Armenia Project 2006

Thoughts, Mexico and San Diego

2008-02-20T18:23:00.002Z

Staring out the window is a London-like gray day in Los Angeles today. Funny enough I don’t feel the heaviness of the gray as I look before me to the things I consistently discover and feel. I sit here playing with my new silver bracelet which holds sentimental value to me now. Now being the key word. Life is ever-changing, people are ever-changing, situations, feelings, circumstances, scenery… and now I realize the meaning of God being consistent. God always being there – God not changing. Though God is not tangible and I cannot wrap my arms around His feet so that I can thank Him (or Her as nature would more readily suggest), I realize the great comfort of consistency. There are very few consistent things in my life – the love of my parents, my love for music, and the fact that when I look up at the night sky Orion is always there for me – that puts a smile on my face. We are living in a time where we are being told it is okay to change all the time – but it makes me wonder if this also adds to the current state of loneliness. Should we have the ability to accept the differences in people and love them just the same? Why is it love changes at all? If it is what I interpret love to be – in that when I love someone it is their inside that I love more than their outside then what is it that changes when people tell you they cannot be there for you anymore? So my question is this….if God is Love…then why does Love change? Is it because it wasn’t love at all? That would be my guess although sometimes it amazes me at how people so readily open themselves up only to withdraw in fear or other psychological burdens that haunt their existence. What I have found is that people seem not to be able to accept unconditional, unearned love. For whatever reason, it seems they have to feel they worked hard for it, that it wasn’t available all the time. They don’t feel worthy of waking up in the morning, looking across the bed and saying “I am so happy that this person realizes that he/she deserves to and is wonderful enough to wake up next to me and vice versa despite the fact that I am not perfect” …

Mexico – Tijuana to be more precise was a wonderful little experience. Stalls and stalls of leather, silver, ceramics, little guitars, religious paraphernalia, paintings, ponchos and sombreros. Mariachi’s just about everywhere, little children running around and truly truly everything I envisioned Tijuana would be like. The people were warm and friendly and although it was a short stay I would like to return and take the drive to Baja to see the heart and soul of Mexico.

San Diego also hit home with me. I felt some sort of higher consciousness towards life down there. It seemed to me that people were more in touch with nature – hiking, biking, rollerblading, having bonfires on the beach and just enjoying life without the materialistic expectations that Los Angeles places upon you. In San Diego you can just about chill with anyone and discuss world politics, you can have breakfast the old fashioned way – something truly American that sometimes you find in a New York City diner. The characters and faces I came across all seemed to have a story and somehow I felt more connected to them. It had sort of a granola Burlington Vermont feel to it. I spent Sunday on a horse (Appaloosa) called Colorado and met my first person from New Mexico – a true cowboy, chewing tobacco, hat, spurs and the whole nine yards. I always thought they only existed in Western movies J Horseriding was peaceful and fun. It was a nice time to reflect on a lot of things once more and it is something I would love to go back to. Escaping my first experience with a mere scrape on my hand due to my horses sudden need to dive down and munch on grass under a tree (with which I became intimate with!), overall it was enjoyable riding through the canyon and being in natural surroundings as opposed to the concrete blocks in Los Angeles.

And so next on the agenda is that search for consistency – somehow, somewhere…starting with myself. Dedication is a powerful tool – and dedication towards anything makes the chances of success so much greater. Sometimes I wish people had as much passion and dedication for building relationships as they did for their careers but I find this not being the case so much. So – head down I will continue on my path until perhaps someone actually convinces me they understand where I am coming from!! Music, music, music,….writing, writing, writing, living, laughing, loving life, succeeding – its all there for me to entertain and so I will.

God Bless
X
S

Just some Thursday thoughts....

2008-02-08T16:19:00.000Z

The sun rose this morning just like every other
Once again you wake to the dream you call reality
You search, you seek to find your answers
Looking for a piece of the universe to claim as your own

You breathe, your mind propels your body once more
Life and love wait for you behind familiar doors
Despite the blessings that you have been given
You crave the need to bleed to know you’re alive

And it is this moment – this very moment
And the moment after this moment
It is however many moments you may survive
That are the very answer to all that you seek

Brace yourself because it is that simple
Embrace yourself because you are that beautiful
Your simple breath itself is a sacred exchange with life
You take in, you give out, you take in, you give out….

The sun will set today just like every other
Pray your anxiety does not clutter your dreams
For your being in this moment is as beautiful as life
And you being in this life is more beautiful than anything.

Sonya

The Cure to Loneliness?

