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I like all of it--- Mustafa Kandirali is particularly interesting since he's living proof that so-called "Turkish Ciftatelli" is actualy Romani (or as the Turkish racist pejorative "Jingana," "Bosha" or the Greek "Yifty") in origin. The Romani are an Indo-European people, by the way, which apparently makes them natives of Asia Minor along with us (yes, the Hatti/Hittites were us. I can get you quotes from dozens of non-Armenian scholars that say this). Karine Hovhannisyan is really good. I have this album, and she is really, really good. Gevorg, well, his family is a talented one, and hiw nephew Gurgen (too bad he apparently ruined his voice, according to rumors anyway) was a fine child protege for a while there. Gevorg also worked with Yoyo Ma for a while on at least one project and tour. I didn't follow it to see its success or not. Shoghaken Ensemble: These guys are good, with Gevorg as the lead man. They have a very standard repertiore, but also some stuff not performed before. Really, some good things are happening these days. Armenians are beginning to wake up, although much more slowly than I would prefer. Now, the old is being revived in a fresh, well-recorded fashion, which is also now marketed to the world. The next step? Develop it further. Begin to create. The Arshakyan "twins" ( ) are doing that now. Others are going even more into the traditional and are doing the right thing by bypassing the Soviet mold and reinterpreting them as the bucolic material they are. I see many good possibilities these days. Heck, I'm finally beginning to feel like playing and working myself---

Oh yeah? Chances are I know them--- Sorry to depress you, but this is the reality. Look at Kosovo, Bosnia, and all the anti-Serbian biases. Look at their refusal to recognize the perfectly legal Artsakh secession and re-unification with Armenia. Armenians did it by the book, by the book, no violence, with a referendum that was within the Constitutional limits of the USSR, but look at what is happening. 1) Eritrea that has no legal basis for secession is recognized, 2) Kosovo, which actually had seen persecution of Serbs and historical reduction of serbian populations, in now in the process of being given to the Albanians. 3) Cyprus is still partly occupied by Turkey. 4) Unlike Bosnia, the situation southern Sudan where Christians are bieng extrerminated saw no "aerial bombings in Khartum" like we saw "aerial bombings on Belgrade." Oh, did you know that Iranian cargo airlifts into Bosnia during that conflict were sanctioned and escorted by US military? Things are depressing. What can I tell you.

That's not always been the case. Ethiopia's history is a bloody one, but the interesting twist in Ethiopia is that the Jihad was the loser. Ahmed Gragn was the only serious Muslim threat that Ethiopia saw in its history that actually threatened the Christian hold on its empire. Here is a brief overview of the Ottoman sponsored Gragn and his temporary successes http://www.ethiopianhistory.com/Imam_Ahmad...brahim_al_Ghazi This Gragn is seen as the Devil Incarnate especially in the Amhara and Tigray Christian cominated regions of Begemdir, Wollo, Tigray in the north, and Shoa, which is partly in Oromo country in the middle. During the insurgeance of the Tigre forces (who were supposedly "marxists" fighthing along side the ENLF and the collapse of the Derg regime and the capitulation of its (starving) army (as Mengistu was instructed by "someone" to stop supporting his Army, thus the sole reason that "Eritreans won their independence oh so bravely") muslim Oromo in the south in particular were going on a killing spree of Christian Oromo and Amara in the south. The same was happening in the Shoa and Begemdir regions for a short spell, before the Christians started castrating muslim guerillas and hanging their members on trees as warning. Hey, these are people with experience in fighting such "friendly elements." This sole Christian Island (as the Dinka are being systematically exterminated in Sudan and therefore eliminating Christian presence in that region) is now under severe Islamization attack financed by Saudi Arabia. This now impoverished and collapsed eonomy and society are literally seeing their people purchased into conversion to Islam with a few dollars per head. They didn't get along well. The Christians kept a long stick and used it. That's why they are the true heroes in the mountains who held off the Jihad. Now they are being attacked by an Economic Jihad.

You're right. "Que sera sera" -- it's scary though, since their militant claimsmanship is taken seriously by all of their elite and institutions, while our sheep financial and political "elite" and "academics" either don't know about such things or don't care. Here is Que Sera Sera for you --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6WDdZ6xaPg Nice waltz (a.k.a. Ավստրիական Նազ Պար) I remember from childhood.

As long as the Big Boys have an interest in a weakened and divided Ethiopia, the Eritrean "Liberation Front" will continue to be a well-funded and supported CIA and Saudi asset. The chances right now don't look good, but if China were to become a power one day, the balance shift might favor a re-integrated Ethiopia or at least a more open border and more cooperative Ethiopian-Eritrean relationship.

