Arts & Culture - Armenian Reporter

1915 and killed in August of that same yearwas the third poet featured in the monthof April. He was a poet, writer and physician.We delved into one of his poems,“Whisper of Love” – translated by BergeTurabian and featured on the ArmenianPoetry Project – which is exemplary of ayoung poet writing on love during the beginningof the twentieth century.April 26: The Voice Belongingto GomidasDespite his descent into mental illnessafter having been exiled by the Turkishgovernment in 1915, we looked at the geniusof Gomidas, who not only was a poet,but also was known as a priest, musicologist,singer, composer, deacon, monk andvartabed. His poems which gave us tonesfilled with somber melodies and musicof self-lament included “Cypresses andCedars,” “The Pavement and The Path,”and “Wish” (translated by Rita Osipyan-Schexnayder, and reprinted from the VirtualMuseum of Komitas).MayFollowing the Vine ofBaloian’s PoetryInstead of focusing on “May flowers” weinstead looked at the interesting andimaginative “Fresno Indian” by James Baloian.Baloian – one of Philip Levine’s firststudents at Fresno State University – createsa poem of incantatory quality that remembersthe pains of boyhood and muchmore through the use of imagery borrowedfrom the natural world. The poemhas been featured in several publicationsincluding the anthology How Much Earth:An Anthology of Fresno Poets.JuneHow June-tree BlossomsPeter Balakian – a poet of daring dictionand a love of language – was featured.I asked readers to look at the exampleof “Ellis Island” from his collection Junetree:New and Selected Poems to see howBalakian takes this fascination of wordsand goes beyond mere word play, to a sophisticatedlevel of condensed languagecreating revelation.JulyKurghinian’s Poetic ActivismIt was an honor to feature, among somany other important poets of our past,the poetry of Shushanik Kurghinian. Welooked at the title poem “I Want to Live”(from I Want to Live: Poems of ShushanikKurghinian, selected and translatedby Shushan Avagyan, edited by SusanBarba and Victoria Rowe, AIWA Press).Kurghinian gave us a chance to hear herown voice as well as those of the voiceless– whether it be women, children or theworking class – with her poems of protestand prosody woven together.AugustA collection of Shushanik Kurghinian’s poems inI Want to Live.Happy Birthday, Mr. SaroyanWhile we know William Saroyan for hisplays and prose, we took time in themonth of his birth to celebrate his life andwork by appreciating one of his severalcontributions to poetry. Saroyan’s poem“The Saroyan Prizes, 1908-1939” (which wewere graciously given permission to reprintby The Trustees of Leland StanfordJunior University) is a whimsical and wittylist poem, which compiles honors andother titles bestowed upon him and thoseawards that he gives to others.September“Letters to a Young, ArmenianPoet”Inspired by the well-known published Lettersto a Young Poet, written by Rainer MariaRilke, the great German poet, I triedmy hand at writing four separate letters toan unknown young, Armenian poet. Theidea of writing these letters was borrowedas a starting point for discussion betweena poet and beginning poets or artists whomay need support in their callings.Letter OneIn this first letter I give the fictitious poetwho has written to me advice about theirpoem entitled, “My Homeland.” The letteradvises the young poet to stay awayfrom cliché-filled generalities and to embraceconcrete details such as those mentionedin the young poet’s notebook.Letter TwoIn this second letter I express my joyin finding that the young poet has revisedthe poem, which now goes by thetitle “The Tattered Journal.” I remindthe young poet to quiet the ego and informthe spirit, to keep their faith in Godstrong, and to use their Armeniannesswithout worry, as long as they avoid writingfrom a forced platform.Letter ThreeThe tone of this correspondence changesquite a bit since I let the young poet knowthat I have not written back as soon as Iwould have liked due to financial difficulties.Despite the change in topic and tone,I leave the young poet with the thoughtto “just know that your poetry, your art isyour calling and a calling does not necessarilypay the bills. When it does, it’s anamazing blessing.”Letter FourThe last letter to the young poet jumpsfrom subject to subject in the hope of answering“questions” that the beginningwriter has sent. It discusses how readingis the cure to “writer’s block,” it mentionsa list of poets to begin reading, it adviseshow to balance a writer’s life with otherresponsibilities and insists not to allowcritics to get in the way of one’s callingto write.OctoberThe poems that appeared in this month,translated by Gerald Papasian, John Papasianand/or Nora Armani, were firstpublished in Sojourn at Ararat: Poems ofArmenia, a book of translations that wasdone for the purpose of putting togetherthe play “Sojourn at Ararat.” While theperformance of these poems was not thesole concern of the translator/s, it did playa small part in how the translations wererendered. The book came later but it isnow, unfortunately, out of print. While wewait for it to make its comeback, we canhear this translation among others, luckilyon CD today.October 4: AgelessMedzarentsA comparison was made between MissakMedzarents and John Keats pointing outthe genius held in their works and thebrevity of both their lives. We read “LoveSong,” by Medzarents – perhaps a lovepoem to the self. (translated by GeraldPapasian)October 11: I Saw WhatCharents SawWe used our fives senses when reading“I Love Armenia” by Yeghishe Charents,while I looked back upon my own culturalpride. The verse is a love poem for one’shomeland, but with the ability to see evenits troubles as part of the beauty. (translatedby Gerald Papasian and Nora Armani)October 18: Shards of Lovefrom ShirazWith some similarity to Shakespeare’s satiricallove poem in Sonnet 130, we receivethe same type of “honesty,” yet true admirationof a beloved in “Your Eyes” by HovhannessShiraz, who was known more forhis patriotic verse and themes. (translatedby John Papasian and Gerald Papasian)October 25: The Moral ofToumanian’s PoemThe lengthy “One Drop of Honey” byHovhanness Toumanian required us toread a longer, narrative poem that beganwith innocent characters and ended inwar. Narrative poems do not always includedialogue, but since this was a balladand based on a folk tale, Toumanian gaveus plenty of “talk” and all of it resultedin a lesson to be learned. (translated byGerald Papasian)NovemberNovember 1: Kherdian’sHometown PoemsAfter discussing my discovery of DavidKherdian’s book The Neighborhood Yearswhile in Eugene, Oregon, the columnthen featured his poem “The Song,” justone of several poems which yearn for thespeaker’s old neighborhood, while celebratingthe past. The book shows howeven a small town in the U.S.A. can be a“a “perfect haunt/for the Armenians.”November 8: Good Things CanCome in Small PoemsWe viewed some extreme uses in “economicalwriting” with works or “words”from Aram Saroyan’s Complete MinimalAram Saroyan.Poems. Sometimes playful and witty, (acollection almost seeming to want tonudge you as a reader to see how youwill react) we looked at some of Saroyan’smore imagistic samplings.November 15: The Audacity ofCallingPerhaps used as a response to the PresidentialElection on November 4 th , YuriSahakyan’s poem “Call” seemed to remindus of what we may have learned from thistime period, that it never hurts to communicateour dreams, to call out, becausein many cases “someone will hear.” (translatedby Diana Der-Hovanessian)November 22: ImaginationCould Cure InsomniaThis post-election column, with celebrationbehind it, discussed how our sleeplessnessmight be caused by the worldand all its turmoil, the economic crisisand/or our own individual dramas andtraumas. Relating to this notion, we tiptoedinto the poem “Insomnia” by ArevshadAvakian. (translated by Diana Der-Hovanessian)November 29: The HumbleBread of Gosdan ZarianHoping for simplicity or sincerity or both,I began the holiday season with a readingof Gosdan Zarian’s musical layeringof similes in his poem “My Song,” whichseemed to be singing the exact Thanksgivingtune I was searching for. (translatedby Diana Der-Hovanessian)DecemberDecember 20: ‘How Lovely AreThy Branches’It feels like just yesterday (or a weekago) when we enjoyed Zahrad – or ZarehYaldizciyan’s clever poem “ChristmasTree” which used the “corrective voice.” Istill don’t have a tree, and I still wish everyonea very, Merry Christmas. (translatedby Diana Der-Hovanessian)December 27: A Myriad ofWishes for the New YearAlthough we already featured MissakMedzarents in October, we turned backto him just a bit ago to give us someguidance and wisdom for what may beone wonderful list of things to wish foreach other and ourselves in “Prayer forthe New Year.” (translated by Diana Der-Hovanessian)fArmenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009C3

