Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

The Armenian Community of Ethiopia – Past and Present, Lecturer: Asbed Pogarian

By

On Sunday, January 20, 2019, the Educational Committee of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley will host a lecture on the “The Armenian Community of Ethiopia – Past and Present” presented by Asbed Pogarian. The lecture will begin at 1:00 p.m., after the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, at the Prelacy “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall (6250 Honolulu Ave, La Crescenta, CA 91214).

Despite their distant geographic homelands, Armenians and Ethiopians have been in contact for many centuries, mainly through their common branch of Christianity. Armenian clergy have visited Ethiopia and vice versa. Individual Armenians have settled in Ethiopia as traders and advisors, but it was only in the late 1800s and early 1900 that a community was formed.

In 1924, the future Emperor Haile Selassie “adopted” 40 orphans from the Armenian orphanage in Jerusalem and brought them to Ethiopia, making them his official Imperial Marching Band. Their leader, Kevork Nalbandian, composed the national anthem of Ethiopia in 1930, which played until the Communist Revolution of 1974, when it was discontinued. After the Revolution, most Armenians left the country.

Asbed Pogarian is a third generation Ethiopian-Armenian. His paternal grandfather arrived in Ethiopia in 1899 after surviving the Hamidian massacres of 1895-96. Both his parents were born in Addis Ababa. He left Ethiopia in 1975 and attended the Melkonian Educational Institute in Cyprus. In 1985, he spent a year in Yerevan researching the relationship between Ethiopians and Armenians throughout history. Last January, after an absence of 43 years, he returned to Ethiopia for the first time and documented his travel in the film, Dear Ethiopia: A Love Letter.

We invite our parishioners and the greater community to attend Divine Liturgy and the presentation to follow. There will be a reception with Sample of Ethiopian Food. The event is free of charge to the public.

Iraqi Christians celebrate Christmas one year after Daesh defeat

By

  • War and sectarian conflict shrank Iraq’s Christian population from 1.5 million to about 400,000 after the US-led invasion in 2003
  • Iraq is home to many different eastern rite churches, both Catholic and Orthodox

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Christians quietly celebrated Christmas on Tuesday amid improved security, more than a year after the country declared victory over Daesh militants who threatened to end their 2,000-year history in Iraq.
Christianity in Iraq dates back to the first century of the Christian era, when the apostles Thomas and Thaddeus are believed to have preached the Gospel on the fertile flood plains of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates.
Iraq is home to many different eastern rite churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, traditionally a sign of the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.
But war and sectarian conflict shrank Iraq’s Christian population from 1.5 million to about 400,000 after the US-led invasion in 2003. Following the onslaught of Daesh in 2014 and the brutal three-year war that followed their numbers have fallen further, though it is not known exactly by how much.


In Baghdad, Christians celebrated mass on Tuesday morning — declared a national holiday by government — in churches decorated for Christmas. Once fearful, they said they were now hopeful, since conditions had improved.“Of course we can say the security situation is better than in previous years,” said Father Basilius, leader of the St. George Chaldean Church in Baghdad where more than a hundred congregants attended Christmas mass.
“We enjoy security and stability mainly in Baghdad. In addition, Daesh was beaten.”
Iraq declared victory over the militants more than a year ago, but the damage done to Christian enclaves on the Nineveh Plains has been extensive.
In Qaraqosh, a town also known as Hamdaniya which lies 15 km (10 miles) west of Mosul, the damage is still visible.
At the city’s Immaculate Church, which belongs to the Syrian Catholic denomination and has not yet been rebuilt since the militants set it on fire in 2014, Christians gathered for midnight mass on Monday, surrounded by blackened walls still tagged with Daesh graffiti.
Dozens of worshippers prayed and received communion, and then gathered around the traditional bonfire in the church’s courtyard.
Before the militant onslaught, Qaraqosh was the largest Christian settlement in Iraq, with a population of more than 50,000. But today only a few hundred families have returned.
Faced with a choice to convert, pay a tax or die, many Christians in the Nineveh Plains fled to nearby towns and cities and some eventually moved abroad.Some have since returned, Father Butros said, adding: “We hope that all displaced families will return.”

