Archive for the ‘Arts & Entertainment’ Category

Watch This: Taste of the World Festival Features Armenia

Watch This: Taste of the World Festival Features Armenia

With such a large Armenian population, having just one Armenian Festival in Los Angeles is impossible. In true Armenian fashion, it was Pasadena’s turn to play host to a two-day cultural event that featured arts, crafts, culture and food. Hosted by  DJ, author and World Music expert Tom Schnabel of  popular independent radio station KCRW [...]

Best of What’s Next: Armenian Folk Singer Mariam Matossian

Best of What’s Next: Armenian Folk Singer Mariam Matossian

The music industry has evolved so dramatically over the last few decades that everything – from back up singers to digital voice enhancement – enables anyone from squeaky clean Disney stars to A-list celebrities to prove their vocal worth to the world. While voices get altered, replaced and even lost in their background music, there [...]

How We Live: Exhibit Highlights Growing Poverty in Armenia

How We Live: Exhibit Highlights Growing Poverty in Armenia

Grigor, a 29-year-old husband and father who lives on the outskirts of Etchmiadzin in Armenia gets up for work at 6 a.m and doesn’t leave until 5. Unlike most of the typical workforce however, Grigor’s day is spent rummaging through a garbage dump, where he searches for odds and ends like plastic to sell and [...]

Armenian Music Awards Play to Full Crowd

Armenian Music Awards Play to Full Crowd

The Nokia Theatre in the heart of downtown Los Angeles played home to the 10th annual Armenian Music Awards and M/Club Music Video Awards as singers such as Armenchik, Shushan Petrosyan, as well as Eileen Khatchadourian and Los Armenios traveled thousands of miles from Beirut and Argentina respectively to attend. World renowned singer Charles Aznavour, [...]

Ono, Lennon “War is Over” Translated in Armenian

Ono, Lennon “War is Over” Translated in Armenian

The 1969 campaign in which John Lennon and Yoko Ono rented billboards and posters in numerous cities all over the world that read “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko” has been made into multilingual hi-res posters, which can be downloaded for free, printed and displayed. The phrase, which [...]

Review: Sayat Nova Dance Company in Los Angeles

Review: Sayat Nova Dance Company in Los Angeles

Although their last performance in Los Angeles took place 10 years ago, the Sayat Nova Dance Company’s (SNDC) trek from Boston to the city with the second largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia last Sunday was met with roaring applause, praise and a good number of congratulatory bouquets within the almost full auditorium of [...]

Review: Voice of the Voiceless

Review: Voice of the Voiceless

Full Disclosure: I generally like to keep this humble space free of bias, as my years of journalism school and experience has taught me. Objectivity is a key component of any journalistic standard. However, since this is a film review, my opinions on the subject matter at hand have a rightful place in this post. [...]

Review: Armenia’s Oscar Contender Autumn of the Magician

Review: Armenia’s Oscar Contender Autumn of the Magician

Rouben and Vahe Gevorkyants’ film on legendary and world renowned Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra, “Autumn of the Magician,” is a meaningful and introspective look into Guerra’s life, loves and enduring romance with Armenia. Through the use of one-on-one interviews, footage from Guerra’s films and powerful images of otherwise ordinary objects and activities, it is not [...]

Arpa International Film Festival Takes Off in Los Angeles

Arpa International Film Festival Takes Off in Los Angeles

The 12th annual  Arpa International Film Festival is in full gear at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. as it showcases close to 50 films  from 23 countries, including United States, Armenia, Iran, Germany, Venezuela, Turkey, Malawi, Israel, India and Mexico among others over the span of three days, Oct. 23 to Oct. 25. [...]

Review: Kolaborator

Review: Kolaborator

  Based on actual testimony of soldiers on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, “The Kolaborator” is a powerful short that surprises, brings about discussion and leaves you wanting so much more. Directed by Chris Bessounian, who co-wrote the script with Tianna Langham, this 15-minute film follows Goran ( Mark Simich) [...]