Good luck tomorrow. Here this fellow confirms some of my points: 1) Saudi in the pocket of Anglo-American-Zionist world we now call the "west" 2) The condition of trading oil with US dollars only. 3) Saddams' refusal to adhere to these conditions and opt for the Euro option. Saddam was apparently a CIA agent and a Jackal for the western power. "Saddam was our boy. He was our man." Bechtel's involvement in the murder of Kurds and later Iranians is mentioned. This video is a must watch. Then he talks about Israel's actual role in this overall game. "She before armies. Surrogate solders." Hmmm.... Ethiopia is not mentioned, but I iwll tell you that Ethiopia's oil reserves are huge. The Zenawi government is a joke and is driving Ethiopia into huge WB/IMF debts as we speak. China is working on Ogaden front trying to exploit the oil before US control on Ethiopia is total, which it is not yet. The Eritrean "indepdence" is a joke and was definitely orchestrated by these same people for the same purpose. Again, the Eritreans now control ALL of Ethiopia's seacoast, the larger military air base in Ethiopia at Asmara, and the oil refinery in Asab, and they are too weak and impoverished (surprise!) to exploit these resources. Why? Because they were created to be the little puppet at theirs and Ethiopia's expense. "If we control middle-eastern oil, then we also control our potential competitors, like China, India, Japan," which brings us back to Ethiopian oil and the landclocked status of Ethiopia. China is now keenly interested and is actively invloved in oil exploration in Ethiopia and actively involved in oil extractions projectsin Venezuela. Guess what? Both these states are being pressured by "the International Community" who, jokingly so, immeidately recognized Eritrea's "independence." I cannot stress enough how crucial this is.

I know which one you're talking about. It's a nice song, but it is not really a Tamzara--- The Tamzara is a 9/8 rhythm dance, and has numerous variations among Armenians. According to Mr. Chookasian there, the name of the dance comes from Tammuz and Ara. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammuz Are any of us going to create a Wiki article on Ara??

Check out Giuliani actually cueing his followers to boo at the remark against "another cold war" made by Ron Paul

So another game begins

Araxn a nvagum? Զուլալ կատարում է, իսկականից: Այ, աղբեր, այց մի աքանի օրերը պետութիւն, մետութիւն ենք խաղացնում, հարկ են տալիս... Մի քիչ էլ տանջվեմ, ու կգամ--

Here is a thread that I tried to introduce a man named John Perkins who deals with the "hidden imperialism" that includes the IMF as one of its machinations of control http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16338 I would suggest you read his book. He was apparently what is dubbed as an "Economic Hitman," where this individual is first sent in to coerce and bribe the given statesman or dignitary in order to accomplish the tasks of the corporate itnerests at hand. Here is a search on Utube you can browse through http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+perkins He's quite the eye-opener. Perkins is optimistic though. He thinks corporations can be made to change their mind. He believes that a corporation hates nothing more than bad publicity and a bad image. Who knows. Perhaps he's still naive, but he was in the game at a deep level for a long time.

Nice. Thank you.

You arrogance is still there. You speak in absolutes as if you have the scientific backing. The immutability of the Bible is fiction, and the irony is that there is so much scholarship to support this thesis, so much primary evidence, so much contemporary narrative, that it is a joke to even debate this. Only recently the very organization that you condemn as a "religion of works salvation", the one that compiled your holy book, made more changes and ammendments upon the dicovery of the so-called Qumran Texts. Here we have an individual who supports your view: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Christianity-Ch...-made-Bible.htm, but this person seems to forget that the Qumran texts are dated a mere 2600 years old at the most. This is the kind of "dialog" we are talking about? No thanks. What I would recommend you do is learn and then speak. There is no possibility of rational discourse with someone who has blind faith. My conclusions were based on discovery through exploration, and quite frankly if that is what is dubbed a "rebellious heart," then thank God this is what I am. No TRUE Christian ever can offer TRUE competitive thought. Syncretism in Christian thought has long ago been condemned and violently persecuted. Learn of the fate of the Alexandrians, and I highly suggest you don't do so through the eyes of "Saint" Cyril. In any case, if indeed the Protestants were and are Protesting as such, then why depend on the compilation (yes, a compilation) by the Chalcedonians? The asnwer I have gotten is "Well, they were the Church Fathers," and so on. No. They were men who compiled a book. They were men who had assumed the title of Bishop, and this is frowned upon by Protestants who interpret the role of Bishops as defined in the bible. Therefore, why accept the compilation of Bishops that, in turn, supposely, also discredits the Bishops' title, the ones who compiled it? I don't expect rational answers. Just to let you know.

Oh, here's another nice classicesque arrangement that features a Shvi Nice, nice, nice.

It's fascinating that this odd meter dance, one of a favorite dances for us Armenians, is rooted in the redundant deity name of Tammuz-Ara (Babylo/Assyrian-Armenian)? Why didn't I think of that??? LOL

I don't know if you people have seen the Pixar movie "Cars." Kenny G is the one that puts the huge Mac truck to sleep Imagine what he can do for you. Perhaps Glaxo http://www.gsk.com/ should market it--

Here is another one Actually this is Ossetian/Alani, or, in essence, old Iranian, which is, in essence, quite Armenian. Sound similar to ours? Of course. Do they know this? Of course not. Do we play the cultural diplomats? Of course not. We are too busy as a culture trying to be other cultures. Now this is no longer as true as it was 20 years ago, even 10 years ago. I see some good things happening these days, but it kind of hits a nerve in me when I see the old Otaramolakan Protagonistas rear their Otaramol heads again once in a while. The Otaramol Hoki still plays a major role in our cultural defeatism and indifference, which feeds directly into the dissipation of our much needed nationalism. We have in the past had the best of these things, the best. What a rich culture we were. All these cultures were either profoundly influenced by the Armenian, or they are ofshoots of the Armenian. What do we have now?