Armenian beauty Narine Ishhanov on participating in Miss USA 2018 and Armenian roots

By

She was crowned Miss Utah USA 2018 gaining the opportunity to represent Armenian beauty at the Miss USA 2018 beauty contest. But Narine Ishhanov-Armenian beauty from Utah, doesn’t take modeling in the first place in her life. She has more achievements to do, about which 25-years-old beauty

Narine, I know that you were born in Turkmenistan. How your family moved from Armenia?

My great-great grandfather during the Armenian Genocide ran to Iran with his family, and then they moved to Turkmenistan. That’s how I ended up in Turkmenistan.

Have you ever been to Armenia? Do you speak Armenian, or know anything about its culture?

I’ve never been to Armenia, it is my goal though! I understand a little Armenian and speak a little, but I’m more fluent in Russian. And yes I know the Armenian culture very well, as well as practicing it with my family. My culture is everything to me, I embrace it in every way possible.

What education do you have?

I graduated with a major in Psychology and minor in Chemistry and currently in pursuit of School of Dentistry.

How did you start your modeling career? How the beauty contests appeared in your life?

A lot of people ask me this, initially and still to this day I’m not concentrated on my modeling career, to me it’s almost like a hobby what I love to do for fun. What I am hoping to achieve in the future as a career is become a successful dentist and open up my own Medical Spa. Beauty competition appeared in my life when my mother told me she wants me to be the first full Armenian woman to be on the Miss USA state.

Which was the most important beauty contest of your life?

I have to pick two most important beauty competitions in my life: Miss Utah USA 2018, which is the one that I won and Miss USA because that was a dream come true. I’ve been competing for the Miss Utah USA title 6 consecutive years, so I won on my 6th try. It wasn’t easy, especially with my background, but I did it! And as mentioned earlier, I decided to take part in this competition because of the opportunities and I wanted to be the first Armenian woman to be on the Miss USA stage. Of course, I also wanted to serve my beautiful state, that I absolutely love and represent it a whole year as best as I possibly could.

What did you gain from the contest?

I gained so much from the Miss USA competition: friends, opportunities, confidence, working with inspirational people, and even learning more about myself!

What will be your next achievement?

My next biggest achievement is to get into School of Dentistry and continue growing my trucking business.

A lot of models concentrate on their careers forgetting about their personal lives, making own families. What about you? What is more important for you?

To me, no matter what, my family comes first and it has always been my number 1 priority because that’s the way my parents raised me. Then comes  my career.

Annual New Year Run kicks off in Yerevan

By

YEREVAN. – A traditional New Year Run, an annual fun run organized in Yerevan to support charity projects, has kicked off at Republic Square

The funds raised during the event will go to One Armenia NGO’s “Mine-Free Artsakh” protect.

New Year Run is organized by Arm Marathon Foundation, Yerevan City Administration, TriClub multisport club.

 

Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Annual Gala Raises Record $4 Million

By

With the Armenian flag raised over the historic New York City’s Cunard building, 400 guests attended the sold-out 15th Annual Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Holiday Gala held on December 15th at Cipriani 25 Broadway. A record fund-raising total of over $4 million was raised, allowing the completion of the state-of-the-art COAF SMART Center campus, which will reach over 150,000 people and was recently visited by President Armen Sarkissian of Armenia.

“It was a spectacular evening, and we are delighted by the support from the Diaspora as well as our global family who have demonstrated a deep sense of commitment to COAF’s mission over the last 15 years,” said Dr. Garo Armen, Founder of COAF. “We are energized by the evening’s outpouring of generosity and will be expanding our reach which now includes 44 rural communities impacting over 75,000 lives to over 100 communities impacting 150,000 lives. Furthermore, the peaceful revolution in April underscores COAF’s core values to bring about democracy and freedom to allow citizens to define their future. All this will result in accelerated innovation and economic growth. We feel a moral responsibility to provide the next generation with the tools, skills and infrastructure to advance what has already started.”