2008-02-05T18:57:00.000Z

Sometimes I get into the mood to reflect on my day to day experiences in life and express outside of the world of my music, my Armenia, and my day to day activities which are nothing less than stimulating, thought provoking and sometimes just plain fun.
I think the older I get the more I seem to understand human psychology – and maybe even though the hardest thing of all is to change yourself – perhaps it is a blessing that we can understand ourselves in the big picture and learn to understand others better.
The more experience I have the more I realize that communication is the key to success. Whether it be to a significant other, a family member, a friend, or even a boss – the outcome of a situation is so much better when things are left unassumed, clarified, explained. Truth can be hurtful, some of us cannot handle hearing what impression we might make on someone else but ultimately understanding that we might be interpreted in certain ways is better than being rejected and never understanding why. I should clarify that rejection is never solely the result of one persons behaviour but rather a misunderstanding or lack of communication in the expectations and feelings between people.
In the past weeks I almost lost someone I considered a best friend and through all that I realized that I underestimated some of the other friends I had who were there for me during some difficult days. The older I get, the more I value friendship over suddenly romantic and often unrealistic relationships. The older I get the more I realize that there is a great beauty in being able to tell someone exactly how you feel (kindly and openly) and that being true to yourself is in fact something that is more admirable. I have also come to realize that relationships simply cannot last unless people are willing to deal with the fact that sometimes life changes our situations and feelings – the pressures in our daily lives can surmount to tensions that we take out on our loved ones because we assume that they will always be there for us. I often wonder why people are so quick to walk away at the first sign of stress or displeasure – and of course society calls these people selfish – selfish that they should only think of their immediate happiness. In some ways I am in agreement but the word I would like to use is not selfish – but rather short-sighted. Selfish is a good word in some ways – because without embracing yourself, loving yourself and being true to who you are you cannot possibly share yourself in a healthy manner with someone else. Selfish and self-centered are very different words. The self-centered person will be completely oblivious to the feelings and needs of someone they are supposed to care about. For instance – everything and every conversation will revolve around them – their achievements, their losses, their feelings, what they want, etc…. The selfish person will be sympathetic, empathetic, and patient with the person that they care about – but ultimately they will not go out of their way to do something that is not true to themselves – that is done out of guilt. They will simply be there without sacrificing themselves. In my beliefs, if there is love in a relationship, if there is communication in a relationship, moments of misunderstanding pass with time, with honesty, with self-love, and patience. Part of that is the need to be selfish (self-loving) but not self-centered. The self-centered person thinks only of their own immediate happiness and has no patience to truly empathise with others emotions, nor the ability to realize that in their obsession to perfect and hone themselves to the standards they deem acceptable, they often sabotage their friendships and complain about being alone. And so – I call it short sightedness. Something it seems my generation suffers from greatly. The ability to stick something out and work through it because it actually takes a bit of work and a bit of patience. Whether it be romantic or non-romantic is not important – what is important is the realization that the meaning of relationships is an exchange. Furthermore, in my opinion, what constitutes long term love is the ability to know that you have worked through the rough times and the happy times with someone - like a team – trusting and knowing that sometimes things will seem impossible but always remembering the reasons you were there in the first place.
Life is a series of valleys and peaks – it is what makes life so interesting, ever-changing, unpredictable, wise and wonderful and always teaching us its lessons if we care to notice. I am grateful for the people I have in my life that have these values and I feel that I do my best to be the kind of person I describe. Perhaps one day by chance I will meet someone that is able to understand the meaning of a relationship even in a romantic setting – and then life will once again surprise and astound me.
I praise God for the lessons He teaches me and I ask that we all have the courage to be selfish in the right ways, with the ability to communicate, to be patient with the ones we love, to be kind to ourselves and not always critical because often we hurt the ones who love us in that self-centeredness, and mostly to not be short-sighted. To realize that love is something that gets stronger when it stands the tests thrown before it – when within it lies tenderness and kindness. Perhaps then I will look around me and see that all the wonderful friends I have will not feel so alone – for the disease of my generation is the loneliness they face – the difficulty of finding partners who are not self-centered or who realize that real values are more important than financial success (albeit this is a good thing too). But it takes more than nice cars and houses to build something real. Probably I am a romantic forever – but a house can burn down and a car can get stolen but true love is intangible to others outside of that relationship. It is in your hands to nurture and grow it and it is those two people who see on that wavelength than can truly create an exciting partnership for their future – because although it changes, its strength increases – I always love the verse in I Corinthians about love: - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
And so Peace and love to all and a genuine hope that you either have or will find this kind of love in your lives.
X
Sonya

2 Months and a Concert Later

2008-01-28T16:58:00.000Z

So life is going by in a flash and I am convinced it is because I am enjoying it. December was spent feasting on scrumptious meals and taking in the holiday season with friends and family. There were evenings at art gallery's, film screenings, new restaurants and cultural events. I had friends from NY visiting at New Year so it was a nice opportunity to explore Santa Monica and have a meal at Duke's in Malibu where the fish is lovely and the view of the ocean is even better!

