UP THE SYSTEM: BAND LEAVENS HEAVY METAL SOUND WITH ARMENIAN FOLK MELODIES
By Jay Lustig
Star-Ledger Staff
Newark Star Ledger, NJ
Aug 25 2005
The headliner of an arena rock concert almost always performs
an encore, even if the building is half empty and the audience is
diffident. But System of a Down, playing for a sold-out, enthusiastic
crowd at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, Tuesday
night, left the stage without one.
By this point in the evening, though, members of this Los Angeles-based
quartet had made it clear that they weren’t interested in following
anyone else’s rules.
Their songs often blended the raw power of heavy metal with
melodies borrowed from Armenian folk music (all four members are
Armenian-Americans). Serj Tankian, who sang lead on most songs
(as well as playing keyboards and guitar at times), had a crazed
glint in his eye, and tended to either bark out his lyrics or
soar into quasi-operatic territory. Daron Malakian, who also sang
lead occasionally, created an astonishing array of sounds with his
guitar, while the rhythm section (bassist Shavo Odadjian, drummer
John Dolmayan) cranked out machine-gun rhythms but also made tricky
tempo shifts look easy.
They played hard enough to drive the moshers on the arena floor into
a frenzy, though the lyrics tended to make political points.
“B.Y.O.B.” was an anti-war song with a sarcastic twist: “Everybody’s
going to the party, have a real good time/Dancing in the desert,
blowing up the sunshine.”
“Sad Statue” explored similar terrain, more directly: “You and me,
we’ll all go down in history with a sad Statue of Liberty, and a
generation that didn’t agree.”
In “Prison Song,” Tankian rapped, in a snide tone, “Minor drug
offenders fill your prisons, you don’t even flinch/All our taxes
paying for your wars against the new non-rich.”
System of a Down clearly has no use for show-business nonsense. Band
members wore simple black outfits, and the stage was minimally
adorned. The light show was nothing special. Basically, the only
thing to look at was Malakian twirling around as he played, or Tankian
occasionally breaking into a spastic dance.
This band seems to live in its own musical universe, so it came as a
shock when Malakian demonstrated an interest in classic-rock by singing
a bit of Neil Young’s “My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue)” before “Kill
Rock’n’ Roll,” a song that will be included on the band’s November
album, “Hypnotized” (the sister album to May’s “Mezmerize”). Even
more surprisingly, he sang some of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing”
— a very mellow tune, by System of a Down’s standards — before
“Aerials,” changing the line, “We are the sultans of swing,” to
“We are the System of a Down.”
Songs from “Mezmerize” and the band’s 2001 breakthrough album
“Toxicity” dominated the set list, with “Toxicity” material like
“Prison Song,” “Aerials” and “Chop Suey!” making the biggest impact.
System of a Down may never top that masterpiece, but 10 years after
its formation, it hasn’t sold out or softened up in any way.
Performing before System of a Down, the Mars Volta was just as
uncompromising, but in a different way. The band, featuring former
members of the garage-punk band At the Drive-In, rocked hard for much
of the set, but sometimes seemed like a psychedelic jam band, intent
on pursuing every possible musical tangent. Most songs had layers
of keyboards and percussion; some took left turns with exploratory
sax and flute solos. Lead singer Cedric Bixler Zavala howled like a
young, thinner-voiced Robert Plant, but tended to be drowned out by
his band’s walls of sound.
Opening act Bad Acid Trip — who happen to be signed to Tankian’s
record label, Serjical Strike — lived up to their name thanks to
Dirk Rogers’ screamed, incomprehensible vocals, though sometimes
Keith Aazami’s snaky guitar lines did add a hint of originality.

REFERENDUM OR ‘COLORFUL REVOLUTION’
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Home
Arshak Sadoyan’s Forecasts
These days, Arshak Sadoyan, chairman of National Democratic Federation,
and his party members wander in the streets of Yerevan, informing
people about the rally envisaged in the yard of Matenadaran. This time
Sadoyan invited to the rally not only common citizens but also all the
political forces and the representatives of foreign and international
organizations in Armenia. Achieving no success in the discussions
unfolded by the coalition and the ruling parties, Mr. Sadoyan decided
to get the answers to unsolved issues during public discussions. He
is also sure that the authorities are engaged in fakery and people
can get no true information from the speeches of the authorities’
representatives on TV. Mr. Sadoyan hopes to inform the people by
means of the rally.
In the course of the press conference, Mr. Sadoyan touched upon the
main issues he is concerned about and is going to inquire from the
political figures. He is going to ask Mr. Pryakhin, OSCE ambassador,
whether it is true that the human rights and the freedom fixed in
the constitution can be extinguished.
As for the referendum, Mr. Sadoyan advises to vote against it,
promising to inform about the details during the rally. Mr. Sadoyan
also forecasted that the referendum will provoke “a colorful
revolution” in Armenia.