Theater in ’08: The biggest and the bestby AramKouyoumdjianIt may seem that not much happened inArmenian theater this year except for therevival of works by a certain playwrightin commemoration of the centennial ofhis birth. Yes, it was the Year of Saroyan,but much else did happen in Armeniantheater, which was big this year. Quite big.Yet, as I reflect upon the past 12 months, Irealize that the play which made the biggestimpression on me was actually thesmallest one of all.Let’s start with Saroyan, though.On the occasion of the great playwright’s100th birthday, his best-knownwork, The Time of Your Life, had the goodfortune to land at the Pacific ResidentTheatre in Venice. That accomplishedtroupe delivered a memorable productionof the whimsical, heartbreaking,yet ultimately life-affirming play, whichunfolds over a single day in a waterfrontsaloon populated by eccentric characters.The Time of Your Life had suffered anentirely forgettable production last yearat Cal State Northridge, which had gottenan early jump on the centennial celebration.This year, two sister Cal Statecampuses caught the revival frenzy, unearthingrarely staged works from the1950s. Cal State L.A. tackled The CaveDwellers in a vast, intriguing productionabout dashed dreams, while Cal StateFresno opted for The Slaughter of the Innocents.Even rarer than rare was Martin Bedoian’srevival of Love’s Old Sweet Song,a Syzygy Theatre Group production (inBurbank) that illustrated how strongdirection can save a problematic script –in this case, a romance unfolding amidstsurreal circumstances. By contrast,Tamar Hovannisian’s overdone renditionof My Heart’s in the Highlands at theLuna Playhouse (in Glendale) exemplifiedhow a strong script can be hinderedby problematic direction.The biggestSaroyan may have been the biggest nameon the theatrical scene in ’08, but noproduction could compare in size to themammoth undertaking of Zemiré, the“opera semiseria” by Dickran Tchouhadjian,that the Ardavazt Theater Companyand Lark Musical Society staged at thecavernous Pasadena Civic Auditorium.Aram Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awardsfor both playwriting (The Farewells) and directing(Three Hotels). His latest work is Velvet Revolution.You can reach him or any of the other contributorsto Critics’ Forum at comments@criticsforum.org. This and all other articles published in thisseries are available online at www.criticsforum.org.To sign up for a weekly electronic version of newarticles, go to www.criticsforum.org/join. Critics’Forum is a group created to discuss issues relatingto Armenian art and culture in the diaspora.Vatsche Barsoumian inspiring the maidens to get into character in Zemiré. Photo: Hilma Shahinian.I did not review Zemiré as a theaterpiece, since it really is an operetta andmusic is its dominant feature, but itsvery staging constituted a tremendousachievement. It involved nearly 150performers, including a symphony orchestra;required a lavish set and periodcostumes; and demanded a budgetto match – estimated at $350,000 to$400,000. Its impressive scope was testimonyto ambition realized throughorganizational synergy and multi-disciplinaryvision.So why did Zemiré leave me conflicted?Because I could not help wonderinghow many smaller productionscould have been funded – or how manyoriginal works commissioned – with a$350,000 or $400,000 sum. There is, ofcourse, immense value in preserving ourcultural legacy, but what about enhancingit with new creations? How do weallocate resources between preservationand inspiration? Where do we find equilibrium?Those are questions that ourtheater community must confront as itmatures and grows in strength.One original work that managedto secure the funding for a major premierproduction was Red Dog Howls – ahaunting play by Alexander Dinelarisabout a 91-year-old Genocide survivorwith a devastating secret. Broadwayveteran Kathleen Chalfant headlinedthe production on the mainstage of theEl Portal Theatre in the NoHo Arts Districtunder Michael Peretzian’s skilleddirection. The intricately woven scriptby Dinelaris stood out for its taut dialoguebut was hampered by overuse ofexpository monologues that verged onthe melodramatic.Jacqueline Axton and PJ Marshall in Fool for Love.Left: KathleenChalfant headlinedRed Dog Howls. Photo:Ed Krieger. Far left:Tigran Kirakosyan wasa standout in FromToumanyan’s World.The bestThe play that stayed with me all year didnot have big production values, a big budget,or a big cast. It had a big heart – andit touched mine. My favorite Armeniantheater experience was the ultra-modeststaging of Susanna Harutyunyan’s “AFitting End” – a one-act chamber piecethat served as the endnote to the productionof “Soldiers” at Luna.“A Fitting End” is a dialogue between agravedigger burying soldiers killed in abattle and one of the surviving soldiersof that battle. In the midst of their philosophicaldiscussion, the gravediggerrealizes that he has no body for his lastplot – and looks to his conversationpartner as the solution to his dilemma.Astutely funny and miles deep, thissmart meditation on life and death wasdirected with beautiful simplicity byMaro Parian, who had to be the directorof the year. After helming “A FittingEnd” – in her own translation from theArmenian – she took on Fool for Lovein English and delivered a moody andevocative interpretation of Sam Shepard’svisceral play, before turning to FedericoGarcía Lorca’s iconic The House ofBernarda Alba in Spanish – all at Luna.The intimate Luna space was hometo From Toumanyan’s World as well. Thisstaging of fables by Hovhannes Toumanyanwas a surprise pleasure, thanks tothe modern sensibility and surreal humorthat director Aramazd Stepanianhad deftly injected into the traditionaltales, while keeping true to their spirit.Aiding the effort was Tigran Kirakosyan,displaying fearless comic range inhis portrayal of myriad characters.I missed Ani Minassian’s adaptationof another Toumanyan work, KachNazar. Her song-and-dance-infused productiononly had a single performance atthe San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.Outside of these adaptations, the onlyoriginal Armenian-language play to seelight this year was Vahe Berberian’sBaron Garbis. It was Berberian’s firstfull-length play in nearly 20 years, andit extended the life of that endangeredspecies known as theater in the WesternArmenian dialect.Berberian’s title character himselfwas a man on the verge of extinction– representing a generation of Armenianswho came of age in Beirut duringthe middle decades of the last century.Baron Garbis encapsulated their distinctmannerisms and speech, captured withmasterful authenticity in Berberian’sscript. Maurice Kouyoumdjian (norelation to me) seemed born to play therole, while Sako Berberian was excellentas his son. Equally excellent wereAra Baghdoyan and Ara Madzounianas members of the production’s alternatecast.Berberian and his cohorts will returnto the stage in February for one of theirzany comedy nights. Zaniness will surelybe on the menu of Lory Tatoulian’s upcomingshow, which promises to focuson all themes Armenian. And a revivalof Little Armenia is in the works, aimingfor a May bow.We may only be in the first days of thenew year, but Armenian theater is alreadystirring.fAll Rights Reserved: Critics’ Forum, 2009. Exclusiveto the Armenian Reporter.C4 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009