The more I spend time in LA, the more I realise just how many Armenians there are here - and how many different types of Armenians there are. I suppose when raised as a diasporan Armenian you believe that the commonality of culture ought to bind you together like blood brothers but the reality is that there are so many varieties within. I've met Armenians who could have been African Americans , Armenians from Armenia or Jewish or American....I suppose due to our assimiliation we are a varied people and nowhere seems to make it more evident than here in LA. With such a large concentration of Armenians in one place which consists of a melting pot of this culture from the homeland to all other unimaginable corners of the earth, I feel on my skin what it means to be dispersed to other parts of the world from your mother country. And so, the differences are many - but still when I managed to get a flat tire in the pouring rain up on Mullholland Drive, and the AAA came to change it for me, despite not having my cousin's membership number, one look at my drivers liscense and he said "My sister, why on earth did you not tell me you are Armenian"? That seemed to be enough to get the car fixed without any further questioning!

So whether or not I am in Yerevan or in Los Angeles, it seems if I cannot experience the Armenian Navy Band at the very least I can hear Arto play. Several weeks ago we had the priviledge of seeing him play at a club called "LaVeLee' with one of his current bands called "Kinsey" with a nice group of 12 people or so. I had Artyom the cellist on my right and Arto on stage and then my friend Hasmik from the Naregatsi Art Institute in Armenia on my left - I felt as if I was back in Yerevan at the Avante Garde Folk Club - it was a wonderful feeling and an evening of incredible jazz. I hope to make it there again.

So leading up to Mosaic II I did a few spots on Armenian television which were fun and also got some attention in the press. I also started freelance writing for the Armenian Reporter which is now available on the West coast. It can be viewed online at http://www.armenianreporteronline.com/. One of my recent articles was about Daniel Kevorkian the photographer from Florence that I mentioned in my last blog. It can be seen in the January 19th edition in the Arts & Culture section (page C14). He is also responsible for the photos above (makeup Talar Saboundjian) and many other fantastic ones that he took that evening can be seen in the February 4th issue where the top photo in this blog is on the front page. I was also personally featured in the Arts & Culture section (January 26th) where once again the photographs were taken by Daniel Kevorkian and the make-up was done by Talar Saboundjian. The article is a wonderfully comprehensive one by James Martin and the issues are viewable in PDF format once the site is accessed online.

So January 26th was also the Mosaic Performance at the Alex Theatre in Glendale that I was so looking forward to. I lucked out that Artyom (cellist and bass player of the Armenian Navy Band) was here in Los Angeles and agreed to work with me. I also had the massive talent and priveledge of having John Bilezikjian who plays oud and mandolin agree to join us. Greg Hosharian - also a musician with a lot of experience and wonderful taste played keyboards, and Mher Vahakn Ajamian joined us with percussion and some wonderful rhythms - including a great solo during the performance.

The bands of the evening were all very good. The opening band Cantus Capella left many in awe. The rock melodies were tight, clean, and full of energy. Accompanied by a powerful drummer, the singers strong dark and severe image in line with his incredible vocal ability truly made them one of the most enjoyable acts of the evening. Also along for the ride were popular local band Visa with their mix of Arabic, Greek, Turkish, Armenian rhythms and heavy use of the duduk, Zulal with their signature acapella folk songs and narrations, and Areni & Ochion who played some beautiful jazz compositions with Areni's angelic vocals that caused goosebumps. We were the closing act to a concert that lasted almost 4 hours and I am incredibly grateful to the audience that actually stuck it out and waited to hear us in the end. The response was phenomenal, the energy the audience gave to us was wonderful, and we enjoyed ourselves incredibly on the stage despite the fact that the time was getting late. It was nice to finish the show with the audience clapping along and actually wanting an encore! A great big thank you to my family in LA that finally got the opportunity to see me live - aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews but also a warm thank you to the local Armenians in LA who received us so positively. Also to the Hamazkayin Mosaic Committee and to all the organisers involved. Here's hoping we have another opportunity to play in LA very soon.

