#1ALoves: Armenia Strong
On September 21, 1991, the people of Armenia officially proclaimed independence from the Soviet Union and established the Republic of Armenia.
Today, on Armenian Independence day, we not only commemorate the hard-won freedoms of Armenians over the last three decades, but we also appreciate just how precious those freedoms are in Armenia’s geopolitical climate today. Just a week ago, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale, unprovoked attack into the sovereign territory of Armenia. And while the ceasefire continues to hold, the situation is fraught.
In this particularly difficult time, we thought we’d bring back our 1ALoves newsletter and reflect on all the ways Armenia is resilient, through stories, music, films, and people.
What We’re Watching
Written and directed by Soviet Armenian director Artavazd Peleshian, Menq is a powerful work of art that explores the identity and fate of the Armenian nation and its people. At just over 20 minutes, the short film is remarkable in its simplicity, letting scenes of struggle, grief, love, and joy play out before the viewer, who feels themselves part of the history. It is a testament to the resilience of the Armenian people.
Who We’re Following
@artsrun.ganjalyan | Mt. Aragats, Aragatsotn Province
@aghasi_martirosyan | Mt. Khustup, Syunik Province
What We’re Listening To
“Ախ տնավեր (Akh tnaver)” — Saghsara
Saghsara, which means “mountains everywhere” in Armenian, is a musical collective that travels from village to village across Armenia in search of old folk songs. The group records locals’ renditions of these songs, and later arranges beautiful musical compositions around them, adding their own instruments and voices to create moving works that celebrate Armenian cultural heritage while preserving it in song. Saghsara documents their adventures, producing episodes based on each song that they find. In the village of Nerkin Bazmaberd, they find Avag Sahakyan, an old man who keeps the memory of his father and their family story alive by singing the songs he sang to him as a child. One of these is “Ախ տնավեր (Akh tnaver).”
“Haydukin” — Katil
Indie-Armenian folk band Katil, which means “water drop” in Armenian, was founded in 2017 with the goal of revitalizing Armenian folk music at home in Armenia while introducing it to a wider, more global audience. Their song “Haydukin” — a rearrangement of an old military song of the same name — was recorded during the Second Artsakh War in 2020, and released shortly after. Lead singer and acoustic guitarist Sevada Hambarchyan, who himself fought during the war, explains that he chose to cover the song to stress the importance of unity and motivate listeners to keep fighting, in whatever way possible, just as the Armenian military songs of old have done.
What We’re Reading
William Saroyan, in a letter (later published by the William Saroyan House Museum) exploring what being Armenian means to him:
“I am interested in the great Armenia, not the petty Armenia. I am interested in the magnificence of my race, which blossoms only in the heart and mind of the man who finds himself and therefore finds his race. I am determined that if there are three or four young Armenians in America of this sort, they shall not be destroyed by the mob, because these men will resurrect the great Armenia, the Armenia which nothing can efface from the earth and from life, the Armenia I know, and am, and love.”
Right now, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is organizing a coalition of groups that oppose military aid to Azerbaijan. If you belong to a U.S. human rights, arms-control, ethnic, and/or faith-based organization, ask your leadership to join the coalition. All they have to do is contact ANCA directly and agree to have their name listed as a supporter. If you are a U.S. resident, contact your representative and tell them to block U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan. Visit http://anca.org/907.
This edition of 1ALoves was initially published as a newsletter on September 21, 2022.