A significant component of the evening was a live art auction guided by Gala Honorary Chair Tony Shafrazi, one of the art world’s most prominent figures. Renowned auctioneer Simon de Pury once again masterfully conducted the auction. COAF ambassador Andrea Martin returned as this year’s host. Celebrity guests included Grammy-nominated singer Melody Gardot and Emmy-nominated actor Victor Garber who led the evening’s special tribute to the late French-Armenian iconic entertainer Charles Aznavour.

COAF’s Humanitarian Award was presented to Vartan Gregorian (president of the Carnegie Corporation) and his late wife Clare Gregorian, who was a founding COAF board member. Nine college scholarships were established for COAF youth in Armenia in appreciation of Clare Gregorian’s dedication.

Attendees also heard an inspiring speech from a young teenager by the name of Marina Mirzoyan from the COAF-supported village of Hatsik. Marina is currently a study exchange student in Colorado and who has excelled in English language programs offered by COAF at her local school. She spoke on gaining confidence and not being afraid to fail as a result of COAF’s impact on her life. The evening also featured performances by two teenaged musicians from Armenia. Armen Puchinyan (piano) and Armen Daghents (saxophone) moved guests with both classical and popular pieces.

COAF has raised over $44 million since 2003, helping improve the lives of 75,000 people in 44 villages of Armenia. Plans are currently underway to add a Medical Center, Child Development Center and Dormitory on the SMART Center campus located in the Lori region of Armenia.

Thousands of youth have been impacted by COAF’s work in rural Armenia. Here’s the story of one such teenager who is a source of inspiration for others:   Watch Video

The Met’s president highlights Armenian culture at special luncheon

By

The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) recently hosted a luncheon at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which featured remarks by The Met’s President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss, “Armenia!” exhibit curator Dr. Helen Evans, and Armenia’s newly appointed Ambassador to the United States, the Honorable Varuzhan Nersesyan.

Following the luncheon, guests were given a special tour of the “Armenia!” exhibition by the catalogue contributor Dr. Rachel Goshgarian, who is also an intern alumna of the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program.

“On behalf of the Armenian Assembly of America, we extend our deep appreciation to Met President and CEO Daniel Weiss, exhibit curator Dr. Helen Evans, and Ambassador Nersesyan for their insightful remarks. It was a fantastic afternoon, and we would especially like to thank Dr. Rachel Goshgarian for leading the tours, going above and beyond to explain the importance of each artifact,” stated Assembly Board Member Alex Karapetian, who spearheaded the event. “We strongly encourage everyone to attend with family and friends. It is truly amazing,” he added.

Met President Weiss thanked the guests for attending the exhibit, noting Dr. Evans’ hard work and dedication which made the “Armenia!” exhibition the success that it is today. To date, The Met recorded over 152,000 visitors to the “Armenia!” exhibit, with even more views on its website which features an interactive map of Armenians in the Medieval World. The interactive map will remain accessible to the public even after the “Armenia!” exhibit concludes on January 13th.

Dr. Evans addressed the audience with her overarching goal of the exhibit. She explained her hope for the larger public – those who do not know what or where Armenia is – to leave The Met more interested in Armenia and its culture. And, thanks to her efforts, Dr. Evans’ goal has been a success. She told the guests at the luncheon that people are leaving more fascinated with Armenia and want to learn more. She also noted that almost every University in the area is featuring a class on The Met’s “Armenia!” exhibit, including her own course at Columbia University as the Nikit and Eleanora Ordjanian Visiting Professor, called “Origins of Armenian Art: Creating An Identity.”

The “Armenia!” exhibit features more than 140 objects, including opulent gilded reliquaries, richly illuminated manuscripts, rare textiles, cross stones (khachkars), precious liturgical furnishings, church models, and printed books – most of which are on view in the United States for the first time. It explores the arts and culture of the Armenians from their conversion to Christianity in the early 4th century through their leading role on international trade routes in the 17th century.

Zela Margossian Quintet review: Splashing Armenian heritage across a jazz canvas

By

Zela Margossian Quintet

By John Shand

What a bright new force is pianist Zela​ Margossian​. Her debut album, Transition, announced her range and fascination as a composer, splashing her Armenian heritage across the broad canvas of jazz. But whereas the album (as good as it is) felt slightly stifled by a preoccupation with precision, here her music exploded into a more visceral dimension, the fizzing excitement sometimes almost lifting you from your chair.