And so next on the cultural agenda is Vahe Berberian's play Baron Garbis which is playing at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. A review of the play can be seen in the same issue as my writeup. I look forward to getting out and experiencing more of this wonderful culture that seems to be thriving here in LA.

Until next time - enjoy the pictures and may this blog find you well and happy!

Love,

LA LA Land!

2007-11-29T22:20:00.000Z

It takes a certain mindset and a heck of a lot of lust for life to enjoy Los Angeles. LA has everything to offer - when you want it, how you want it, how much of it you want. All you need is the desire and of course - like everywhere else in the world connections always help!

Its been 3 months of not a dull moment and the only thing slowing me down is a nasty cold to remind me that its been go go go! I've met about 60 new people (averaging a new face every other day) and have been invited to many many events (something that was an annual happening in London and even more so in Leeds)! Its paradise for the extrovert that I am and frankly I think I am thoroughly convinced I am still 26 although another birthday went by this last November...Halloween in America was a weekend of the usual festivities. I went as a belly dancer with my cousins to a party and the next day swapped costumes with my cousin Natalie and went as a pirate to a fabulous party in Hollywood. (You can see I am pictured with the President).

From magicians to musicians, models to mothers, photographers, painters, commercial brokers, bakers, the nouveau riche to the hippies LA is a place that accepts just about everyone and everything - of course it does help to look beautiful or at least trendy while you are going about your business. I experienced my first paparazzi blast as I was leaving Mirabelle Restaurant on sunset...just when I thought the Armenian press had found out I was in town I looked over and saw Britney entering the restaurant beside me...I've never seen anything like it - these people can easily kill for a photograph. Madness....

Since I have been here a young woman decided to walk down Hollywood Boulevard in nothing but stilettos in the middle of the day. I've seen enormously large women giggling at dinner tables being fed by their lovers, I've seen plastic surgery that redefines the texture of plastic, cars and houses that one could only imagine, traffic at 6am on the 405 freeway, food that is made for the Gods, and mostly such an abundance of Armenians that I am convinced we should rename the state of Calfornia - Armenia - and that't that.

This year I attended AFFMA (The Armenian Film Festival) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It started with a wonderful opening open air party with lots of mingling. I met some wonderful people including a lovely Italian Armenian Daniel Kevork from Florence who was photographing the event. (See picture where i am wedged between two goatees - Daniel is the one on the right). The pictures are wonderful and since then I have gone with him to one of his jobs and saw the quality of his work. It was a beautiful day in Mount Olympus followed by some shots in Malibu (see photo of pier). He is a true talent in the type of photography he does (mainly product) and I have a feeling he is going to be the next best thing in LA although he is back and forth to Florence. To see some of his work do visit http://www.dvkevo.com/. He also had the opportunity to take some photos of me - some of which I will post with this blog. AFFMA is a very well organised event that was done extremely professionally with a lot of high quality talent involved and high profile people. I think this event will get better each year especially with the young Armenian talent and passion that lies behind it - and the team of people who really made it happen.

So I also had the pleasure of participating in this years Armenia Fund Telethon where over 15 million was raised. Bravo to everyone who participated - from those in the background, the organisers, the kids answering phones, the stuffed cow in the foreground (nice touch), the performers, and of course best of all the donors - what a fantastic thing we achieved!

Thanksgiving day consisted of a table set for 40 with all of the scrumptious things possible. What a feast we had with about 40 cousins dancing and singing into the night. Harout Pamboukjian did his usual job of getting us out of our seats and two of our cousins (18 and 21) did a great job at bartending to the rest of the family. It was a bit worrying at how good they actually were at making the Margarita's and all the other scrupmtious drinks to get the family dancing. I must hire them at my next party.... :)

And finally...the Armenian Music Awards....I did not receive the award for Best Alternative Album but the whole experience was unforgettable in a way in which wetting your pants the first day of school is unforgettable. It was great fun to meet all the popular artists from Armenia like Andre, Sirusho, Arminka, Hay Tghek, Armenoids, to name a few...but the highlight of my evening was meeting my favourite trance artist/DJ C-Rouge who happened to stumble into our limo. After being "kept" in the limousine for an hour (this is after we traipsed around the parking lot looking for Purple Parking which was some sort of imaginary instruction to stupefy the artists), we walked the red carpet - or shall I say I toured the red carpet? Up and down, across, over, back, left right, down again, smiling, posing, chatting, oh yes - interviewing once even!! The sound was fabulous - given that everything was lipsynced in the evening. A nomination envelope disappeared with the presenters having to run backstage to look for it, one of the tracks cut out in the end while the performers were still singing - and best of all - we don't even know who the judges are!!! But overall - great effort - it was an amusing show to say the least and I felt right back at home in Yerevan. It was thrilling to see some of my old acquaintances like Kohar who was a presenter on Rubicon but has now moved on to a different tv station. She did a great job at presenting that evening and really added an element of class to the whole event.

