Yerevan: La Francophonie Global leaders hit the dancefloor, party to Armenian music

October 12, 2018 By administrator

A video showing global leaders dancing to Armenian music at an official dinner in Yerevan October 11 has gone viral online.

The dancing took place during an official dinner on behalf of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

French President Emmanuel Macron with his spouse Brigitte, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, OIF Secretary General Michaelle Jean with her spouse, and many other heads of state and government are seen partying and dancing to Armenian music.The first day of the XVII La Francophonie summit took place October 11.

I was an ordinary French who did not speak Armenian. Jeremy Delver told Armenpress, as “Armenian Waltz” attracted thousands of hearts

October 11, 2018 By administrator

Jeremy Delver

“Armenpress” presents an exclusive interview with the member of the French National Guard Choir Jeremy Delver, who performed the farewell ceremony of Charles Aznavour’s “Armenian Waltz” song in Paris during the farewell ceremony of the legendary chansonnier Charles Aznavour.

– Mr. Delver, first of all, thank you for not denying Armenpress. Of course, I want to start the interview with Aznavour. France at the highest level paid tribute to the chansonnier, the man who was Armenian and at the same time French. We are grateful to France for such treatment. I suppose it was a responsible moment for you too.

– I, as well as all my colleagues, were very excited, excited and felt that we were just there, at the Invalid Palace and to take part in the farewell ceremony. Now I’m talking about this, but I think I can not say this definitely on behalf of the other 39 members of the French Orchestra. Charles Aznavour is one of the giants and pillars of the French song. Indeed, the moment was very important.

– How did it happen that you acted as a soloist?

– We started preparing for 48 hours before the ceremony. The Elysee Palace applied to the French Army Choir on Wednesday. Aurora Thiak, who oversees the choir of the French Army, has proposed to make a “Armenian Waltz”, which would be a nice tribute to the Armenian side and Charles Aznavour’s memory.

– Your song was loved in Armenia, say, “Armenian Waltz” was easily given to the soloist of the French National Guard Orchestra. How much time did you spend studying Armenian text?

– Frankly speaking, it was a challenge for me. It was not as difficult as I imagined, because Mr. Shmavonyan and Mrs. Hilda Geghamyan helped me a lot. Armen is a friend of one of my leaders, who sent me the text written in French letters because I do not read your language. It was not hard, because I was very helpful. The only problem was that we had very little time, and besides, I realized that the representatives of the Armenian authorities, Charles Aznavour’s family would be there, and I wanted the Armenian words to be realistic, given the fact, that I was 48 hours before, I did not speak Armenian yet. I hope I have not been disappointed enough to convey the meaning of this beautiful poetry. I receive quite a lot of emails from Armenians living in different parts of the world, and I think that my mission has been successfully accomplished.

You really did it perfectly, but was not it so difficult for the soloist of the military band to make that kind of emotional song?

Thank you very much. Let me make an adjustment: I’m not a choir soloist, I’m only one of the French Army Choir singers, and even being a soloist, I had 39 people on my back, just because I was lucky enough to be selected by my manager as a soloist, but also a very talented were people. It was teamwork. My head offered to include this section, which was approved by the Elysee Palace and the Aznavour family. The song is really full of sadness. It is a joint work of Den Gharibian and Bratsch, and for the second time I felt that there is a theme of the Armenian Diaspora in the song, the theme of the country in which they do not live. The most important thing for me was to feel that. I was an ordinary French who did not speak Armenian

– There are many Armenians in France, you have Armenian friends. Would you like to see Armenia, be in Aznavour’s homeland?

– I do not have French-Armenian friends, but my mother recognizes many French-Armenians. I have never been to Armenia and, frankly speaking, it would be great if Armenia would invite the French Army Choir. It would give you an opportunity to discover your country, your culture, and judging by the responses and letters I received from you.

– There is one of the favorites in the list of Csanones, which is the most beloved for you. Do it for us!

– Charles Aznavour has written 1,300 songs and it is difficult to choose one, but Mr. Aznavour liked to sing in foreign languages, and in some songs he mix the languages and this one of them is … / Aznavour’s For Me. Formidable, Team. /: This is probably one of the most beautiful songs in Aznavour, along with Emmenez moi, which sounded during the ceremony. And one last message, which is very important, I have many applications on facebook, as well as by email, unfortunately, I can not answer everyone, I apologize to everyone but I want to thank Armenians in all corners of the globe for beautiful reactions : I share this with all my friends, we are all very happy and excited, I apologize to all those whom I can not answer, I am really unable to answer 150 postcards. I have responded to 100 and I’m a little 50 and I can not go with everyone on Facebook, but I’m so grateful

Francophonie concert in Yerevan to feature famous performers

October 10, 2018 By administrator

Francophonie concert

Famous performers are expected to sing at a gala concert on the sidelines of the XVII Francophonie Summit on Thursday, October 11.

