Category: News

Armenia will  take part in the  later this month.

From 28 to 31 July, the 37th Euroradio Folk Festival (EFF) will be held in Estonia, in conjunction with the 24th Viljandi Folk Festival, where some 50 artists/bands will perform (Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Norway, Ukraine, Poland, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland, Sweden, Finland). Of that total, the EFF is represented by 27 groups entered by 21 EBU Members and Associates and selected by Estonian Public Broadcasting to be recorded and offered to EBU Members and Associates as part of the Euroradio concert exchange.

In a ceremony broadcast live by EBU Members Estonian Television and Estonian Radio, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia, will deliver the opening remarks at the 37th Euroradio Folk Festival (EFF), to be held from 28 to 31 July. Taking place in Estonia for the first time ever, this annual EBU event, launched in 1980, will be held in conjunction with the 24th Viljandi Folk Festival, presenting the best of folk and traditional music from Europe and well beyond.

Other featured speakers at the opening ceremony will include the CEO of Estonian Public Broadcasting, Margus Allikmaa, and the Euroradio Head of Music, Pascale Labrie.

Kanteles, fiddles, accordions, balalaikas, throat singing, yodeling: these and many more can be heard at the annual Euroradio Folk Festival, where bands and artists redefine the frontiers of folk music through their ethno, jazz, traditional and crossover projects. More than a mere festival, this event is a platform presenting the incredible diversity of musical genres and sounds of all lifestyles in European folk music. It aims to preserve the unique tradition of local and regional roots, while being open to the latest trends, migrations and encounters. It reflects the lives of Europeans in all their richness: who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.

Since it was launched in 1980, the Euroradio Folk Festival has been an unprecedented opportunity for over 2,000 vocal and instrumental musicians to present the multitude of traditions in Europe, but also other continents, and connect with one another. Thanks to the Euroradio network concert exchanges, many artists have become known far beyond their borders.
The theme of this year’s Viljandi Folk Music Festival is devoted to one of the most beautiful and expressive natural sound in the world – the woman’s voice. But why women, one might ask. Does that not hint at inequality and discrimination? Older Estonian folk songs have always been strongly influenced by the gender binary. You can usually identify whether the songs were sung by women or men based on the themes and motifs. These themes are still relevant today because these songs were sung straight from the hearts of our ancestors and we are able to listen to them today thanks to archival records and notes. This year, we are concentrating on what out female ancestors used to sing.

This year the folk festival will welcome around 150 journalists from all over the world.

On the kind invitation of Estonian Traditional Music Centre and EBU, Public Radio of Armenia will also take part in the 37th Euroradio and 24th Viljandi Folk Festivals. Armenia and Public Radio of Armenia will be represented by “Nubar” Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. The oncert will take place on July 30, at 20:00 at Traditional Music Center, Viljandi, Estonia.
Watch the live gala show on July 28, 2016 at 19:00 (GMT) on the official website of Public Radio of Armenia ().

Armenian Traditional, Folk Dance-Song Ensemble “Nubar” is a unique Armenian ensemble that is revealing the already forgotten folk songs giving them a new sound and a new soul. “Nubar” is preserving and disseminating the Armenian folk traditions, songs and dances revealing the specifications of Armenian traditional music. From time to time the ensemble organizes outdoor master classes for public attendance teaching the passers-bye the art of Armenian singing and dancing.

The main goal of “Nubar” is to preserve the heritage of our ancestors and pass it from generations to generations. From this point of view that is symbolic that all the members of the Ensemble are young enthusiastic people who are willing to be well aware of their roots and save their identity.

“Nubar” was founded in 2006 in Yerevan, Armenia. Lusine Nazaryan is the founder and artistic director of the Ensemble. This year the Ensemble is celebrating its 10th jubilee anniversary. The band has recorded 2 CDs with folk and ethnographical songs of different regions of Armenian. It has an outstanding repertoire and gives year-round concerts in Yerevan, Armenian regions, Artsakh, Georgia, as well as participates in various festivals both in Armenia and abroad. The Ensemble is always invited to have a participation in the local traditional events, fests and concerts, among these are the annual “Gutan” national song and dance festival, Dvin Festival for Armenian-Iranian friendship, Fresco International Festival of Cinematography, “Armenia on the Crossroads of Peace” annual international festival, etc. Up to now the Ensemble has given concerts in all the 10 administrative divisions – regions of Armenia and in the capital Yerevan. The Ensemble is actively involved in the activities of Armenian Public TV and Radio, including the New Year events, music programs, charity concerts, etc.