A rhythm all his ownIt is safe to say that jazz pianist and composerArmen Nalbandian is a cool cat.At the age of 16, he was asked to directhis high school’s jazz ensemble, playingone of his original songs.Nearly a decade and half later, heleads 14 different ensembles and hasnearly 600 compositions to his name.This Fresno-based musician, who valuesimprovising and experimenting, is alsothe musical director and resident artistfor the Fresno Art Museum and hostsits acclaimed “Rhythms in Art” monthlyseries.Drawing inspiration from the museum’smonthly special exhibits, Nalbandiancreates musical interpretationsof the artworks, for the widely popular“Rhythms in Art” concert series.He also leads the Armen NalbandianTrio, which has released three albumssince 2006.Arts & Culture, March 15, 2008Massis Araradian has been drawing for well overa half-century.The pencil is mightier than theswordOn March 15, 2008, master cartoonistMassis Araradian gave a Hamazkayinsponsoredlecture and slide show aboutArmenian cartoons, at the St. VartanantzChurch in Ridgefield, New Jersey.After he spoke, he invited a few audiencemembers to come up to the stage, wherehe drew caricatures of them, allowingthem an up-close look into the processof his craft.Since the 1940s, generations of Armenianshave enjoyed his Armenian-languagepolitical cartoons. His work hasalso appeared in Arabic- and Englishlanguagenewspapers and magazines.But Araradian is more than a cartoonist.He has designed more than 35 Armenianand Arabic typefaces; and he is a deftsilhouette maker and a sculptor.Throughout his illustrious career, Araradian’swork has been guided by an astuteawareness of Armenian issues, especiallythe Armenian Cause, as well asworld affairs. “Soldiers fight with theirguns,” he says. “I fight with my pencil.”Arts & Culture, February 24, 2008Armen Nalbandian.Alidz Agbabian, pictured with her daughterAreni, breathed life back into timeless Armenianstories and shares them with children. Rootedin Armenian oral traditions, she also tells storiesfrom the Middle East.She breathes new life into theoral traditions of Armeniaand the Middle EastFor the past 16 years, Alidz Agbabianhas shared Armenian and Middle Easternfolk tales, myths, songs, and legends withcommunities around the world. With herenergetic gestures and animated facialexpressions, Agbabian, who is also a children’sbook author, has performed herdynamic storytelling in numerous classrooms,libraries, and museums.In 1996, Agbabian established Dzil-u-Dzar Publications, which has since releaseda number of high-quality, bilingualstorybooks for readers of all ages.She says she strives to publish worksthat go beyond long-held cultural paradigmsand resonate with today’s youngreaders.“We [Armenians] have a didactic mentality,which we tend to impose on ourchildren,” Agbabian explains. “We needour books to be more child-centered andaddress the issues that are important inthe lives of our children.”Agbabian’s next major project is ananthology of Armenian children’s literaturepresented through storytelling. “Itwould be important to have a historicperspective of where we have been andwhere we are going,” she notes.Arts & Culture, March 15, 2008An evening of folk blissOn March 2, 2008, when the curtainswent up at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, theaudience was greeted by the ArmenianSociety of Los Angeles Choir, more commonlyknown as the Iranahay MiutyanYerkchakhump.Nestled between the choir was theTavigh Armenian Folk Orchestra, withMaestro Mikael Avetisyan standing atthe helm.The evening’s program consisted of“Treasures of Armenian Folk Music,” acompilation of familiar folk songs arrangedby 20th-century Armenian folkmusicmasters Ruben Altunian andGathering of a few members of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles Choir in the green room beforetheir big performance. Photos: Hilma Shahinian.Khachatur Avetisyan.The program also featured the danceaccompaniments of the Tavigh DanceEnsemble as well as three guest soloists:Margarit Shahinyan, HovhannesShahbazyan, and Arthur Tsaturyan.Arts & Culture, March 15, 2008Genocide survivors J. Michael Hagopian at age 6with sister Mary, age 3, in Mezreh Kharpert circa1919.Survivors take center stage inJ. Michael Hagopian’s latestdocumentaryThe River Ran Red, the final installmentof J. Michael Hagopian’s “The Witnesses”trilogy, was released in 2008 by the ArmenianFilm Foundation.Five years in the making, The film tellsthe gripping story of Armenians whowere sent to their deaths along the EuphratesRiver, during the Genocide. TheRiver Ran Red premiered at the Arpa InternationalFilm Festival in Los Angeles,in October 2008.Never one to rest on his laurels, theenergetic, 95-year-old Hagopian has alreadyembarked on a fresh project: a seriesof documentaries on the first genocidalwaves of the modern era, betweenthe years 1892 and 1923.Arts & Culture, March 29, 2008Baron Garbis makes a splashBaron Garbis, a new play in Armenianwritten and directed by Vahe Berberian,enchanted Los Angeles audiences in 2008.With sold-out runs in Sherman Oaks andPasadena, the piece earned much praiseand generated considerable debate.Laced with humor and teeming withepisodes of bravado and rage, BaronGarbis is a drama of family love, loyalty,and honor, unfolding through the clashof three disparate generations: the titularBaron Garbis, his son Jirair, andgrandson Khajag.April 5, 2008Atom Egoyan wins Dan DavidprizeInternationally acclaimed Canadian-Armenianfilmmaker Atom Egoyan wasawarded the Dan David prize for Ararat,his award-winning 2002 film.The other recipients of the Dan Davidaward, which were announced inFebruary 2008, included Al Gore, TomStoppard, and Amos Oz. Egoyan wonthe award for the category of CreativeRendering of the Past: Literature, Filmand TheaterThe awards were presented on May 19at Tel Aviv University, Israel.April 5, 2008Zemiré comes back to life 117years after its premiereThe AGBU Ardavazt Theater Companyand the Lark Musical Society teamed upin 2008 for a herculean project: the productionof Dikran Tchouhadjian’s Zemiré.The operetta’s libretto was translatedby Vatsche Barsoumian, director ofthe Lark Musical Society and Zemiré’sartistic director.For the first time since its first stagingin Constantinople in 1891, Zemiré cameto life again in late May and early June2008, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.Since 2004, Ardavazt and Lark haveproduced two other Tchouhadjian works,Zvart and Leblebiji Hor-Hor Agha, bringingthe Armenian operatic tradition toSouthern California audiences.April 19, 2008Keeping the legacy aliveHagop and Knar Manjikian envisiona generation of diasporan youths wellinformedabout the atrocities of the ArmenianGenocide, spirited about keepingalive the memories of 1.5 million martyrs,and appreciative of their rich culture andhistory. It is with this in mind that in2005 the Manjikians set out to build theGenocide Library, a work in progress that“we hope to expand by publishing andadding more books to for as long as wecan,” Hagop Manjikian said.C6 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009

Hagop and KnarManjikian at theprinter inspecting theHoushamadyan Album-Atlas which they wrote,edited, and helpedpublish.The Genocide Library is a series ofmemoirs of Genocide survivors thathave been translated from Armenian toEnglish by Ishkhan Jinbashian.Currently the library consists of threevolumes: Passage Through Hell, The FatalNight, and Death March, which was publishedin April 2008.April 26, 2008Roudolf Kharatian in his studio.in the Washington, DC, area, where heproduces stunning visual art throughhis ballets and oil paintings. “For mepainting is the same: it’s dance,” he says.A renowned ballet teacher, Kharatianis also the artistic director of his owncompany, the Maryland-based ARKABallet.Arts & Culture, May 10, 2008Soprano Hasmik Papian.Soprano Hasmik Papianreigns supremeCover of the book.New book explores aftermathof Genocide in TurkeyA new study by Dr. Rubina Peroomian,titled And Those Who Continued Living inTurkey After 1915, was released in 2008 bythe Armenian Genocide Museum-Instituteof Yerevan.By examining recent literary works byTurkish authors and other sources, thebook sheds light on the lives of Armenianswho remained in Turkey followingthe 1915 deportations and massacres.April 26, 2008Channeling the KingHarry Shahoian is a big Armenian hunko’ love who has got people all shook up inLas Vegas. He is a full-time Elvis impersonator.Shahoian not only resembles the King,but can also sing like the legendaryrocker. It’s no wonder Shahoian is onthe list of all the top Las Vegas talentagencies. He was