The Armenian capital of Yerevan will host the summit on October 11-12. 24 heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are expected to participate in the summit.

The event will feature special light and sound effects, theatrical and dance performances.

In particular, world famous singer Zaz, as well as jazz singer Melody Gardot, Angélique Kidjo and Folamour will take the stage in Yerevan .

The concert will be dedicated to the memory of the legendary French Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour who passed away on October 1 at the age of 94.

Renowned cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan to dedicate his October concerts to Aznavour

October 8, 2018 By administrator

cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan

World-famous Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan has announced his decision to dedicate all his performances in October to the memory of great Charles Aznavour.

Having performed in the Great Britain on 6 October, Hakhnazaryan is set to perform five more concerts in October in Belgium, Switzerland, Russia, the Netherlands, and Spain, he said in a Facebook post.

Aznavour died of natural causes last Monday at the age of 94.

Hakhnazaryan, 29, is recognised worldwide as one of the finest cellists of his generation. Since winning the Cello First Prize and Gold Medal at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011 at the age of 22, he has forged strong relationships across the globe with orchestras such as the Mariinsky Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Filarmonica de la Scala and the London Philharmonic. Hakhnazaryan was selected to the prestigious 2014 BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, and his performances are broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3.

Francophonie events in Yerevan to kick off on October 7 with the session of the Permanent Council

October 6, 2018 By administrator

The Francophonie events in Armenia will kick off on October 7 with the session of the Permanent Council. the works will be launched by the Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), the Chairwoman of the Permanent Council of the Francophonie.

The 35th OIF Ministerial Conference will take place on October 8-9. The official opening of Francophonie Village at the Freedom Square is scheduled on October 9, where the participant countries and partners of the OIF will have the opportunity to display the cultural and language diversity of their countries.

The 47^th session of the International Francophone Press Union will take place on October 9-12 in Tsakhkadzor. The topic of this session will be “Press and migration”.

In the sidelines of the 17^th summit of the Francophonie an economic forum will be organized for the first time on October 10 at Tumo center for creative technologies.

A gala concert will be held at the Republican Square on October 11 at 19:30 the final part of which will be dedicated to world famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour.

The 17th summit of the Francophonie will be held on October 11-12. The election of Secretary General of the organization is on the agenda. The Summit will be held under the theme of “Living Together”; “Living together, respecting solidarity, humanistic values and diversity as the basis for peace and prosperity in the francophone area.” Pomegranate has been chosen as the logo of the summit, symbolizing peace and prosperity in the entire Francophonie area.

Yerevan is hosting the XVII International Organisation of La Francophonie summit October 7-12. Armenia is a member of the organization since 2008. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language. They also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The French language and its humanist values represent the two cornerstones on which the International Organisation of La Francophonie is based. The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 84 member states and governments (58 members and 26 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 274 million French speakers.

OIF organizes political activities and actions of multilateral cooperation that benefit French-speaking populations. Its actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity and serve to promote the French language, peace and sustainable development. IOF has concluded 33 cooperation agreements with international and regional organisations and has established permanent dialogue between the major international linguistic zones (the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arab-speaking zones).

The IOF has its head office in Paris as well as four permanent representations in Addis Ababa (at the African Union and at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), in Brussels (at the European Union), in New York and in Geneva (at the UN). It has three regional offices (West Africa ; Central Africa and Indian Ocean ; Asia-Pacific) located respectively in Lomé (Togo), Libreville (Gabon) and Hanoi (Vietnam) and two regional antennas in Bucharest (Romania) and in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Alongside the IOF, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and the four direct operators are responsible for implementing the programs decided at the Summits.

The four direct operators are : the Academic Agency of La Francophonie, TV5Monde, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and The Senghor University of Alexandria. 58 Member States and Governments : Albania, Principality of Andorra, Armenia, Kingdom of Belgium, French Community of Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canada-New-Brunswick, Canada-Quebec, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, , Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, New-Caledonia, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Säo Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam. 26 Observers : Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada-Ontario, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, Mozambique, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

2018 Chess Olympiad: USA beats Armenia

October 5, 2018 By administrator

Men’s chess teams of Armenia was defeated in the 10th round of the 43rd FIDE Chess World Olympiad.

