Author: Antranik Varosian

Real Madrid close on Rafael Benitez as new manager

Antranik Varosian

Rafael Benitez is expected to be installed as the new Real Madrid manager after his season with Italian club Napoli finishes on Sunday, accotding to

The former Liverpool manager, 55, has not yet signed a contract with the 10-time European champions but negotiations are at an advanced stage.

on Monday after two seasons in charge at the Bernabeu.

Italian Ancelotti, 55, secured Real’s 10th European Cup last season.

But this year they were knocked out by Juventus in the Champions League semi-finals, while Barcelona won La Liga.

Spaniard Benitez has managed in his home country before, winning two La Liga titles and the Uefa Cup with Valencia.

He has been at Napoli since 2013 leading the Serie A side to the Coppa Italia last season.

The Spaniard had also been linked with the vacant job at West Ham, following the departure of Sam Allardyce.

Armenia presence at Baku Games ‘win-win for sport’, says Hickey

Antranik Varosian

Pat Hickey, the president of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), told AFP that the presence of Azerbaijan’s bitter enemies Armenia at the inaugural European Games next month demonstrates how sport can give a lead to politicians.

However, the Irishman said there are also limits and while he has raised the thorny issue of Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record with the government he added the EOC had no right to interfere in a sovereign state’s affairs.

Hickey, who was the driving force behind the European Games and will see his brainchild become reality at the June 12 opening ceremony, says the fact he managed, aided by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, to persuade the Armenians to compete in Baku was a considerable diplomatic feat.

“Lots of people like to focus on the negatives, but for me there is a huge positive,” Hickey told AFP by phone from Dublin.

“We have done a remarkable thing in getting Armenia to agree to compete and Azerbaijan to welcoming them to the Games.

“I flew to Yerevan last year and was very ably assisted by Thomas Bach in persuading them to come.

“It is living proof that sport is ahead of the politicians in areas such as that.

“I was paid a huge compliment for achieving this the other day by a female MEP (Member of the European Parliament) who said she had tried over the past two years to get representatives from both countries to meet together in her office and they won’t even do that.

“For Armenia to be at the Games is a great win-win for sport.”

Hickey, a member of the elite Executive Board of the IOC for the past three years, has been criticised — he was the unlikely target of a recent New York Times editiorial — for having allowed the Games be hosted by Azerbaijan.

“We do what we can behind the scenes,” said the Irishman.

“But at the end of the day we are a sporting body and we haven’t the right to interfere with a sovereign state’s affairs.

“We have met with a Human Rights Watch (HRW) delegation that visited us in Dublin and we went in front of the European Parliament in Brussels last week.

“We listen very carefully.”

“The European Games is considered as my baby and it makes me rightly proud that they are becoming reality. Due to no express planning my 70th birthday comes during them (June 17)!

“So it will be a double cause for celebration.”

Blues icon BB King dies at 89

Antranik Varosian

The “King of the Blues” guitarist and singer BB King has died aged 89, the BBC reports.

King, known for his hits Lucille, Sweet Black Angel and Rock Me Baby, died in his sleep in Las Vegas.

Born in Mississippi, King began performing in the 1940s, going on to influence a generation of musicians, and working with Eric Clapton and U2.

Once ranked as the third greatest guitarist of all time, he had been suffering ill health in recent months.

He was recently taken to hospital with a diabetes-related illness.

A former farmhand, King was awarded his 15th Grammy award in 2009 for his album One Kind Favor.

Armenia at Eurovision 2015: Five continents joined for love, peace, and unity – Video

Antranik Varosian

Today marks the first time for the Armenian band Genealogy to rehearse on stage in the Vienna Stadthalle, reports.

In the beginning of their stage act, the six singersĀ stand separated. During the first verse, only the respective artistĀ who is currently singing is showing movements while the other five are standing still. BeforeĀ the last chorus, the band members get close to each other in a circle and then walkĀ to the front of the stage in a line, raising their hands for the final note of the song.

The light scene is setĀ in purple and pink during the song, fitting the band’s black stage costumes with purple elements. Traditional jewellery is part of the female singers’ outfits.

The background scene shows trees bending in the wind, while smoke effects are used on the floor. A wind machine is used in the last part of the song, as well as pyrotechnical effects consisting of single shot flames in the stage front.

The stage floor first shows swirling lines when it is filmed from above, and towards the end, a very special effect is used: A world map is shown, on which the singers stand on their respective home countries.

The Armenian delegation arrived in Vienna yesterday, so they were relaxed and in good spirit before their first rehearsal in the Stadthalle. Eurovision.tv met with them at their hotel before going to the arena.

“Literally every Armenian is a big fan of Eurovision”, Armen Martirosyan, composer of Face The Shadow, told us. “That’s why everyone is very excited and following us closely.”

How do you create a song that fits six different characters and music styles equally well? “It was a challenge”, Armen Martirosyan admits. “I was even scared when I heard the idea of Building Bridges between the five continents and Armenia. There is not a billion Armenians in the world, so we managed to find five singers but of course they were of different genres. So the only solution for the song was the musical genre because it allows to join different styles together – opera, RnB, rock!”

“Most people in Africa, with the exception of South Africa, have never heard of the Eurovision Song Contest, but at least in Ethiopia this is slowly changing”, Vahe Tilbian says. So how is his own style represented in Face The Shadow? “Honstly speaking, I do a little bit of everything. I have released an independet album called Mixology just prior to this Eurovision Song Contest. It’s anything between reggae, rock and love ballads.”

“It’s awesome that I get to bring my Japanese side and my Armenian side together with music, which is what I love to do”, Stephanie Topalian explains. “Face The Shadow is about facing your difficulties and trying to overcome that. So the concept of the performance is that there is a tree, and the winds tryĀ to kill it. But we are strong, and all the six of us unite, so the tree can grow stronger”, she reveals the story behind the stage performance.

Tamar Kaprelian has been living in the US but due to her family roots in the UK she is familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest. “One of my favorite bands is actually one that won Eurovision – ABBA. So I am very very excited to be in the same competition that so many amazing artists have been through”, she tells us before going on stage for the first rehearsal of Genealogy.