even featured at theLegends in Concert in South Carolinain April 2008. The event is the numberone look-alike tribute in the world, andthe hardest show for an impersonatorto get into“Harry Shahoian may be a godsend ina town filled with Elvis impersonators,”wrote What’s On, a major Las Vegas entertainmentmagazine.Arts & Culture, May 10, 2008She is Lisa to Placido Domingo’s Hermanin The Queen of Spades. She has beencompared to the great Maria Callas. Sheis the 2004 “People’s Artist of the Republicof Armenia.” She has graced the stagesof some of the most prestigious operahouses in the world. She is Hasmik Papian.Throughout 2008, Papian continuedto appear in high-profile concert acrossthe world, collaborating with renownedmusicians.On April 27, 2008, Papian teamed upwith acclaimed pianist Avo Kuyumjianfor her first solo recital in Los Angeles.The event marked the beginning of thetwo artists’ collaboration. They next appearedtogether at the famed BaalbekFestival in Lebanon, in August, withKuyumjian providing Papian with pianoaccompaniment in a mixed programranging from the German baroque toItalian romantic arias.Arts & Culture, May 10, 2008Roudolf Kharatian’s deftmovesIn early 2008, Roudolf Kharatian returnedfrom a two-month trip to Armeniaas a national celebrity. He was commissionedby the Armenian Ministry ofCulture to choreograph a ballet for theNational Ballet of Armenia. The resultingpiece, La Revancha Del Tango, was afar cry from traditional Armenian ballet,with dances set to music by the GotanProject - described as “Euro-technotango” - and a stage backdrop based onone of Kharatian’s own bright, modernpaintings.A native of Armenia, Kharatian livesThe scoop on HollyscoopHere’s a good recipe for success in Hollywood:take three energetic young women;add a healthy helping of hard work,a dash of ingenuity, and several scoopsof unwavering optimism; mix until Hollyscoopis formed.That’s the story of Diana Magpapian,Nora Gasparian, and Ani Esmailian,the enterprising sweethearts behindHollyscoop, a website that has fastgrown to become a global sensation.Thanks to the dynamic site, readerscan stay in the know about Hollywoodmedia, celebrities, fashion, and generalpop culture. Hollyscoop is updatedconstantly, providing up-to-the-minutenews around the clock.Arts & Culture, June 7, 2008My Big Fat Armenian Family:Sevak Ohanian does it againBudding filmmaker Sevak Ohanian’slatest work, a full-length feature titledMy Big Fat Armenian Family, was releasedin 2008.Ohanian’s previous films, which includethe hysterical True Life: I Have Persian-ArmenianParents, have explored therelationship between parents and kids.The young director’s latest comedy tellsthe story of how two teenage siblingsand their parents come to terms withtensions in the family. The plot unfoldsthrough a series of humorous vignettesleading up and through a family trip toPalm Springs.“We wanted to tell another story andmake it a little more complex and continuallypound this self-referencing Armeniancommunity and culture rightback to the audience because we knewthey wanted more,” Ohanian said, addingthat while My Big Fat Armenian Familymay seem like a parody of Armenianparents, or an interpretation of Armenianparents as seen through the eyes ofkids, the film is more about parents andchildren understanding each other.Arts & Culture, June 14, 2008Ken Davitian’s rising starIn the hit comedy film Borat: CulturalLearnings of America for Make Benefit GloriousNation of Kazakhstan, Ken Davitianbared it all, from his seamless humor allthe way down to his nude body.As audiences fell in love with hisunique brand of over-the-top humor,Hollywood instantly embraced the huskyand bearded actor, catapulting himinto celebrity status.Davitian’s newfound fame led to aslew of high-profile projects in 2008. Heappeared as Shtarker in the comedy-actionfilm Get Smart, played alongsideSamuel L. Jackson in Malcolm D. Lee’scomedy Soul Men, and gave a turn asXerxes, with Carmen Electra, in Meet theSpartans, a DVD release.Arts & Culture, June 14, 2008Red Dog Howls deliverspowerful performancesRed Dog Howls, Alexander Dinelaris’latest play, was staged in North Hollywoodin May and June, 2008, to considerablepopular and critical acclaim.Tapping into the oral-histories tradi-Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009C7

Kathleen Chalfant as Vartouhi Afratian andMatthew Rauch as Michael Kiriakos. Photo: EdKrieger.tion through which Armenian familiespass down their ancestor’s experiences,the play delivered a personal story thatexposed audiences to the psychologicalaftermath of genocide.“The event of the play happens right beforethe eyes of the audience. It touchesboth the factual part of your brain andthe emotional part of the being,” saidKathleen Chalfant, who played therole of a 91-year-old Armenian-Genocidesurvivor, Rose Afratian.Directed by Michael Peretzian, RedDog Howls also starred Matthew Rauchand Darcie Siciliano, and featured themusic of Ara Dabandjian.Arts & Culture, June 21, 2008Sex, drugs, and couscousWe may never have snuck out of our teenagebedrooms and crossed the railroadtracks to see Ray Charles and JamesBrown perform. We may never find ourselvesin the back room of a gift shopin Tangier with a group of stoned hippies,eating spicy tagines, drinking minttea, and using a jeweled kif pipe to smokeMorocco’s finest hashish. We may neverattend a party on Ibiza with blues singerTaj Mahal and folk singer Joni Mitchell.But through Nancy Mehagian’sglittering culinary memoir, Siren’s Feast:An Edible Odyssey – published in 2008 torave reviews – we can live her experiencesvicariously.“I don’t regret anything,” Mehagiansays about her life, even her time inprison. “Every life has its ups and downs.I was young. I didn’t have the greatestjudgment all the time. But having a goodheart can go a long way and can protectyou in difficult circumstances.”Arts & Culture, June 28, 2008Bringing home Emmy goldWhen you go up against BarbaraWalters and Ellen DeGeneres, youknow you’re in good company.Such was the case at 2008’s DaytimeEmmy Awards: America’s favorite cook,Rachael Ray, and the entire staff of the“Rachael Ray” show were nominatedfor Outstanding Talk Show (Entertainment),as were the above veterans.To much disbelief, the underdog/newbietook home the prize, defeating Ellen’sfour-year winning streak.Up on stage accepting the award,alongside Rachael and her staff, was LosAngeles native Shant Petrossian, whohas been one of the show’s producerssince it first hit the air.“The win was a huge honor. It was anexciting night,” Shant said. “It was a surpriseand we were over the moon.”Arts & Culture, July 5, 2008Adrienne Barbeau, a successful actress, knownfor her roles in horror movies, has co-written anew book, Vampyres of Hollywood. Photo: PamelaSpringsteenAdrienne Barbeau does thatvampire thingAdrienne Barbeau, the formidablestar of the hit television comedy series“Maude” and big-screen classics like Escapefrom New York, released a horrornovel in 2008.Titled Vampyres of Hollywood and cowrittenby Michael Scott, the booktells the story of Ovsana Moore, a ratherBarbeau-esque actress, who is also avampire.The novel follows her efforts in concertwith an LAPD detective to find the serialkiller who is slaying the “A-list” stars ofHollywood.Arts & Culture, July 12, 2008The Beautified Project rockerssing about what lies behindthe happy maskIn 2008, the acoustic rock band The BeautifiedProject continued to grow as one ofArmenia’s top musical acts.In April, the band released its secondrecord, behind the happy mask… It hadthe distinction of being the first Englishlanguagerock album ever recorded andreleased in Armenia.The eight songs on the new CD dealwith issues hidden behind the “happymask” that people wear every single day.True to the band’s signature sound, thealbum features genuine modern acousticrock, with no Armenian or MiddleEastern elements.The Beautified Project’s debut album,Serenades for Insanity, was released in2006, in London, where the band waslaunched by frontman Andre Simonian.Arts & Culture, July 19, 2008Gor’s hauntingly beautifulnew albumIn 2008, Gor Mkhitarian released a new,Armenian-language album titled UnitedFantasies: Exit Ahead and featuring a newlineup of musicians.Though one misses the virtuoso banjopicking of Aaron Stayman from theold band, the all-new ensemble, fromthe