Try telling Armenians most its Armenian.

yet another Armenian song

Here is another armenian dance http://youtube.com/watch?v=iHOAFxmbqnI

Anyway, to put things int he persepctive from which I see things, here is a video from our culture destroying neighbors to the North: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eEgTsKEmRxc One thing that can be said is this: They know how to sell culture, even ours, as theirs. What do we do? We praise lounge singers and elevate them to "national cultural icon" status. This so-called "Imertian dance" is Hamsheni and quite Armenian http://youtube.com/watch?v=k4H6XMeYn6w The rhythm, the dance,everything. The attribute everything to themselves, but we are too sheepish to truly take a grip of our heritage. The Armenian song sung by the older man and boy duo, listen and convince to the world that this is Armenian. The end result of such otaramol neglect and irresponsibility? Everything that Tiflis was and is is Armenian, but look at this "Gruzinski Showcase."

I disagree. She and all the others in this "modern" generation sing exactly alike.

Listen, I will not say anything about the dearly departed anymore-- But, since we have a couple of Re-Incarnations of Aram Papik, I will say one good thing about this phenomenon, and only one... They must, must have the best Western Gourmet sausage collection stored in their house. As the matter of fact, I can smell, vividly, the sausage through this song. the backgrond "vocals" are the mayonnaise spread over this, oh, so wondeful "sassinski sandvich." As to jazz in any way related to this, well, there's Kenny G! --

I have nothing bad to say about side men such as Malkhas, Yervand Yolchian, S. Shakaryan. On the same token, I have nothing to say that is stupendously complimentary. You want my opinion. It sounds like a high school jazz combo who just learned to play the Samba pattern and learned to improvise. Such was the fate of Soviet Jazz. Now, is that so bad? No. Yet, is it so good? Equally no---

As Elvina damaged herself on her own, so did Tatevik harm herself long ago. I wouldn't point to the public opinion as the source of personal misfortunes. They were doing just fine in the Soviet days, but why would anyone be surprised if the Armenian public decides to criticize mediocrity? Is the Armenian public obliged to praise bad music and bad performance simply because it is some "duty" of theirs "as good Armenians"? Ironically, the Armenia public was more forgiving than many of their non-Armenian counterparts in similar situations. In any case, Tatevik and company are different from Elvina and her generation. Elvina's generation came during King Constantin Orbelian's reign, the hegemony of whose "reign" was trimmed down, thank God, because he was pressured by good men such as the old "General Mayor" Alexander Hekimian. Hekimian forced, literally forced Orbelian to perform more Armenian sounding tunes, among them Hekimian's own compositions for which we still are thankful to this day: Bari Aragil, Yerkir Indz Hamar, yev ayln. Thus Elvina's generation was checked before it could do much damage. They and their otaramol "sound" were not taken too seriously, at least not nearly as seriously as during Tatevik's and Herr Comissar Artur's reign. Tatevik's generation was different indeed. They had free reign, no competition, and no inhibitors. King Otaramoltyun reigned supreme. She and Artur were icons of "Armenian culture" and did their work on it, the type of bad work that others are trying to undue for the decades after independence. She and Artur better not try to run and hide after many years of disrespect. To say that she claimed to be nothing but a [implied simple, lonely] "jazz singer" is a misleading statement. She definitely claimed, along with Artur, to be the "new Armenian cultural generation" and nothing less. Everything else, especially traditional music or anything even approaching it, was laughed at and ignored. We still feel the strong remnants of this shockawave of theirs. Of course the Armenian public didn't take this lying down. Artur later got a few public punches in the face here and decided to "put an Armenian folk troope together," which consisted of 2nd generation Ayo Showakans like Alla Levonian, Aram Avagyan, and others. Needless to say, these "Karaoke" concerts with Artur bringing his troope with the "Minusavor CD in the Pocket" didn't impress the public that much, and he further declined in popularity in the diaspora, especially Los Angeles, the Bread and Butter concert location for these self-proclaimed (yes, self-proclaimed) "Grdonchiner." This is roughly the time when the original Ayo Show "saniks", those like Nune, left on their own and found their own success down their own chosen paths. Slightly to her credit, Tatevik played it smart and left Artur's side and truly became at least in part of what she claimed, a simple New York jazz singer wishful looking for success the hard way, with no help from Herr Comissar Artur G. Yet, she still enjoys the "vastakavor petakan artist" title whenever they throw it at her, which reminds me that she could yet again consider herself as "representative of Armenian culture." As the matter of fact, she stil does. Oh, I agree with you that she is just a jazz singer, just a jazz singer who happens to choose, unfrotunatley for us, some Komitas collected songs to put through the ջեզային ջաղացք: I am not so sure she agrees with you. Sorry that I cannot oblige to the call for kindness and compassion on this one ticket.