Category: 2024

Mark Gavoor holding his carbon fiber oud

I have a good friend who is Palestinian. He is a very talented musician, plays several instruments very well and has a deep understanding of music of the Arab world and other cultures in the Middle East. We are in the same orchestra along with 40 other musicians, perform three concerts a year and practice eight times for each concert. 

I have a number of ouds. One that I favor most these days I purchased most recently during the pandemic. It is a carbon fiber, solid black oud made in Israel. Because of the color and material, many of my musician friends consider it unconventional. They also are not particularly fond of the sound. Me? I love the color and the durability of the carbon fiber. I also think the sound is deep and rich. This oud fits my style of play. 

With the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the even more brutal response in Gaza, my friend has been very despondent, and for good reason. The Armenians lost Artsakh on September 28, a mere nine days before the Hamas attack, after a horrible siege by Azerbaijan. Armenians, myself included, have been increasingly despondent since the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. 

At a rehearsal in November, I was tuning my oud before practice. My friend was walking by and said, “I see you brought the enemy’s oud.” I was not sure what to say. In that instant I understood his pain, but it amplified my pain of the total lack of interest in the three-year plight of Armenians leading to the fall of Artsakh.  All I could think to say was, “You know the maker of this oud was an Israeli aerospace engineer named Meir Yaakov Efergen. He stopped making weapons to make instruments.”  

I understand the feelings of my friend. He could not believe or accept what was happening to his people in Gaza. He felt helpless. All he could do was post on social media, protest and participate in concerts to raise money for aid. It is exactly how I have felt for three years regarding Artsakh. 

A few weeks later, I was still thinking about this exchange with my friend; the enemy’s oud indeed. As a result, I left the carbon fiber oud at home and used a very traditional, classic instrument made by arguably the most famous oud maker, Emaniolis, who was a Greek living in Istanbul at the turn of the 20th century.  At another rehearsal, I asked my friend, “Do you recall calling my carbon fiber oud ‘the enemy’s oud?’” He didn’t, and I understood, given the swirl of emotions the war on Gaza has caused for so many people. I went on to say, “You went to Istanbul and had an oud made to your exact specifications by the most talented living maker in Istanbul. I have never called your instrument ‘the enemy’s oud.’”

This all made me reflect on a quote from the great troubadour Aram Tigran (1934-2009) that was going through my head: “If I come to the world again, I will melt all of the tanks, rifles and weapons, and make sazes, cümbüşes and zurnas.” I would love to see that happen.

78 rpm records from the collection of the Armenian Museum of America are being digitized, restored and shared on its website under the Virtual Resources tab (Photo: Jonathan Lizcano)

By Jesse Kenas Collins

WATERTOWN, Mass.—Over the past year, the Armenian Museum of America’s Sound Archive program has taken a giant step forward. Each month, the Museum posts a handful of songs digitized and restored from its collection of 78 rpm records on its website along with a historical writeup about the artists. 

Along with more conventional musical recordings, some of the recordings touch on Armenian cultural, political and educational history, as well as the history of recording technologies. The program is sponsored by a generous grant from the SJS Charitable Trust.

The Museum hosted musicologist Ian Nagoski at its galleries to weave the story of the influential but largely forgotten soprano Zabelle Panosian, who was born in Bardizag and emigrated to Boston in 1907. Nagoski’s talk drew from his recently published book Zabelle Pansoian: I Am Servant of Your Voice, co-authored with Harout Arakelian and Harry Kezelian. 

In November, the Museum welcomed world-renowned composer and musician Ara Dinkjian. Speaking to a packed house, Dinkjian discussed the early history of some of the first recordings of Armenian music through the 1940s. The presentation built on his book and CD compilation Armenians in America on 78 rpm. 

“As we approach our fourth year presenting the Sound Archive at the Armenian Museum of America, we are proud to make this content available to people around the world,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “For half a century now, the Museum’s collection of 78 rpm records has grown thanks to generous donors who have been entrusting us with their personal collections.”