electronics and percussion to thekeyboard, are excellent.The focus of the album – when noton personal issues – is on life in theArmenian Diaspora. Among the tracksis a dark piece on being ground downand alone in New York. Another, in anappropriate reggae beat, deals with theracist harassment Armenians and otherCaucasians and Central Asians suffer inRussian cities. “Hallucinogen,” on theother hand, makes one recall YeghisheCharents’ reveries, in which timestands still.All of this is rock and roll the way itshould be, music that you want to becomethe soundtrack of your life.James R. RussellArts & Culture, July 19, 2008Hrant Dink. Photo: Murat Turemis.Documentary pays tribute toHrant DinkNouritza Matossian’s feature documentary,Heart of Two Nations: HrantDink, premiered at the 2008 Golden ApricotFilm Festival in Yerevan, in July.The film is arguably the most intimateportrait of Hrant Dink – a Turkish-Armenianjournalist, newspaper editor,and peace advocate who was assassinatedin Istanbul in January 2007.Referring to her beloved subject, Matossiansays, “He’s just really talking to afriend with a tiny camera, with nobodyelse in the room, and he’s pouring hisheart out – especially in the last interview,which is after he was sentencedto prison and started getting deaththreats.”Adrineh GregorianArts & Culture, July 19, 2008Canada honors Yousuf Karshwith commemorative stampsA glowering, indomitable WinstonChurchill, for 160 cents.A delicate, waif-like Audrey Hepburn,for 96 cents.And a young, confident Yousuf Karshsurveying one of his negatives, for 52cents.These are the Karsh photographs thatthe Canadian Postal Authorities havejust issued for wide-scale distribution.Karsh (1908-2002), and Armenian-Genocide survivor, was one of the greatestand most accomplished portraitphotographers of all time, renownedfor being able to “bare the souls” of histhousands of subjects – whether theywere famous and powerful internationalfigures or ordinary Canadian men, women,and children.Florence AvakianArts & Culture, July 26, 2008Author Ahnert honored forGenocide memoirMargaret Ajemian Ahnert, author ofThe Knock at the Door: A Journey Throughthe Darkness of the Armenian Genocide,was honored at the New York Book Festival,in June 2008.Ahnert’s real-life account of her mother’sescape from the Turkish atrocitieswas first honored by the festival, inadvertently,for Best Fiction.The Knock at the Door is framed by anintimate portrait of the author’s relationshipwith her 98-year-old mother,Esther. Her stories, told by her daughter,convey the struggle and suffering of theArmenian people during the Genocide.Arts & Culture, July 26, 2008Tashjian in his Santa Fe home.Richard Tashjian: Armenianbrush, New Mexican canvasThe high walls of Richard Tashjian’shome in Santa Fe reflect well the life andtimes of this artist and his work: side byside with paintings of the gorgeous, colorfullandscapes of New Mexico, MountArarat towers with her twin peaks.Having spent extended periods of timein New Mexico in the 1990s, Tashjianmoved to Santa Fe permanently in 2001.This meant a “new period” for him, heexplains, but what was it that drew himthere in the first place?“The mountains, the clouds, the rocks.The pshat trees,” he answers withouthesitation, indicating how very similarthe country here is to Armenia. Hepoints to a work of his of the Rio Grandegorge. “To me, parts of this are Hayastan,”he says.August 2, 2008Rapper H1 embraces the spiritof hip-hopLooking back on his early teens, PatrickAntonian fondly remembers becomingaware of the organic links between hiphop,breakdancing, and graffiti art. Nowa rapper who uses the stage name H1(formerly Human 1), Antonian is clearlyfascinated by hip-hop culture, in whichhe has been immersed for as long as hecan remember.Antonian, 27, started breakdancing injunior high school, after seeing his peersperform. At the same time, he developedan interest in graffiti art. “When Iwas writing graffiti art, I used to take myC8 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009

Datevik with John Baboian during a performance. Photo: Levon Parian.favorite songs and write down the lyricsin the graffiti style,” he says. Eventuallyhe began to write his own lyrics. “Allthe elements of hip-hop started comingtogether,” he recalls.Antonian recorded and released hisfirst EP, Heavy Grounds, in 2004. His firstfull-length album, titled Certified, is setto be released in early 2009 and distributedby Sony Music.Arts & Culture, August 23, 2008Maria Armoudian: radio host,musician, political activistextraordinaireOn “The Insighters,” her weekly show onKPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, Maria Armoudianhelps shed light on many of themost critical topics of our time, throughinterviews marked by her wit, compassion,and profound grasp of the issues.As a radio host, environmental commissioner,PhD candidate, and singer/songwriter, the Oklahoma-born Armoudianhas a hat rack that is so full itis ready to fall over.“I give a lot of my time,” she admittedwhen discussing her volunteer activities,which include her work as commissionerfor the City of Los Angeles EnvironmentalAffairs Commission (appointed bythe mayor) and her job as host of “TheInsighters.”“The mainstream media, [with] itsquest for ratings, tends to miss the biggerissues,” Armoudian said. “We don’tget to hear what’s going on underneaththe phenomena we see.” Interviewees onher show include political figures, communityactivists, authors, investigativejournalists, and others, ranging fromRalph Nader and Noam Chomsky toSystem of a Down’s Serj Tankian.August 23, 2008Jazzing it up for a newgeneration of aficionadosDatevik Hovanesian, the grande dameof Armenian jazz, released a new CD, titledRevelation: Concerto for Voice and BigBand, in September 2008, when she alsolaunched a U.S. and Armenia tour.Revelation is a collaboration betweenHovanesian, composer KonstantinPetrossian, and saxophonist VladimirChekasin and his Big Band. The compositionsare based on Armenian sharagans(hymns). Originally recorded andreleased on Melodia, the album createsa unique fusion of jazz and Armenianspiritual music.Hovanesian’s U.S. tour included performances,with her quartet, at Boston’sArmenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009prestigious Regattabar jazz club andJazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.Following her U.S. appearances, Hovanesianparticipated in the 70 Years ofJazz series of events in Armenia, witha culminating performance at the ArmenianPhilharmonic Concert Hall inYerevan.Arts & Culture, August 23, 2008Two Armenian indiefilmmakers continue to makewavesEdwin Avaness (left) and Serj Minassians,founders of EOS Entertainment.In Hollywood, a city where practically everyonehas a movie idea to pitch, is an actor,a writer, or waiting to be discovered,and where almost everyone listens to thehand-picked soundtrack of their personalepics on their i-Pods and the invisible applausefor their heroics in the inner mind,not a lot of people do the legwork to createan actual motion picture.Enter Edwin Avaness, 37, and SerjMinassians, 41. They’re filmmakers,and it’s not just what they call themselves.With nearly two dozen shorts,documentaries, corporate videos, infomercialsand commercials, and onefeature film under their belts, they arealready shopping around the script fortheir next project, titled Without Baggage.“We met in the late 90s through AF-FMA [Arpa International Film Festival],”says Serj. The two budding filmmakersclicked, and the rest was lights, camera,and action.After collaborating on a number ofshort films, Edwin and Serj releasedtheir first major work, The Journey, starringSona Tatoyan (Arts and Culture,January 12, 2008). The movie, which wasscreened at various festivals includingthe Milan Film Festival and had a privaterun in Southern California, is nowavailable on DVD.Arts & Culture, September 6, 2008DerHova, a dance-music producer known formixing Western sounds with Armenian melodies.Photo: Kamo Tovmasian.DerHova’s studio magicSince moving to Yerevan in 2002, Der-Hova has helped revolutionize the localpop-music scene.Born Harout Der-Hovagimian in Toronto,DerHova is a dance-music producerknown for mixing Western soundswith Armenian melodies – a style thathas redefined Armenian pop music andcatapulted home-grown artists, such asSirusho and Sofi Mkheyan, into internationalacclaim. His impact is audibleas much on the streets as on the airwavesand top-ten charts.