Category Archives: Armenia

voch’inch’

08 Wednesday May 2013

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painting by Jan Toorop,1858

painting by Jan Toorop,1858

Ըսէ ինծի՝ ե՞րբ եւ ո՞ւր հոգին մը հավերժ հիշատակին կին պիտի գտնէ. Ես ունեի մի քրոջը. Մենք տեսանք արյան ից Ղարաբաղ. Մենք խմեց են ցաւ ից Հրազդան գետ. Ես ունեի մի քրոջը. Նա կարող էր կրակում է սլաքը, եւ կսպանեն արեւի. Աստվածների թե լաց, երբ նա երգում էր նրան բանաստեղծությունները. Իմ լեռները սիրեց քույրս. Բայց քույրս մեռած. Ոչինչ. Ոչինչ. Ոչինչ.
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Tell me when and where to find the soul of a warrior woman. I had a sister. We saw blood from Karabakh. We drank from the pain of the Hrazdan river. I had a sister. She could shoot an arrow, and kill the sun. The gods wept when she sang her poems. My sister loved these mountains. But my sister is dead. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

bagmasti

06 Monday May 2013

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photo by Aros Martirosyan

photo by Aros Martirosyan

Բագմաստի, ես կը փախչէի ողջ աստղերն, իսկ անապատը խոր. Որտեղ եք? Թէ մայրերը չլինէր աշխարհում, քույրերը, աղջիկներ ջահել, այս հինավուրց աստվածուհի պետք է անհետանալ, սակայն, դուք չեք կարող սպանել աստվածուհի.
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Bagmasti, I fled across the stars and the deep desert. Where are you? If it were not for the mothers, sisters, young girls of the world this ancient goddess would disappear, but you can not kill a goddess.

what are you going to do on yegherrni zoheri hishataki or?

22 Monday Apr 2013

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a2

“On May 23, 1918 the Armenian troops defeated superior Turkish forces advancing toward Yerevan. This victory on the threshold of Echmiadzin saved the heart of Armenia from conquest.” — Jacques Kayaloff (1973)

April 24 is Genocide Remembrance Day (Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օր) and while Turkey will once again choose to look the other way I figured I’d take the advice my mother always gave when it came to dealing with dimwitted bullies — “small-minded people hate to look foolish and stupid in front of their betters” — and so I will retell the story in which Enver Pasha’s Young Turks were defeated by the plucky Armenian Army of 1918.

This is, of course, the Battle of Sardarabad (Սարդարապատի ճակատամարտ) and it is amazing.

armenian roots of reggae?

21 Sunday Apr 2013

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I wrote this letter to a friend last year. She didn’t have the answer but maybe somebody else does:

I don’t know if you can answer this question but you know more about Armenian music than anyone I know so I figured it was worth a shot. I discovered that after the genocide a handful of Armenian orphans were adopted by Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia. These children would later become the first official orchestra of his nation and compose Ethiopia’s national anthem. I don’t know how well versed in Bob Marley and Reggae music you are, but the Rastafarian movement considered Haile a living god and Ethiopia spiritual home of their people.

I am curious how much influence Armenian music had on the roots of what is today considered Reggae? The Ethiopian emperor was very fond of Armenian music and Rastafarians look toward him for inspiration. It would be interesting to see if the folk and church hymns of Armenian had any influence on a music now popular the world over?