immediately. Furthermore, political as well as electoral agenda comes in as well, as the presidential elections, which have not been organized since 2013 should take place next year…
When it comes, therefore, to an eventual impact of the regional territorial claims and demand for larger autonomy or independence, one as to be cautious. I don’t believe, personally, that the Kurdistan example will « impact » on the Karabakh issue. One, not to say, the essential reason for that, lies in the global agenda that tends to put in emphasis that when it comes to minority policies, the basis of compromise and cooperative diplomacy, leading to the withdrawing of territorial claims on behalf of wider autonomy and deeper decentralization processes is widely more relevant. This as been experienced in Europe, at the end of the last century in Finland (Aland islands), Great Britain (Northern Ireland), Austria (South Tyrol) and is now a solution to the stabilisation of aweakened states burdened by terrorism and insurgency (Northern part of Mali, for example).
I do believe that what as been possible every where else around te planet can be possible in South Caucasus.
By Gayane Khachatryan