SOCIAL JUSTICE CONCERT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ARMENIAN ORPHANAGES ON APRIL 24
Asbarez
Apr 22nd, 2010
LOS ANGELES-Asbarez caught up with Viza band member and Oud player
Antranig Kzirian to talk about the second annual Silence the Lies!
Rock the Truth! concert set for April 24. Organized by a coalition of
community organizations and artists, this social justice concert will
be dedicated to raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide through
music and activism. The groundbreaking concert will be held at the
El Rey Theatre in the heart of Los Angeles on Saturday, April 24, 2010.
We present the interview below:
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Asbarez: Can you tell us about this upcoming concert?
Antranig Kzirian: The event is named "Silence the Lies! Rock the Truth"
and it is the second annual concert put on together by community
organizations like the ANC, AYF, UCLA AGA Sorority and AGBU along
with musicians that are of course artists – but activists as well.
We wanted to help organize this event because we feel that this type
of social justice concert helps to raise even more awareness of human
rights issues that are important to Armenians, and also people from
all backgrounds.
A: Where and When is the show?
A.K.: It’s on Saturday, April 24 at the El Rey in Los Angeles at 8 pm.
The website has lots of good information on
the history of the Armenian Genocide, how individuals can contribute
to the cause in general and other details.
A: What’s your take on how a concert can complement more conventional
means of advocacy and education?
A.K.: For me this is very relevant as I am a human rights activist
and also a passionate musician. The confluence of the two is apparent
in the message of this show and is the objective of the concert –
to bring the two together in a show of unity and understanding on
something that has deeply affected all of us.
Nonetheless, reaching out to the younger generation can be a
challenging endeavor at times – there are so many issues that are
important to us both in our community and just simply as human beings.
Because of that, it is essential that our youth – basically the leaders
of tomorrow – develop an understanding for the weight of issues like
the Armenian Genocide and similar political and human rights issues.
If anything – all of this is unfortunately quite relevant to our
everyday lives because as Armenians our ancestors were either
victims or survivors – and more currently because of genocide that
is happening today in Darfur that is not acted upon by governments
in any meaningful way. That’s why it’s so important to do something
and take part in whatever way each of us can.
A: Can you elaborate on the significance of how organizations are
working hand in hand with your band and the other artists performing?
A.K.: This reminds me of the feature the Los Angeles Times did
last year on the first "Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth!" concert
covering all the tremendous work of our community organizations
and the uniqueness of the concert in helping generate awareness –
especially with youth.
Serving as ANC-WR Executive Director a few years ago, I was able to
work with various other organizations and benevolent projects which
was a very rewarding experience. I also perform on the oud and am
pretty active in music and have been for most of my life. I think
having experienced both the government/advocacy side and supplementing
that with my creative pursuits – I have a little bit of a different
perspective on how to approach this issue.
To me, because politics and education sometimes tend to be grounded
in statements and policies – which of course have their place in how
things work in the real world – we wanted to also offer our action
in a practical way.
The only way to advance any cause is through building will and
support. That is how you become relevant and the key to making a
difference. Impact is a critical concept. For generations our ancestors
remained quiet regarding the genocide – a mix of reluctance, anxiety,
fear and psychological taboo. Over time we have been deconstructing
that taboo one piece at a time and we are become empowered – I believe
that our youth must take ownership of important human rights issues
like the Armenian Genocide. Our people lived through it – it is our
responsibility to educate the world and stand up for what’s right.
A: I understand the concert is helping two orphanages – could you
talk about these projects?
A.K.: The ARS has a very important initiative called "The
Armenia-Artsakh Orphan Project" – also "The Bird’s Nest Orphanage"
which is in Lebanon – both are receiving financial assistance from the
proceeds of the show. These orphanages provide vital assistance and
services to Armenian orphans that have nowhere to go and are living
in pretty difficult times in their lives. Interestingly enough the
second orphanage was founded by the great grandmother of one of our
ANC-WR interns from a couple of years ago – Shant Karnikian. That
shows the interconnectivity of the Armenian community. We really look
forward to raising much needed funds for these important projects. It
is a tradition that should be maintained by all artists in the future.
A: How much are tickets and where can our readers buy them?
A.K.: Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from the Silence the
Lies website.