“This music was almost lost to history at least twice in the past 100 years alone,” adds Sohigian. “First as a result of the Armenian Genocide, and then when audio technology has changed from records to other media in the 21st century. The Museum is now at the forefront of preserving and sharing these treasured archives of Armenian history and culture.” 

The Sound Archive explores the Museum’s extensive collection of recordings including some that serve as more than entertainment, anchored by a series of articles about moments of cultural and political history. In one segment, listeners can eavesdrop on a party at the home of the writer Hamasdegh (Hampartzoum Gelenian) on the night of June 10, 1939. The commemorative disc opens with an introduction by none other than William Saroyan. 

A second article covers an NBC San Francisco radio broadcast from June 24, 1945, highlighting the Armenian National Chorus as well as advocacy work about the Armenian Question from celebrity chef George Mardikian and attorney Souren Saroyan of the Armenian National Committee.

Most of the posts focus on the most influential Armenian artists recording during the 78 rpm era. The Museum highlights two post-war music icons, The Gomidas Band, a group at the frontier of kef style, and Guy Chookoorian, an artist and musical comic with a character and approach all his own. 

Writing, research and audio digitization are undertaken by this author along with Harout Arakelian and Harry Kezelian. To explore the archive of digitized recordings and articles dating back to 2021, please visit: www.armenianmuseum.org/sound-archive.

Jesse Kenas Collins is a digitization specialist responsible for the transfer of analog recordings to digital files for the Armenian Museum of America. Collins is a museum professional and music preservationist with more than a decade of experience working in collections care, exhibitions production and audio digitization. Collins’s preservation work and research into the music of the Middle East extends into his work with the restoration of historical musical instruments.

Ernest Hemingway once said: “There are only two places in the world where we can live happy—at home and in Paris.” For thousands of Armenian Genocide survivors, Paris became their refuge and home. In the 1920s, more than 50,000 Armenians lived in France. Among them were writers, artists and poets, but many were laborers, working hard to provide for their families. As the Armenian community grew, the newcomers became members of French society, but they never forgot their homeland and proudly preserved their history, traditions and culture. 

So many Armenians are now part of France’s collective memory. Exceptional artists like Charles Aznavour and Sylvie Vartan entertained millions of French people. Talented footballers like Youri Djorkaeff enabled the French football team to win its first World Cup title in 1998. During World War II and the German occupation of France, resistance fighters like Missak Manouchian and Louise Aslanian defied the Nazis and sacrificed their lives to defeat tyranny. Today, around 650,000 members of the Armenian diaspora live in France, and more than 150,000 French Armenians live in Paris, where they perpetuate their unique heritage.

Let’s start our little visit to Paris in the eighth arrondissement near the famous Pont des Invalides. Along the right bank of the Seine River is a beautiful and peaceful park named “Le Jardin d’Erevan,” which means the Garden of Erevan (Erevan is the French name for Yerevan, the capital of Armenia). This lovely park was inaugurated in 2009, in the presence of the legendary Charles Aznavour and Helène Ségara, a popular French singer of Armenian and Italian descent. In the Jardin d’Erevan stands a monumental statue of Komitas, who was an Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, singer and choirmaster. He was the founder of the Armenian national school of music and is recognized as one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology. The imposing statue commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian heroes who have fought and died for France.

