On September 28, Komitas Chamber Music Hall hosted the “100+1” concert held on the sidelines of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora. Among the participants was RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hagopian.
The master of ceremonies was Merited Journalist of the Republic of Armenia Sarkis Najarian. The concert featured performances of the works of Komitas, Sayat-Nova, Arno Babajanyan, Eduard Mirzoyan and Makar Yekmalyan by Karine Helman-Kevorkian and Krister Vikmark from Sweden, Nareh from Lebanon, Soseh Krikorian (Israel), Adel Azroyan (Russia), Marina Berberian and Irena Kofman from the USA, Aram Khorozian from Syria and Sar Sargsyan from Artsakh.
The poems of Bedros Turian, Vahan Tekeyan and Siamanto were read during the event. Repatriate reciter Hagop Gouyoumdjian from Lebanon recited Yeghishe Charents’s poem “Yes Im Anoush Hayastani” (My Sweet Armenia).
Stephanie Topalian (Japan) and Vahe Tilbian (Ethiopia) performed the song “Don’t Deny”, which is the song that they performed as representatives of Armenia at Eurovision Song Contest 2015 and the song that was dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
Among other performers were the Tsaghkazard Ensemble of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, canon player and People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Hasmik Leyloyan, Merited Cultural Figure of the Republic of Armenia and composer Anahit Shahzadeyan and others.
At the end, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hagopian gave a welcoming speech in which she stated the following: “The “100+1” concert marked the end of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival. This concert symbolizes the efforts that the Armenian people made to get back on their feet after the Armenian Genocide that took place 101 years ago. It is important not only in terms of consolidation of all Armenians, but also in terms of presenting our history to foreigners. Brilliant evidence of this is also the performances by performers from Sweden, Japan and the United States who came to participate in the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival. We are grateful for what we experienced, for experiencing joy in spite of the sadness and being reborn, while remembering the victims. This rebirth pushes us to live and implement new ideas and accomplish new goals.”
The Minister emphasized that even though 100+1 years have passed since the genocidal events that were perpetrated against the Armenians in the early 20th century, even though the blow was tremendous and the consequences were immeasurable (deprivation of homeland, properties, detachment from national customs and traditions), nevertheless, the Armenian people lived, relived and created two independent states, namely Armenia and Artsakh. “Today we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the independence of our two states and are certain that the eternity of the Armenian nation is conditioned by preserving the Armenian language, faith and culture as a sanctity and transmitting them to the generations. It is also through Armenian songs that our compatriots of the Diaspora were able to preserve their self-awareness of the nation and their pride in being Armenian,” the RA Minister of Diaspora stated, adding: “Armenian song is an irreplaceable weapon in the abysm of global developments. I want to believe that it inspires Armenians as a mouthpiece for expressing the dreams, visions, sorrow, wishes and struggle of the Armenian nation and make them want to implement new programs, adding to the awareness of the national identity among the generations of Armenians living far away from the Homeland and multiplying the power of their national roots.”
In closing, Minister Hranush Hagopian wished the participants of the pan-Armenian festival and the “100+1” concert prolific activities and more achievements in their careers.