Perhaps her precocious sophistication (after relatively recently transitioning​ from classical to improvised music) is partly due to her breadth of life experience. Ceasefire, for instance, celebrates the joy of being able to leave a bunker in Beirut (where she and her family lived) to go up on the street to play during the Lebanese Civil War. Her experiences have also rounded her as a person, so, despite the historical hatred, this Armenian chose to include a Kurdish Turk in her band – and percussionist Adem​ Yilmaz brings shamanic​ powers to bear, combining improbable facility with ingenious artistry.

Yet such exceptional musicianship is the norm, shared by Margossian​, Stuart Vandegraaff​ (soprano saxophone, clarinet, ney), Elsen​ Price (bass) and Alexander Inman-Hislop (drums). The pyrotechnic thrills of odd-time-signature unisons at hurtling velocities were countered by the slow, moody groove of the Armenian traditional Erzerumi​ Shoror​, and the lonely yearning of Vandegraaff’s​ ney. Gradually the drama and dynamics of this intensified, until Inman-Hislop stormed the foreground with electrifying drumming.

Margossian’s​ exotic Mystic Flute had Vandergraaff’s​ clarinet lodged in its lower register, before an arco bass solo so forlorn as might make angels fall from heaven under the weight of their own tears. Yilmaz’s solo cajon​ on Doume​ began as softly as if it were approaching from the other side of a hill, while The Child in Me had thrilling dialogues between drums and percussion; soprano and piano.

Yilmaz and Inman-Hislop gave each other space throughout, like two brothers who have learned to share, although Yilmaz could jettison his overused chimes. The traditional Sari Axchik​ spawned Margossian’s​ finest work: a solo of muted passion.

Istanbul hosts Parajanov exhibition

By

Istanbul hosts its first ever exhibition dedicated to Sergei Parajanov, a prominent Soviet-Armenian director, artist and scriptwriter.

Entitled “Together With Parajanov Sarkis”, the cultural event opened in Pera Museum (in the city’s Beyoglu district) to feature unique masterpieces, collages, canvasses, sketches themed after Parajanov’s movies, as well as stage suits and photos, Rusarminfo.ru reports, citing a Turkish publication.

The exhibition will run through May 17, 2019. It was organized in collaboration with the Sergei Parajanov Museum in Yerevan.

 

Watch GagruleLive on Facebook, analyze pre and after Election results, providing impartial and comprehensive information

By

Nikol Pashinyan calling the election in cold freezing winter December month strategy worked. because most of his supporters Are Young University and most of them are located in and around Yerevan Area and you can see why the Voter turnout 38.04% as of 5pm are low because most of the villagers and the mountainous people probably wouldn’t be able to go vote. because of the weather condition another Pashinyan brilliant strategy.

Election Update: According to the Central Electoral Commission a total of 1,260,840 eligible voters or 48.63 percent had cast their ballots once polls closed at 8 p.m. The highest voter turnout was in Yerevan at 60.6 percent, followed by Vayots Dzor at 55.9 percent and Tavush at 53 percent. During the 2017 parliamentary elections, total voter turnout was 60.86 percent.

Election Numbers change again as of 3:04 PM 

YEREVAN. – The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia has counted 20.06 percent of ballots from 623 of the 2,010 election precincts, and which were cast in Sunday’s National Assembly election.

Nikol Pashinyan’s “My Step” is leading with 70.05% (177,235 votes), the second is Prosperous Armenia with 8.57% (21,692) and “Bright Armenia” is the third with 6.36% (16,101).

They are followed by ARF Dashanktsutyun with 4.67% (11,809), the Republican Party of Armenia with 4.18% (10,581), We bloc with 2,18% (5,509), Sasna Tsrer party with 1.55 (3,922), Citizen’s Decision Social Democratic Party with 0.62% (1,565), Christian People’s Revival party with 0.46% (1,158), National Progress with  0.33% (836).

Pashinyan win big 60%