We continue our exploration of Paris in the neighboring ninth arrondissement. While walking down rue Lamartine, you smell Mediterranean aromatic herbs and Middle Eastern spices. These familiar scents may bring back old memories and make your mind travel back in time. At the N°6 of rue Lamartine is an extraordinary Armenian grocery store founded in 1925 by the Heratchian brothers. For a century, this colorful and timeless place has sold exquisite spices, herbs and products from countries including Egypt, Greece, Morocco and, of course, Armenia. Many French Armenians have been going to this unique store for decades, first with their grandparents and now with their grandchildren. The grocery store “Heratchian Frères” is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

After awakening our taste buds at “Heratchian Frères,” let’s head towards the rue Bleue, which is five minutes away by foot, for lunch. The Armenian restaurant we are looking for is known by all French Armenians of Paris, but it’s a hidden treasure. Some tourists have spent ages looking for it in vain. This mysterious restaurant is named “La Maison de la Culture Arménienne” (translation: The House of Armenian Culture), at N°17 rue Bleue (9th arrondissement). When you arrive at this address, there will be no sign of a restaurant, other than an ordinary Parisian residential building and a large wooden door with a keypad. No code is needed to enter the building. You must push the button at the bottom of the keypad, wait for the door to click and let yourself in. After crossing the residential courtyard, you will reach the back building and see Armenian and French flags above a doorway marked “Maison de la Culture Arménienne.” From the moment you walk through that door, you will be welcomed by the smell of Armenian cuisine. Located on the first floor, this secret restaurant is like no other, and the food is amazing. Having lunch or dinner at the “Maison de la Culture Arménienne” is a fantastic culinary experience that you will never forget. The restaurant is open every day, except Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Let’s pursue our pleasant journey in Paris in the 16th arrondissement and visit another hidden treasure of the French capital. At N°11 of the Square Alboni stands an elegant residential building that was designed by a famous French Armenian architect, Léon Nafilyan. This residential building seems like an ordinary building, but it’s not. Since 1928, this building has housed the Nubar Library (Bibliothèque Nubar), which holds Europe’s largest collection of Armenian books, periodicals and personal archives of Ottoman Armenian individuals. Founded by Boghos Nubar Pacha, the mission of the library was to collect and preserve every document or publication in Paris regarding the Western Armenian world. Today, the Nubar Library is one of the richest documentation centers on the history of the Ottoman Armenian world and the Armenian Diaspora. The library holdings currently include 43,000 printed books, 800,000 archival documents and 10,000 original photographic prints. In order to visit the Nubar Library, make an appointment by email, [email protected], or by phone, +33 1 45 24 72 77.

We conclude our expedition through Paris in the 20th arrondissement at Père Lachaise Cemetery. With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, the Père Lachaise Cemetery is the most visited cemetery in the world. Among the famous people buried in this cemetery are Jim Morrison, Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, Marcel Proust and Oscar Wilde. But let’s head towards Division 94 and search for the statue of General Andranik. Born in 1865, Andranik Ozanian was an Armenian military commander and a key figure of the Armenian National Movement. This national hero died from angina on August 31, 1927, in California, and was initially buried at the Ararat Cemetery in Fresno. After the General’s first funeral, the plan was to take his remains to Armenia for final burial, but when they arrived in France, the Soviet authorities refused to give permission to transport them to Armenia. After a second funeral service held in the Armenian Church of Paris, General Andranik was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery on January 29, 1928, and he remained there for 72 years. In February 2000, the General’s remains were finally taken to Armenia and buried at Yerablur in Yerevan. Today, at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, a monumental equestrian statue of General Andranik stands where this true national hero was buried.

FRANKLIN, Mass.—As the winter frost blankets the landscape, the anticipation for another enriching and unforgettable summer at AYF Camp Haiastan is already building. We are thrilled to announce the openings for staff positions for the upcoming 2024 camping season! Join us in making a difference in the lives of our campers and fostering a vibrant community.

Director Positions – Deadline: February 5

• Food Service Director: Oversee the culinary experience at AYF Camp Haiastan, ensuring delicious and nutritious meals for our campers and staff. 
• Health Center Director: Be the guardian of our campers’ well-being, overseeing the Health Center and ensuring the safety of all.
• MESH Specialist: Bring your expertise in the fields of Music, Education, Sports and Handiwork to create an immersive and engaging experience for our campers.
• Summer Director: Lead the charge in organizing and orchestrating a summer full of fun, growth and lasting memories.