THE ‘PLEASURE’ OF TRADING WITH AMD
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Home
The law on “Currency control” adopted by the National Assembly on
24 November last year went into effect on 29 June, 2005. It clearly
prescribes to make all payments for goods and services in Republic
of Armenia in national currency — dram. The Central Bank of Armenia
reminds that the stores, hotels, fairies and enterprise offering
all kinds of services should mention dram as the only currency to
trade with. Otherwise, the State Tax Service can apply administrative
punishment — warning for the first time and then fine.
Though the law “nationalized” buy and sell of most of the services,
there are still exceptions.
A notification on the window of a trading center informed that trade
is only in drams. As soon as I asked the price of a mobile phone,
it appeared to be in USD. A potential customer aware of the new law
will certainly come up to the counter with Armenian drams that he has
previously exchanged for USD but there he finds out that the phone
is available only in dollar. Now he has to pay more money in drams
for the phone, as the sellers set higher price counting 1 USD 470
AMD and not 465 as they should.

Krasnodar Skinheads Kill One Of The Their Own
Union Of Councils For Jews In The Former Soviet Union, DC
Aug 24 2005
Two neo-Nazi students at the Krasnodar Agro-University have been
charged with murdering one of their comrades for insufficient zeal,
according to an August 16, 2005 article in the local newspaper
“Krasnodarskie Izvestiya” and an August 17, 2005 article in the local
paper “Kuban Segodnya.” The 19 year old student was accused by his
comrades of losing interest in the local neo-Nazi movement because he
stopped attending neo-Nazi concerts and meetings of the local chapter
of Russian National Unity. When he dismissed these accusations with a
laugh, the two neo-Nazis beat him severely. The victim, identified in
the reports only as Andrey, then went home to his village outside the
city, where he began to feel ill and later died of internal injuries.
One of the attackers reportedly has a criminal record-he received a
two year suspended sentence for his participation in an act of mass
vandalism directed at Armenian tombstones in 2002.

EGYPT’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY INVESTS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY
By Tamar Minasian
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Healthcare
A new department opened at Mari Nupar Ophthalmologic Clinic of the
Yerevan State Medical University yesterday. The first and second
stages of the clinic re-equipment project in 2004/05 years was carried
out thanks to the funds of national gymnasium of Egypt’s Armenian
community and individual donors in Egypt. One of the first healthcare
institutions of Armenia built in 1928-29 has been functioning as
ophthalmologic clinic ever since.
The clinic receives 5.000-7.000 patients, mostly children, each year.
“Disabled people suffering from ophthalmologic diseases form the second
large group after cardiologic ones in our country”, head of the clinic,
chief ophthalmologist of Armenia Armen Shakarian said. He noted that
90 percent of these diseases usually come about in early years, and
this makes it more important to find the symptoms of the illness soon
and to offer corresponding treatment. After the opening ceremony,
the guests and friends of the clinic walked through the operation
room and wards. “I am very satisfied and will continue my work. Why
should not I donate?”, Egyptian-Armenian Martin Kirakosian said.
Around $200.000 was invested for obtaining equipment and repair. Donors
point out enthusiastically that the number of benefactor rose from
3 to 36 in the second stage. The head of the clinic said that thanks
to the new equipment the quality and level of diagnose has improved.

WORLD’S LONGEST NOVEL IN ARMENIAN
By Karine Danielian
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Literature
Armen Shekoyan decided to write “The Armenian Time,” the longest novel
of the world. It is being published in Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper time
after time. “If your write according to the usual criteria, one may
like it, the other may dislike it. While, when you write ten volumes,
no one will say that the book is in eight volumes,” the author says.
The probability to appear in the Guinness Record Book may attract
our rich men so that they will become the sponsors of the published
version of “The Armenian Time.”

ARMENIAN SCHOOLS IN IRAN NEED MORE TEACHERS
Armenpress
AUG 25,2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, ARMENPRESS: Children from Armenian families in Nor
Julfa in Iran are fluent in their native tongue, like their parents
due to 12 hours of Armenian language -course for students of elementary
schools and 5-6 hours for secondary schools.
The Armenian-called schools in Iran are actually schools in which the
majority of subjects are taught in Farsi, providing also an extensive
course in the Armenian language and history and though their history
textbooks say nothing about the 1915 Armenian genocide in Turkey
teachers take every opportunity to refer to it. School curricular are
subject to constant revision in line with new requirements, carried
out by local specialists and through constant contacts with Armenian
education ministry. But according to Vazgen Movsisian, who teaches
at local Katarina school there is a growing demand for teachers,
though the nearby Isfahan University has an Armenian department.
Armenians have lived in Iran as a religious minority for the last 17
centuries. During this period, they have managed to preserve their
language, and their religion. Armenians came in mass to Iran during
the reign of Safavid King, Shah Abbas, who moved 300,000 of them
from the Western and Eastern Armenia to Iran in early 17th century
for political and economic reasons.
They were housed in the Julfa area, which lies outside the city of
Isfahan, and in the Gilan province. They later scattered throughout
the Isfahan province and then into the Tehran Mazandaran, and Gilan
provinces as well as Urumiyeh, the center of Western Azerbaijan. The
Armenian community is said now to be estimated at around 200,000. After
the revolution of 1978, forty thousand Armenians are said to have
migrated abroad, particularly to the ex-Soviet Republic of Armenia.
Armenians have nearly 40 schools, including eight high schools, the
administration of which is supervised by the Education
Ministry. Armenians also have their representatives in the parliament.

NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ON CANADIAN TELEVISION
By Hakob Tsulikian
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Armenian Genocide
On July 16-19, the Canadian Glob Prime television network aired a
new documentary on Armenian Genocide by Montreal-born young lawyer
Harry Tigranian.
The 30-minute-long film features Harry’s grandfather Harutyun Tigranian
from Cesaria in Turkey who, having survived the Armenian Genocide,
arrived in Armenia and met with foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and
historian Verzhine Svazlian, visited Tsitsernakaberd and New Cesaria.
Film director Rohan Fernando and producer Suzan Gerard are sure that
the documentary will contribute to the international recognition of
the historic truth, Armenian Mirror Spectator weekly informs.
Years ago, Harry Tigranian helped an Armenian from Turkey to win a
lawsuit in Canada to have the right to change his last name “Baghpan”,
forcibly accepted in Turkey, for Armenian “Pahapan(ian)”.
It’s incredibly difficult to change a surname in Canada (almost
impossible) even for married couples. Applying his skills in law, Harry
managed to prove that the man’s wish was not an idle whim but an issue
of social status. The name of “Baghpan” imposed by Turks reduced his
status to one of a gardener (baghpan means gardener), whereas “Pahapan”
(meaning guard) presupposes a higher status of a protector (in somewhat
Biblical sense). Giving in to such explanation, the judge satisfied
the petition. This “minor” case, as it may seem from the first sight,
become a chance to tell the judges, the jury and all participating
at the sitting about the tragedy that the Armenians of Turkey endured.
Tigran Tigranian is Harry’s son. He is a doctor and a wonderful
translator and commentator of Argentinean stories and poetry.

ARA ABRAHAMIAN HELPING RUSSIAN SAILORS OUT OF NIGERIAN PRISON
By Karine Danielian
AZG Armenian Daily #151, 26/08/2005
Diaspora
Eminent businessman, UN Goodwill Ambassador and chairman of the
World Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamian has undertaken the task of
getting 11 Russian sailors out of prison in Nigeria,
informs expressing hope that “his personal ties and the experience
in cooperating with an African government while releasing Armenian
pilots will help him get the sailors out as well”.
Six Armenian pilots sentenced to 14-24 years in prison were released
from jail in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in June thanks to the efforts
of Mr. Abrahamian.
According to the online newspaper, Ara Abrahamian took on the task of
releasing the sailors a month ago. He also helped their relatives to
leave for Nigeria. As soon as Russian authorities — Foreign Affairs
Ministry and State Duma — failed in their attempts, Ara Abrahamian
was asked to interfere.
Russia is optimistic to see the sailors free. “We helped to get
the sailors out to better wards, gave money for food and for health
services and hired lawyers”, Ara Abrahamian told daily Azg. He said
also that he is working with President Vladimir Putin’s administration
and looks forward to his personal support. Mr. Abrahamian’s aides
are currently in Nigeria.
Along with 11 Russian sailors, Nigerian authorities have arrested 2
citizens of Rumania and 1 citizen of Georgia. Nigerian authorities
accuse them of smuggling oil valued $2.64 million.

GLOBAL GOLD CORP BUYS GOLD PRODUCER IN ARMENIA
08/25/05 16:00 ET
YEREVAN, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Global Gold Corp has
bought gold producing plant Tukhmanuk in central Armenia for $3.5
million from the Armenian company Mego Gold, a company official said
on Thursday.
“We have already transferred $1.5 million for a 51 percent stake and
will pay off the rest within two years,” Ashot Boghossian, the head
of the Global Gold office in Armenia, told Reuters.
He said the company had already got a licence for exploration works.
It planned to start works at the Tukhmanuk mining site soon and
invest about $2 million there.
Boghossian added that Global Gold planned to operate the plant all
year round and boost the plant’s output to 500,000-700,000 tonnes of
ore annually, up from 200,000 tonnes now. The mine at present is
explored only in summer time.
One tonne of ore yields about six grammes of gold at Tukhmanuk mine.
Armenia, like many other gold-rich ex-Soviet states, has attracted
foreign investment since the communist collapse in 1991 due to
improving economic conditions.
The Armenian gold-mining unit of Canada’s Sterlite Gold ,
Ararat Gold Recovery Company, runs two mines — Zod in eastern
Armenia, with gold content of 3-3.5 grammes per tonne, and Meghradzor
in the north, with gold content of five grammes per tonne.