Different districts in Damascus, including the Armenian-populated Bab Tuma neighborhood came under rocket attack yesterday, the Aleppo-based Kantsasar newspaper informs.

According to SANA, five people were killed, dozens were injured.

Photo: EPA

 

A failed Syrian asylum seeker has blown himself up and injured 12 other people with a backpack bomb near a festival in the south German town of Ansbach, the BBC reports.

The state of Bavaria’s interior minister said the 27-year-old man had detonated the device after being refused entry to the music festival.

About 2,500 people were evacuated from the venue after the explosion.

Bavaria has been on edge since a knife rampage on a train claimed by so-called Islamic State last Monday.

The Ansbach blast is reported to have happened at about 22:10 (20:10 GMT) outside the Eugens Weinstube bar in the centre of the town, which has a population of 40,000 and is home to a US military base.

The bomb went off close to the entrance to the Ansbach Open music festival.

On the 7th day after seizure of the premises of the Police Patrol Service Regiment in Yerevan’s Erebuni district members of the group gave an on-line press conference.

The main demands of the armed group remain the same, Pavlik Manukyan and Varuzhan Avetisyan said at the press conference. They demand change of power.

They chose the regiment in Erebuni, considering its high importance.

They stressed that any political party should not interfere, as the struggle is public. They urged people to come out to the streets.

Photo: Getty Images

A shooting at a Munich shopping centre which left nine people dead was carried out by one gunman who then killed himself, German police have said, the BBC reports.

The suspect was an 18-year-old German-Iranian dual national who lived in Munich, police told a news conference, but his motive is unclear.

Sixteen people were injured, three critically, police added.

A huge manhunt was launched following reports that up to three gunmen had been involved in the attack.

The body of the suspect was found about 1km (0.6 miles) from the Olympia shopping centre in the north-western suburb of Moosach.

Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae told the news conference early on Saturday that the suspect had not been known to police and there were no known links to terror groups, although investigations were continuing.

The reports of three suspected attackers came when witnesses saw two people leaving the scene in a car “at considerable speed”, but they were later confirmed not to be involved, he added.

“The motive or explanation for this crime is completely unclear,” he said.

Mr Andrae also said that children were among the casualties, but gave no further details.

Photo: EPA

So-called Islamic State has said it was behind an attack on a protest march in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed at least 61 people and wounded 200, the BBC reports.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said two fighters “detonated explosive belts at a gathering of Shia” in Kabul.

The attack in Deh Mazang square targeted thousands from the Shia Hazara minority who were protesting over a new power line, saying its route bypasses provinces where many of them live.

The Taliban have condemned the attack.

Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujaheed sent an e-mail to the media saying they were not behind it.

On 23 July President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree according to which the medal “For Service in Battle” was posthumously awarded to serviceman of the NKR Defense Army’s N military unit Arsen Arakelyan for courage shown during the defence of the NKR state border.

Arsen Arakelyan was killed as a result of shooting from the Azerbaijani side this morning.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a letter of condolences to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck on the occasion of the terrorist attack, which took place in Munich.

“The tragedy which has befallen friendly German nation stressed once again the importance of international unity to eradicate all the manifestations of extremism. At the grave time of grief and loss, I express my deepest condolences to you, the friendly people of Germany, and wish fortitude to families of the victims and a speedy recovery to the injured. Our hearts and prayers are with you,” reads the letter of condolences of the President of Armenia.

 

 

 

Members of the Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) group that seized an Armenian police station on Sunday, have released the last two hostages – Deputy Chief of RA Police Vardan Yeghiazaryan and Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan.

The other two hostages had been released earlier today.

EU diplomats are supporting the forces that “shake” the situation in Armenia, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said as it commented on the EU statement on developments in Yerevan, reports.

“During the briefing of the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs we gave assessment to the drama in Yerevan. We also called attention to the to Armenia issued in agreement with the EU Members States’ Heads of Mission in Armenia,” the Ministry said.

“Surprisingly, there was no space in the document for a direct and clear condemnation of the criminal actions – an armed attack on the premises of a police regiment, murder of a policeman and hostage-taking,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Instead, there was an emphasis on the requirements from the authorities – to observe the principle of proportionality in handling public manifestations and call for a full investigation of all cases of alleged wrongdoing by the police.”

“It’s hard to get rid of the feeling that EU diplomats are openly supporting the forces in Armenia, which seek to “shake” the domestic political situation in the country,” the statement reads.