And so - preparations for Christmas and then the Mosaic concert and other little bits and bobs in between....life is good! Seems LA is a popular destination and already this past week I have seen my friend Andrea from NY that I haven't seen in 7 years and it was an excuse to go to Long Beach and have a nice meal followed by a nice dinner at the Spanish Kitchen in Hollywood last night where I met up with my friend Ron from Germany that I hadn't seen in 4 years. What could be better than all of this? Yorkshire moors? I think not.

It's 80 degrees farenheit as I type this and the sun is shining. Looking forward to what this great city has in store next! Peace and love from the sunshine state and God Bless as always.

Concerts, Birthdays, Blazing California, and Malarchy in General

2007-10-26T23:58:00.000+01:00

Where does the time go? Two months of LA and I am still discovering an utterly new universe complete with gale force winds, burning mountains, and gridlock...What an amazing state and amazing state of affairs to find yourself in. Two small concerts later (Festival and a gig for the AGBU) I am gearing up to play the Telethon next month but more importantly I find myself writing again. The characters that surround me are enough inspiration to write an entire symphony - so here I go...

With Halloween around the corner I bought myself a harem girl costume today complete with gold bangles and earrings. The inflatable genie lamp was tempting but I decided to give it a miss.

Last Sunday I was in Santa Barbara for lunch. What a beautiful little place complete with outdoor cafe's, boutiques, artsy fartsy stuff and a beach! I didn't realise how close I was as we drove through what appeared to be the center of hell as fires blazed all over LA. Escape from LA? Yes definitely. It was a nice trip up North but passing by Malibu you could see a completely yellow sky and red sun...it was surreal. I had family that was evacuated from their home because of the fire but God is great and the house and garden are standing although less than half a mile away was burned to nothing.

So far I have had a jam session with my cousin Vinni (Yes I really have a cousin named Vinni/Vahan) and attended two birthday parties - one in which I discovered the largest pie of pizza I had ever seen in my entire life. When people say things in LA are bigger than in NY they are serious. This monster of a pizza pie was actually devoured by some 40 people and even was a breakfast afterthought for some. My friend Karen who is a magician (see photo) and is an incredible character had his birthday last week too - a very random party with incredible tacos which ended with one of his dogs dying. The poor thing had departed once before and come back to life - this time it seemed doggie heaven was on the cards. It was a cute little roly poly chihuahua which I likened to Anthony Hopkins because of its facial expression (sort of like in Legends of the Fall). I also managed to see the Dirty Diamond perform again (which is quite a good band)! and catch up with Kohar who had arrived here with all 170 people from Armenia. A successful performance at the Gibson Ampitheatre with a whole tour ahead of them makes it an exciting time for them. I wish them every success as they share history, culture and art with us. They are now in San Francisco and will also be heading to Montreal, New York, and Boston to name a few. Don't miss the opportunity to see them. The picture above of the boys sleeping was taken at intermission. Obviously they weren't as excited as I was.

On a day to day basis I look for work which seems more difficult than I thought. Hence I try and refrain from going to shopping malls, Target, TJMaxx and anything else which might be hazardous to my health. Ocassional trips to Vrej pastry for Armenian goodies is however excusable.

I am discovering Hollywood and Downtown LA which seem more my style than the suburbia I am in. I like the idea of walking everywhere which is an old Yerevan pastime but LA is not very forgiving and it seems you need a motor vehicle so therefore my only form of excersize has been turning a steering wheel from left to right and occasionally pressing and releasing a foot pedal. I have fantastically toned calves and forearms as a result...

This weeks discovery of humans behaving badly was the amount of junk everyone receives in the mail. Every day there are about 4 paper booklets of coupons, savings, advertising from local supermarkets and businesses. I cannot believe we don't have the power to stop it. With modern day email can't we think about saving the trees?