“It was pretty bad before,” DerHovasaid. “Everyone sounded the same.There were just a few composers andproducers – nothing that could competeon the international market. I wantedto bring [the scene] up to that level.”Arts & Culture, September 6, 2008The voice of remembranceDuring October 2008, world-renownedArmenian-Canadian soprano IsabelBayrakdarian headlined the RemembranceTour, a major North Americanconcert series dedicated to all victims ofgenocide.The tour, sponsored by the InternationalInstitute for Genocide and HumanRights Studies, comprised concertsat various U.S. and Canadian venues andfeatured the music of Komitas (1869-1935).Arts & Culture, September 13, 2008The doctor is very much inWhile Jack Kevorkian may be bestknown for doctor-assisted suicide andserving eight years in prison for refusingto renounce his professional and moralconvictions, he is also a musician, composer,and artist whose paintings, notsurprisingly, explore some of the darkeraspects of human nature.The former pathologist was on handat the Armenian Library and Museumof America on October 5, 2008, for theopening of his exhibition “THE DOC-TOR IS OUT: The Art of Dr. Jack Kevorkian.”The show, which featured 16 of Kevorkian’spaintings, also gave the artistand social activist a stage to discuss theinspiration behind his dramatic worksand his independent campaign for a seatin the U.S. Congress.Arts & Culture, September 27A ballad of extremesThe Italian novelist Italo Calvino wouldno doubt be fascinated had he lived longenough to experience Linda Ganjian’sintricate miniature cities.A tranquil and reflective presence inperson, in her work Ganjian has createda lyrical, visual ballad of extremes.She takes an almost Swiftian delightin alternating between large and small.While her metaphorical cityscapes maybe the best example of her Lilliputiantendencies, her 2007 work, Bountiful LICMemorial Carpet, affirms her oppositetendency towards the large and statuesque.This interplay between large andsmall is doubled in Ganjian’s work byanother opposition, between the localand the distant. While she oftendepicts her Queens surroundings, shealso inevitably and simultaneouslyreferences her Armenian and MiddleEastern heritage: her interest in carpets,and the miniature (a revered Armenianart form) are only the mostobvious and metaphorical referencesto her Anatolian origins.Where will Linda Ganjian’s imaginationtake her next? Perhaps back toLilliput or Brodingnag? Or, more likely,judging from her past creativity, to anotherunknown, fascinating invisiblecity...Arts & Culture, October 11, 2008A tribute to the Armenians ofSan FranciscoUnlike Fresno or Los Angeles, San Franciscois not typically thought of as a placewhere Armenians have chosen to settle.Yet, historically, the city has been a havento generations of Armenians withambitions of becoming successful artists,writers, and entrepreneurs.Released in 2008, Gohar Barsheghyan’sdocumentary, San Francisco Hye,sheds light on the storied past and presentof the Bay Area’s 30,0000-strongArmenian community. The film featuresinterviews with San Francisco denizensas well as a candid look at the politicalissues and social contradictions facingthe city’s Armenians.San Francisco Hye premiered at Yerevan’sGolden Apricot Festival andwas screened at the Arpa InternationalFilm Festival in Los Angeles (October24-26).Arts & Culture, October 11, 2008George Duran takes yourfavorite dish and twists itTrust Chef Duran with your taste buds!If you use your oven to store yoursweaters, or cook strictly comfort foods,Duran, host of the Food Network’s TheSecret Life of..., is on a mission to takeyour favorite dish and twist it into somethingthat is, well, epicurean.With his debut book, Take this Dishand Twist It, Duran, aka George KevorkGuldalian, enchanted cooks of allstripes in 2008, offering a wealth of inventivedishes.Asked if he has any recommendationsfor the Average Armenian Guy whowants to impress his Woman, “It’s easy”was Duran’s answer. “Make her thechocolate soup recipe or the chocolatesoufflé. Anything chocolate and you’vewon her over.”Arts & Culture, October 18, 2008C9

Program Grid5 – 11 January 2009EST PST10:00 PM 1:00 AM011:00 PM 2:00 AM12:00 AM 3:00 AM1:00 AM 4:00 AM2:00 AM 5:00 AM2:30 AM 5:30 AM3:00 AM 6:00 AM3:30 AM 6:30 AM4:00 AM 7:00 AM4:30 AM 7:30 AM5:00 AM 8:00 AM5:30 AM 8:30 AM6:00 AM 9:00 AM7:00 AM 10:00 AM8:00 AM 11:00 AM8:30 AM 11:30 AM9:00 AM 12:00 PM9:30 AM 12:30 PM10:00 AM 01:00 PM11:00 AM 02:00 PM12:00 PM 03:00 PM12:30 PM 03:30 PM01:00 PM 04:00 PM01:30 PM 04:30 PM02:00 PM 05:00 PM02:30 PM 05:30 PM03:00 PM 06:00 PM04:00 PM 07:00 PM05:00 PM 08:00 PM05:30 PM 08:30 PM06:00 PM 09:00 PM06:30 PM 09:30 PM07:00 PM 10:00 PM07:30 PM 010:30 PM08:00 PM 011:00 PM08:30 PM 011:30 PM09:00 PM 12:00 AM5 January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 January 10 JanuaryMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayBernard ShowFathers & SonsSnakes & Lizards (Serial)A Drop of HoneyNeighbours (Serial)Tele KitchenMultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianDirections With RafiManoukianBari Louys HayerBari AravodNewsA Drop of HoneySnakes & Lizards SerialTele KitchenMultYO YONeighbours (Serial)NewsCLONE (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingNewsGyanki Keene - SerialTonight Show With Hovo11 - SerialNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianCLONE (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingSnakes & Lizards (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Neighbours (Serial)Tele KitchenMultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianUnlucky Happiness(Serial)Bari Louys HayerBari AravodNewsCLONE(Serial)Snakes & LizardsSerialTele KitchenMultYO YONeighbours(Serial)NewsCLONE(Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingNewsGyanki Keene - SerialTonight ShowWith Hovo11 - SerialNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianCLONE (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingSnakes & Lizards (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Neighbours (Serial)Tele KitchenMultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianUnlucky Happiness(Serial)Bari Louys HayerBari AravodNewsCLONE (Serial)Snakes & Lizards SerialTele KitchenMultYO YONeighbours (Serial)NewsCLONE (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingNewsGyanki Keene - SerialTonight ShowWith Hovo11 - SerialNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianCLONE (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingSnakes & Lizards (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Neighbours(Serial)Tele KitchenMultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianUnlucky Happiness (Serial)Bari Louys HayerBari AravodNewsCLONE (Serial)Snakes & Lizards SerialTele KitchenMultYO YONeighbours (Serial)NewsCLONE (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingNewsJagadakri kerinere (Serial)Pakhousd -(Serial)NewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianCLONE (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingSnakes & Lizards (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Neighbours (Serial)Tele KitchenMultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianUnlucky Happiness (Serial)Bari Louys HayerBari AravodNewsCLONE (Serial)Snakes & Lizards SerialTele KitchenMultYO YONeighbours (Serial)NewsCLONE (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)Yere 1 (ye:re:van)Cool ProgramNewsJagadakri kerinere (Serial)Pakhousd - (Serial)NewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianCLONE (Serial)Live From AmericaWhen Stars are DancingSnakes & Lizards (Serial)Unlucky Happiness (Serial)11 ( Serial)MultYo YoNewsBari Luys with StepanPartamianUnlucky Happiness (Serial)CenturyArmenia DiasporaDiscoveryFathers & SonsNewsCLONE (Serial)Snakes & Lizards SerialTele KitchenMultYO YOYere 1 (ye:re:van)Cool ProgramNews EditorialBernard ShowBlefDiscoveryCenturyArmenia DiasporaNews EditorialJagadakri kerinere (Serial)Pakhousd - (Serial)News EditorialBari Luys with StepanPartamian11 JanuarySundayBernard ShowCenturyArmenia DiasporaSnakes & Lizards (Serial)A Drop of HoneyDiscoveryCenturyArmenia DiasporaFathers & SonsNewsCenturyArmenia DiasporaFathers & SonsArmenian