#1ALoves: Show Armenian Creators Some Loves
With Valentine’s Day just a week away, we thought now was the perfect time to drop another edition of 1ALoves, where we share some of our cultural faves — both new and old — from Armenia and Armenian communities around the world. Share them with a loved one!
What We’re Listening To
Troy Agopian, otherwise known as TroyStory, probably isn’t on your radar, but he absolutely should be. His music — in his own words — is “kind of like psychedelic rock surf meets Paul Baghdadlian,” aka the Armenian-American singer often referred to as the King of Love Songs by listeners in the Armenian Diaspora. And sure enough, “Hokis Es” is a chill tune propelled by a strong, infectious beat that’ll have you grooving along. Agopian says he enjoys bringing Armenian lyrics to a genre we so rarely hear sung in Armenian — and we couldn’t agree more!
Who We’re Following
@dav_azatyan | Shirak Province
@davit_hakobyan | Yerevan
What We Want
A Trip Through the Surreal
Artist and illustrator Khoren Matevosyan loves to push the boundaries of reality with his work. Sift through his pieces, and you’ll find yourself in a world that teeters between colorful psychedelia and textured gray hues of the surreal. When he isn’t making new art, he leads creative workshops at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies. While his prints aren’t available for international shipping, you can follow him on Instagram and if you’re in Yerevan find them in person at Vajrapar store.
Casual Wear Made in Armenia
Opened in 2019, Prime Casual Wear has quickly become a favorite among those who call Yerevan — and Armenia — home, with graphic shirts that speak to Armenian language and culture and all-around colorful, comfortable clothing.
Prime aims to create clothes that will serve humanity for longer, and thus uses organic materials like cotton and polyester, and reuses and recycles all materials used in accordance with an eco-friendly, zero-waste philosophy. All clothing is sewn and printed in Yerevan, and all employees receive fair wages. Buy a piece from Prime, and you know you’re getting high-quality that is both comfortable and affordable. You can visit one of three Prime store locations in Yerevan, or order online!
The road to Artsakh has now been blocked for 58 days, and we continue to ask that if you are a U.S. resident, please write, call, or tweet your congressional representative and urge them to take action to publicly pressure Azerbaijan to lift its blockade, send emergency humanitarian aid to Artsakh, and stop all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan. Visit anca.org/blockade to take action now.
If you are a Canadian resident, you can fill out this form to alert your MP about the situation in Artsakh. If you are a resident of Australia, you can write to your representative and the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister. And if you’re based in Europe, you can write the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy for action items.
This edition of 1ALoves was initially published as a newsletter on February 9, 2023.