#Armenian Girl’s pushing woman’s right to the max, Meet Lorik Hartunian CEO of “GOALS” Video

September 29, 2018 By administrator

Armenian Girl’s pushing woman’s right to the max, From Wally Sarkeesian Travel Book: Meet Lorik Hartunian the incredible woman and the CEO of the “GOALS” Girls of Armenia leadership Soccer, in just two years she organizes Girls of Armenia leadership Soccer organization and expanding to other regions of Armenia, now close to 400 players and growing. Gagrulelive we were happy to cover the event in Armavir, Armenia. Way to go girls..

Armenian pastry chefs earn Guinness World Record for 6m long Gata

September 28, 2018 By administrator

Armenian sweet bread or as it is commonly referred Gata was credited with a Guinness World Record on Friday. The giant pastry that was presented near Swan Lake in Yerevan was 6 meters long and weighted around 369kg. The event took place in the scope of “Yerevan 2800” celebrations dedicated to 2780th anniversary of the foundation of the Armenian capital.

The feat was confirmed by a Guinness World Records officer Joanne Marie Brent who had arrived in Armenia for the occasion.

The Gata was prepared by a group of five pastry chefs led by Anahit Mikayelyan, representing Yeremyan Projects.

International Contemporary Art Exhibition opening in Yerevan

September 28, 2018 By administrator

To mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the First Armenian Republic, Yerevan will host the “International Contemporary Art Exhibition: Armenia 2018. Soundlines of Contemporary Art”, which from September 28 to October 25 will engage the capital city with more than fifty international artists exhibiting in seven different locations around the city.

It will be the first exhibition to encompass all the different aspects of contemporary art – paintings, sculpture, photography, video art and installations and performance – create a dialog among a vast number of international artists coming from all over the world. The artists invited to create artworks in situ as well as participate in several workshops with students from different art institutes. The objective of the initiative is to involve as much territory as possible and to make it part of the artistic debate and highlight its vocation for cultural exchange. For this reason, it extends to the city with a widespread diffusion of the most important cultural centers such as the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Aram Khachaturian House- Museum, Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Hayart Cultural Center, the Artists Union of Armenia, A. Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater and the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

“The initiative goes on a par with the idea of La Francophonie which seeks to unite us all. The exhibition offers an opportunity for cultural exchange,” said Vasken Yacoubian, the president of AGBU Armenia, which supports the event.

Fabio Lenzi, one of the people behind the initiative, said such an event is happening in Armenia and the region for the first time.

“We are confident that culture is the key to abolishing borders and facilitating more connections,” he said.

“Many of the artists have decided to come to Armenia to learn more about the local culture. This exchange is a starting point for exporting the country’s art and experience to international arenas.”

According to him, bringing so many talented artists to Armenia was of major importance.

Also, he said, one of the most important cultural centers created back in the Soviet era – HayArt – has been renovated as part of the event.

Curators Mazdak Faiznia and Marina Hakobyan, in turn, thanked the organizers, all the artists involved in the project, the supporters of the initiative and all those who have helped in the process.

“When we first contacted the artists and galleries, most of them had a lot of questions. And while many were quite responsive, this was still a big adventure and a dream for all of us,” said Faiznia.

“The curator said he has learned so much in Armenia, including “the value of silence.” According to him, Armenian artists play a key role in the global industry nowadays.

Hakobyan, the other curator, said this is not the first time Armenia is hosting such an exhibition, but this one is unique in terms of its enormity.

“We hope the exhibition will help Armenia reach international podiums easily and more often,” Hakobyan said.

The exhibition combines contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation of iconic works on loan from the world’s top galleries and collections, as well as commissioned works realized by the artists in situ.

Furthermore, an educational section will include several workshops in some of the leading art institutions of Armenia such as Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, Terlemezyan Yerevan State College of Fine and the Armenian Academy of Fine Arts, held by, among others, Roberto Pugliese, Roland Emile Kuit, Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, and Victor Ehikhamenor.

Organized by “Shaula International” LLC, the event has the patronage of the Canadian Government, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in Italy, the cultural promotion project of the Italian Foreign Ministry “Vivere all’Italiana”, the Embassy of Italy in Armenia and it is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Tourism Agency, the EU Delegation in Armenia and by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

Armenia’s chess team of men wins Turkey – Olympiad

September 26, 2018 By administrator

Armenia’s chess team of men has won Turkey’s team.

ARMENPRESS reports in the 3rd round of the 43rd Olympiads the Armenian team competed with Turkey and won 2.5-1.5. Aronian, Sargsyan and Martirosyan ended in a draw. Hrant Melkumyan was the only to win.

Women’s team of Armenia won the Greeks 0.5-3.5.