TeletimeArmenian MovieYere 1 (ye:re:van)Cool ProgramSnakes & Lizards SerialTV DuelLove E LeeA Drop Of HoneydesangounBernard ShowBlefMy Big, FatArmenianWeddingDirections With RafiManoukianWhen Stars Are DancingCUBELevon Katerjian continuesto keep the troubadour torchaliveLegendary folk singer Levon Katerjian’slatest CD release, Let Us Speak Armenian:My Message to the New Generation, featuressongs of various themes, rangingfrom the celebratory to the plaintive. Thealbum even offers a birthday song – anupbeat dance tune recorded with traditionalinstruments.The first two songs of Let Us Speak Armenianare about the murder of journalistand political activist Hrant Dink.Like Armenians across the world, Katerjiansays he was devastated by Dink’sloss. The heavy instrumentation of thetwo tracks, with their brass lines andtaiko beats, symbolize the Armenianpeople’s fury at Dink’s death, Katerjianexplains.Arts & Culture, October 18, 2008Levon Ichkhanian.Hot ticketDuring the 2008 Summer Olympics, Canadian-Armenianmulti-instrumentalistLevon Ichkhanian traveled to Beijingto perform in the Marriage of ExcellenceTour, an historic event uniting Westernand Eastern musicians.Ichkhanian’s debut CD, After Hours,blended Armenian and Middle Eastermelodies with contemporary jazz andfeatured instruments from around theworld. The album reached number 1 Indieand Top 10 Jazz on HMV Charts.Ichkhanian’s follow-up CD, Travels,won the jazz/fusion category at the 2002Armenian Music Awards.Currently Ichkhanian is playing fivedifferent instruments in the musicalcomedy Monty Python’s Spamalot – asolid-body electric guitar, archtop electricguitar, nylon string classical guitar,banjo, and ukulele.Ichkhanian is also putting the finishingtouches on his next CD, whichwill feature him playing a multitude ofstringed instrumentsArts & Culture, October 25, 2008Evelina Galli: fabulousdesigner for glamorouswomenGlamorous is the word, Yerevan is thebirthplace, Evelina Galli is the name.Galli, who has lived in Los Angelessince the late 1990s, makes clothes for“glamorous and chic women who are notafraid to stand out in the crowd and feelcomfortable being like that.”All of Galli’s one-of-a-kind designsfeature delicately hand-painted prints.These are the creations of Galli’s mother,an artist in her own right.Galli’s recent line, exhibited duringa Los Angeles trunk show in October2008, included dresses and shirts knittedby her mother and grandmother. Thecollection also showcased exuberantlypainted scarves and hand-made pillowsthat looked too beautiful to be classifiedas anything but works of art.Arts & Culture, November 8, 2008The Midas touchThe female form never looked betterthan in October 2008 at Tom Otterness’Brooklyn studio, where Zadik Zadikianexhibited his “Erotic Gold Sculptures.”These ten exquisite works – made of fiberglasswith gesso and French clay andgilt in 24-carat double gold leaf – werelaid out in rows at waist height. Theyappeared to leap out at visitors, so tautwere their contours and so vivid theirenergy.The sculptures fuse classicism with aBrancusi-like respect for the geometryof the curve. Hot (and cold to the touchsimultaneously), sensual yet removedin their perfection, classic yet kitsch,streamlined yet intimate, they are Zadikian’sanswer to both the machine ageand to the postmodern crisis in representation.Back in his old stomping grounds, Zadikian’swork seems more refined thanever. His “Erotic Gold Sculptures” exudea timeless sexual energy, somethingremarkably aesthetic that manages toavoid being vulgar.Arts & Culture, November 8, 2008Actress Lori Yeghiayan. Photo: Gerard Kenslea.Lori Yeghiayan’s unforgettableturn in Song of ExtinctionIn her latest role, actress Lori Yeghiayanplayed a part that has required her todraw from her personal experience.In E.M. Lewis’ play Song of Extinction,the 37-year-old actress from Glendaleportrayed a mother struggling tosupport her family as she gradually succumbsto cancer. To find inspiration forthe part, Yeghiayan said she needed onlylook back to just five years ago, whenshe lost her own mother to the disease.Yeghiayan said she marvels at theemotional complexity of the play, whichwas staged at [Inside] the Ford Amphitheatrein late 2008. While most moviesand plays strip down the dimensions ofdeath and loss to mere sadness, Yeghiayansaid she has learned - both in theskin of her latest character and her lifeexperience – there is far more than that.Rather than sadly slipping away, she said,this play helps to show a lesser-seen partof facing mortality: the struggle.Arts & Culture, November 29Me As Her Again: an utterlyqueer memoirSince its release in October 2008, authorand performance artist Nancy Agabian’sMe As Her Again: True Stories of an ArmenianDaughter, has gained both popularand critical acclaim.A memoir about identity and familyhistory, Agabian’s latest is also a brazenexamination of queerness – a deviationfrom the expected, the norm, and theconventional – the attempt to deny itthrough self-banishment, and, finally,the recognition and acceptance of that“odd” self.Agabian narrates hilarious, strange,and elegiac stories about her sister,who moves to Northampton to live in awomen’s commune and comes out to herfamily as a lesbian; about her homophobicbrother, who comes out of the closetlater in life; and about her parents, whoare clueless that their youngest daughteris writing performance pieces abouttheir dysfunctional family.Agabian’s prose is playful, as it shiftsfrom extremely serious to almost farcical.One of her strongest abilities is thatof taking something outrageous andnarrating it in such a way that is at oncecomical and ironic.Arts & Culture, December 6, 2008“Defining Place” throughphotographyThe works of five Los Angeles photographers,among them Ara Oshagan andGilda Davidian, were showcased in “De-C10 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009

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To get a dish and subscribe, call 1-888-284-7116 toll free.Satellite Broadcast Program Grid5 – 11 January 20095 January 6 January 7 JanuaryMonday Tuesday WednesdayEST PSTEST PSTEST PST4:30 7:30 News in 4:30 7:30 News in 4:30 7:30 News inArmenianArmenianArmenian5:00 8:00 Good 5:00 8:00 Good 5:00 8:00 GoodMorning,ArmeniansMorning,ArmeniansMorning,Armenians6:00 9:00 Morning 5:55 8:55 Point of view 5:55 8:55 Point of viewProgram 6:00 9:00 Morning 6:00 9:00 Morning7:30 10:30 BumerangProgramProgram8:30 11:30 Seven Sins- 7:25 10:25 My Big, Fat 7:00 10:00 BumerangSerialArmenian Wedding 7:25 10:25 My Big, Fat9:00 12:00 News in 7:50 10:50 BumerangArmenian WeddingArmenian 8:05 11:05 Yerevan Time 7:50 10:50 Jo-Jo9:25 12:25 A Drop of 8:30 11:30 Seven Sins- 8:15 11:15 Seven Sins-HoneySerialSerial10:00 13:00 Blef9:00 12:00 News in9:00 12:00 News in10:25 13:25 Yere1(ye:re:ArmenianArmenianvan)9:25 12:25 The Pages of9:25 12:25 The Pages of10:50 13:50 TelekitchenLife-SerialLife-Serial11:15 14:15 Armenian10:00 13:00 Blitz10:05 13:05 BlitzDiaspora10:20 13:20 Unhappy11:40 14:40 Cool Program10:20 13:20 UnhappyHappiness - Serial12:00 15:00 News inHappiness - Serial11:00 14:00 TelekitchenArmenian11:00 14:00 Telekitchen11:25 14:25 Cost of life-12:30 15:30 Fathers and11:25 14:25 Cost of life-SerialSonsSerial 12:00 15:00 News in13:30 16:30 Blitz 12:00 15:00 News inArmenian13:50 16:50 HealthArmenian 12:30 15:30 Tonight showProgram 12:30 15:30 Concertwith Hovo14:15 17:15 The Pages of 13:50 16:50 Blitz 13:00 16:00 Point of viewLife-Serial 14:15 17:15 The Pages of 13:05 16:05 Gevo/Sketches15:00 18:00 News inLife-Serial 13:30 16:30 BlitzArmenian 15:00 18:00 News in 13:50 16:50 A Drop of15:30 18:30 A Drop ofArmenianHoneyHoney 15:30 18:30 PS Club 14:15 17:15 The Pages of16:05 19:05 Seven Sins- 16:05 19:05 Seven Sins-Life-SerialSerialSerial 15:00 18:00 News in16:50 19:50 Point of view 16:50 19:50 Point of viewArmenian16:55 19:55 Unhappy 16:55 19:55 Unhappy 15:30 18:30 BlefHappiness - SerialHappiness - Serial 16:05 19:05 Seven Sins-17:35 20:35 My Big, Fat 17:35 20:35 My Big, FatSerialArmenian WeddingArmenian Wedding 16:50 19:50 Point of view18:00 21:00 News in 18:00 21:00 News in 16:55 19:55 UnhappyArmenianArmenianHappiness - Serial18:30 21:30 Cost of life- 18:30 21:30 Cost of life- 17:35 20:35 My Big, FatSerialSerialArmenian Wedding19:05 22:05 Tonight show 19:05 22:05 Tonight show 18:00 21:00 News inwith Hovowith