Specialty Positions – Deadline: February 20

• Armenian School Teacher: Inspire campers with the rich history and culture of Armenia through educational and interactive lessons.
• Arts & Crafts Coordinator: Along with your cabin counselor responsibilities, you will be responsible for creating, executing and overseeing the arts & crafts program. 
• Head Counselor: Guide and mentor fellow counselors, fostering a positive and supportive environment for campers.
• Healthcare Provider: Provide essential medical care and support, ensuring the well-being of all campers and staff.
• Health Center Assistant: Along with your cabin counselor responsibilities, you will assist the medical professionals on staff with daily administrative and healthcare related tasks. 
• Lifeguard: Safeguard our campers as they enjoy water activities, creating a safe and enjoyable aquatic environment.
• Prep Cook: Contribute to the culinary magic by assisting in food preparation, ensuring our campers and staff are well fed.
• Summer Office Admin: Keep things running smoothly behind the scenes, managing administrative tasks to ensure a seamless camp experience.

Summer 2023 Cabin Counselors Ungerouhi Alina and Unger Sam

Summer Support Staff – Deadline: March 3

• Cabin Counselor: Be a role model and guide for campers, creating a positive and inclusive living environment.
• Campgrounds Care SIT: Learn the ropes of maintaining our beautiful campgrounds, ensuring a clean and safe space for all.
• Counselor-In-Training (CIT): Gain valuable leadership experience and mentorship as you prepare to become a future AYF Camp Haiastan counselor.
• Day Camp Counselor: Bring the camp spirit to day campers, creating a memorable and engaging experience.
• Kitchen Operations SIT: Learn the ins and outs of the kitchen, supporting the culinary team in providing delicious meals.
• Teen Session Cabin Counselor: Be a role model and guide for our teen-session campers and new cabin counselors, creating a positive and magical camping experience for all. 

Apply now and choose to serve our youth this summer. More information can be found on our website. 

AYF Camp Haiastan is not just a camp; it’s a community where lifelong friendships are forged and memories are made. Join us in creating another incredible summer for our campers!

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will host an online panel talk by Gregory Aftandilian titled, “Recreating Kharpert in Massachusetts,” on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern / 4:30 p.m. Pacific.  

The webinar will be accessible live on Zoom (registration required) and on NAASR’s YouTube Channel.

There is a special connection between the Armenian Americans of Massachusetts and the Ottoman province of Mamuret ul-Aziz, which the Armenians called Kharpert. Kharpert Armenians began arriving in Massachusetts, particularly in the Worcester area, beginning in the mid-19th century, though the bulk of the immigration resulted from the Hamidian massacres (1894-1896) and later the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The survivors of these calamities faced the fact that there were no homes or homeland to go back to. To ease such dislocations, the survivors settled in Armenian communities in America where their fellow provincial compatriots had already laid down roots. Social life among this generation was largely confined to people from their own province.

Aftandilian will consider how provincial identities from the former Ottoman Empire were so strong and durable for at least two generations in America, despite assimilation trends. Having lost everything in their homeland—family members, homes, farms and businesses—they did their best to recreate Kharpert in Massachusetts as a coping mechanism for the trauma they endured, in addition to helping them adjust to a strange new land and society.

Aftandilian is senior professorial lecturer at American University in Washington, D.C., where he teaches courses on U.S. foreign policy and Middle East politics. He spent over 20 years in U.S. government service where he was a foreign policy advisor to Congressman Chris Van Hollen, professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, foreign policy advisor to Senator Paul Sarbanes and foreign policy fellow to Senator Edward Kennedy. Prior to these congressional positions, he served as a Middle East analyst in the State Department.

Aftandilian is the author of the book Armenia – Vision of a Republic: The Independence Lobby in America, 1918-1927 and numerous articles on Armenian-American history. He holds a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He served on NAASR’s Board of Directors from 2005-2019.

For more information, contact NAASR at [email protected].