HovoArmenian19:35 22:35 Gevo/Sketches 19:35 22:35 Gevo/Sketches 18:30 21:30 Cost of life-20:00 23:00 Cool sketches 20:00 23:00 Yere1(ye:re:Serial21:00 0:00 News invan)19:05 22:05 Tonight showArmenian21:00 0:00 News inwith Hovo21:20 0:20 The ArmenianArmenian19:35 22:35 Gevo/SketchesFilm21:20 0:20 Bumerang20:00 23:00 Cool sketches23:00 2:00 Cost of life-21:00 0:00 News in22:30 1:30 Yerevan TimeSerialArmenian23:00 2:00 Cost of life-23:30 2:30 Telekitchen21:25 0:25 The Armenian0:00 3:00 Yere1(ye:re:SerialFilmvan)23:30 2:30 Telekitchen23:00 2:00 Cost of life-0:25 3:25 Bumerang0:00 3:00 HealthSerial0:50 3:50 VOA(The VoiceProgram 23:30 2:30 Telekitchenof America) 0:30 3:30 VOA(The Voice 0:00 3:00 Fathers and1:10 4:10 Blitzof America)Sons1:25 4:25 Armenian 1:10 4:10 Blitz 1:05 4:05 BlefDiaspora 1:25 4:25 Cool Program 1:25 4:25 Blitz1:45 4:45 Cool Program 1:45 4:45 PS Club 1:45 4:45 PS Club2:10 5:10 Seven Sins- 2:10 5:10 Seven Sins- 2:10 5:10 Seven Sins-SerialSerialSerial2:50 5:50 The Pages of 2:50 5:50 The Pages of 2:50 5:50 The Pages ofLife-SerialLife-SerialLife-Serial3:35 6:35 Candid camera 3:35 6:35 Candid camera 3:35 6:35 Candid camera4:00 7:00 Tonight show 4:00 7:00 Tonight show 4:00 7:00 Tonight showwith Hovowith Hovowith Hovo8 January 9 January 10 January 11 JanuaryThursday Friday Saturday SundayEST PSTEST PSTEST PSTEST PST4:30 7:30 News in 4:30 7:30 News in 4:30 7:30 News inArmenian4:30 7:30 The ArmenianArmenianArmenian5:00 8:00 Good 5:00 8:00 GoodMorning,Armenians5:00 8:00 Candid cameraFilmMorning,Armenians5:55 8:55 Point of view5:55 8:55 Bumerang5:55 8:55 Point of view5:55 8:55 Point of view6:00 9:00 Morning 6:00 9:00 Morning 6:30 9:30 Mosfilm6:00 9:00 VOA(The VoiceProgramProgram 7:50 10:50 PS Club7:00 10:00 Yerevan Time7:00 10:00 Cool Program 8:15 11:15 Seven Sins-of America)7:25 10:25 My Big, Fat7:25 10:25 The ArmenianSerialArmenian Wedding6:20 9:20 BumerangFilm7:50 10:50 A Drop of9:00 12:00 News in8:15 11:15 Seven Sins-7:20 10:20 ArmenianHoneyArmenianSerial8:15 11:15 Seven Sins-9:25 12:25 The Pages ofDiasporaSerial9:00 12:00 News in9:00 12:00 News inArmenianLife-Serial 7:45 10:45 Cool ProgramArmenian 9:25 12:25 The Pages of 10:05 13:05 Blitz8:15 11:15 Seven Sins-9:25 12:25 The Pages ofLife-Serial 10:20 13:20 UnhappyLife-Serial 10:05 13:05 BlitzHappiness - SerialSerial10:05 13:05 Blitz 10:20 13:20 Unhappy 11:00 14:00 Fathers and 9:00 12:00 Blef10:20 13:20 UnhappyHappiness - SerialSonsHappiness - Serial 11:00 14:00 Telekitchen9:25 12:25 Yere1(ye:re:12:00 15:00 VOA(The Voice11:00 14:00 Telekitchen 11:25 14:25 PS Club11:25 14:25 Cost of life- 12:00 15:00 News inof America)van)SerialArmenian 12:20 15:20 Health 9:50 12:50 A Drop of12:00 15:00 News in 12:30 15:30 Tonight showProgramArmenianHoneywith Hovo 13:00 16:00 Point of view12:30 15:30 Tonight show 13:00 16:00 Point of view 13:05 16:05 Gevo/Sketches 10:30 13:30 Tonight showwith Hovo 13:05 16:05 Gevo/Sketches13:00 16:00 Point of view13:30 16:30 Yerevan Time13:30 16:30 Blitzwith Hovo13:05 16:05 Gevo/Sketches13:55 16:55 Tonight show13:50 16:50 Blef13:30 16:30 Blitz14:15 17:15 The Pages ofwith Hovo11:00 14:00 Unhappy13:45 16:45 HealthLife-Serial 14:20 17:20 My Big, FatHappiness - SerialProgram15:00 18:00 News inArmenian Wedding14:15 17:15 The Pages of14:25 17:25 Yo-YoArmenian 15:30 18:30 A Drop ofLife-Serial15:00 18:00 News in15:30 18:30 A Drop ofHoney14:50 17:50 Gevo/SketchesArmenianHoney 16:05 19:05 Seven Sins- 16:00 19:00 Mosfilm15:30 18:30 Armenian 16:05 19:05 Seven Sins-SerialDiasporaSerial18:00 21:00 Concert16:55 19:55 Armenian16:05 19:05 Seven Sins- 16:50 19:50 Point of viewSerial 16:55 19:55 UnhappyDiaspora 19:10 22:10 Cost of life-16:50 19:50 Point of viewHappiness - Serial 17:25 20:25 Point of viewSerial16:55 19:55 Unhappy 17:35 20:35 Yere1(ye:re: 17:35 20:35 Cool Program21:00 0:00 News inHappiness - Serialvan) 18:00 21:00 News in17:35 20:35 Blef 18:00 21:00 News inArmenianArmenian18:00 21:00 News inArmenian18:25 21:25 Yere1(ye:re:Armenian21:30 0:30 The Armenian18:30 21:30 Cool Program18:30 21:30 PS Clubvan)19:05 22:05 Tonight showFilm19:05 22:05 Tonight showwith Hovo 19:20 22:20 The Armenianwith Hovo 19:30 22:30 Gevo/SketchesFilm 23:10 2:10 A Drop of19:30 22:30 Gevo/Sketches 20:00 23:00 Bumerang 20:30 23:30 A Drop ofHoney20:00 23:00 Yere1(ye:re: 21:00 0:00 News inHoneyvan)Armenian0:00 3:00 VOA(The Voice20:25 23:25 Bumerang21:00 0:00 Bumerang21:25 0:25 Armenian21:00 0:00 News in23:30 2:30 Telekitchenof America)DiasporaArmenian0:00 3:00 VOA(The Voice22:00 1:00 Candid camera0:20 3:20 Health21:25 0:25 Mosfilm23:30 2:30 Telekitchenof America)23:30 2:30 TelekitchenProgram0:05 3:05 Health0:00 3:00 Fathers and 0:20 3:20 Cool sketchesProgramSons 0:45 3:45 Yerevan time 0:50 3:50 Yo-Yo1:25 4:25 Love Eli 1:15 4:15 Cool sketches 1:10 4:10 Blitz 1:15 4:15 Cool Program1:50 4:50 Blitz 1:35 4:35 Love Eli 1:35 4:35 Love Eli2:10 5:10 Seven Sins- 2:10 5:10 Seven Sins-1:40 4:40 Blitz2:00 5:00 In factSerialSerial2:10 5:10 Seven Sins- 2:00 5:00 Fathers and2:50 5:50 The Pages of 2:50 5:50 The Pages ofLife-SerialLife-SerialSerialSons3:35 6:35 Gevo/Sketches 3:35 6:35 Gevo/Sketches 2:55 5:55 Candid camera4:00 7:00 Tonight show 4:00 7:00 Tonight show 4:00 7:00 Tonight show3:00 6:00 Candid camerawith Hovowith Hovowith Hovo 3:55 6:55 Bumerangfining Place,” an exhibition held at theCenter for Experimental Art and Architecturein December 2008.The exhibition’s format itself was designedto encourage dialogue. CuratorTamar Salibian limited the show to fiveartists because she “wanted each artistto have his/her own ‘space’ within thegallery” – an appropriate decision aboutan exhibition concerned with constructinga specific type of place.Arts & Culture, December 6, 2008and far, but past and present as well,calling on what she has termed a “mnemotechnique,”a play on the Greek wordfor memory. This is especially evidentwhen the artist examines topics relatingto her family history such as her grandmother’sexperiences during and afterthe Genocide.In 2008, Der-Meguerditchian organizeda unique exhibit, “A(r)mar Armenia,”in Buenos Aires. The title of theshow plays on the two Spanish verbsamar and armar, which signify to loveKariné Matsakian, and Gariné Torossian– who joined her for the show.Arts & Culture, December 13, 2008as Louis Kahn, Richard Meier, andFrank Gehry.Also in 2008, Bulbulian authoredwhat can be considered the canons ofinternational practice in an article titled“Ten Things You’ll Want to Know AboutWorking in Asia.” In it, he describes theissues which American architects aremost likely to encounter when practicingin the Asian markets.Arts & Culture, December 20, 2008Vegas hosts Armenian musicstarsRed threads,Installation,Adaptable (9 m x 4 m),Stichframes, wooll andcotton, 2007.Uncovering the (Armenian)past, building the futureSilvina Der-Meguerditchian has beenbuilding bridges and linking worlds forthe better part of 20 years.Her art attempts to link not only nearand to build, respectively, hence givingus the two simultaneous titles “To LoveArmenia” and “To Build Armenia.”Der-Meguerditchian brought togethersix artists from around the world– Achot Achot, Tina Bastajian, JeanMarie Casbarian, Archi Galentz,Mastermind of architecturalwondersIn 2008, the American Institute of Architectshonored Francis Bulbulian withthe highest distinction bestowed uponan American architect: a fellowship ofthe American Institute of Architects.Bulbulian’s portfolio - overflowingwith post-modern architectural gemswhich embody the look of global architecture- provides plenty of justificationfor elevating him into the company ofillustrious American architects suchOn December 27, 2008, Nune Yesayanand Andy brought the house down atParis Las Vegas.The enormous hall of the casino-resortbecame the site of an Armenian keflike no other, as thousands celebratedrollicking music performed by a trio ofbona fide superstars.The singers offered a perfect balanceof folk, spirit, and pop – Nune with herpristine folk renditions; Alla Levonianwith her celebrated patriotic songs andtracks from her recent hit album, Maral,dedicated to all mothers; and internationalsinging sensation Andy with hisoriginal compositions and renditions ofpop favorites.Arts & Culture, December 20, 2008Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009C11

C12 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture January 3, 2009