So that's it for now - I am off to yet another birthday this eve where I am sure I will get acquainted with a few more faces. Its a tiny little Armenian world we are living in. I recently met Krikor Satamian (comedian/actor) and Raffi Hamparian (mover and shaker on the political arena). How about the Resolution 106 getting passed by the House?? Its about time is all I can say. Each of us makes a difference (this is confirmed by Raffi) and so it is important we stand for the truth. Truth does set one free - definitely.

So onwards and forwards. Not looking for love, not looking for joy, not looking for anything but to make the here and the now worthwhile which means that I am even breathing with passion, sleeping with passion, eating with passion, singing with passion, and I guess writing with passion eh?

Peace and love

Celebrating Life with Good Friends (Montreal)

2007-10-10T21:52:00.000+01:00

Los Angeles (Little Armenia) and Montreal

2007-09-23T17:51:00.000+01:00

I suppose one falls off the earth every so often only to land again with experiences so rich that were I to stop breathing this morning I would still have a smile on my face.

I arrived in LA 3 weeks ago on a flight I could have sworn was headed to Yerevan. I never encountered so many Armenians in a plane at one time. I had to check the destination several times to make sure we were going to California and not Armenia!

So far LA has proved to be an interesting place to be. Aside from the obvious stress placed upon appearances and material acquisitions there seems to be a vibrant music scene - especially of young Armenian musicians playing their modern take and representation of the changing times. In 3 weeks I was privy to see The Dirty Diamond perform twice (see myspace) as well as Visa who used an interesting combination of duduk with their rock based songs. Furthermore I finally met Gor Mkhitarian and his band with whom I have just finished playing a show with in Montreal.

The personalities I am meeting in LA are refreshing, endearing, energetic movers and shakers with a passion for life similiar to my own. Often I think I might be back in Armenia were it not for the Los Angeles traffic and freeways that I need to navigate around. I met the organiser of this years Armenia Fund Telethon who graciously asked me to perform at this years Telethon. He seemed equally excited to meet me as I did him. I also met a pastor Father Vazken who runs a small church in Glendale (St. Peter). He is a man full of energy and passion for getting things done and spreading the Word of God in a way that makes it appealing to the youth. In July he hosted a weekend called 777 which was about forgiveness. The turnout was a great success and clips from the weekend can be seen in Gor Mkhitarian's new music video about God. All very inspiring stuff.

I've been joyfully reunited with many relatives - aunts,uncles, cousins, their children and as a result have had some wonderful quality time. A few trips to Malibu where I relaxed on the beach and watched the beauty of the ocean unfold before me as the sun began to set. Dinners in Beverly Hills where I reunited with my favourite activity of oyster eating. Mmmmmmm and rediscovered one of my favourite white wines - Santa Margarita. I have had two pedicures - a standard of LA living, and have been living a life of excess and luxury - something that defines America. The Armenian supermarkets here blow my mind. I can get absolutely anything available in Yerevan here so that I spent my first week eating Spas almost every day (yogurt soup). My bank account was opened by an Armenian, my air ticket was sorted out my an Armenian, I even had my car valeted by an Armenian. I spent an afternoon in Starbucks in the Valley and every other person through the door was Armenian....I'm not used to this in America and often have to pinch myself but what I realise more than anything else is just how many people have left Armenia. Sometimes I think it is worrying - I wish we would all go back. I hope that the future will see a change. So there it is.

Montreal is a beautiful city - almost a cross between London and Lyon. Its people are more conservative than the LAites and there is a distinct European feel to the city. The first thing we saw when we entered the hall was the box of sound equipment labelled "All Everything" (said with a heavy Armenian accent). This of course inspired much confidence!! Actually the Armenian Radio hour had done a great job at creating a really nice atmosphere and taking good care of us. I was lucky enough to meet up with the many relatives I have there as well as a bunch of good all Armenian lads who celebrated our concert success by inviting us to a typical Armenian dinner table on Monday evening. We had a lavish table accompanied by typically Armenian toasts with straight vodka. The stories became more vivid, the characters more unbelievable, and at 3:30 and after very many shots of vodka both Gor and I got out our guitars and did some acoustic songs which we thought sounded amazing of course!! (Wow we play so well!!! Hahahahaha!!!). At about 4am we were being driven back through a very quiet Montreal with our driver singing wholeheartedly about Karabagh. It was an experience not to be forgotten. The following morning was a quick trip to beautiful Old Montreal and a dash to the baklava bakery where I unashamedly purchased 6 kilos of the heavenly delight which I carefully packed into a suitcase and took to my relatives in LA. The concert evening was also successful. People were happy to hear something different and we had a lot of positive feedback from the audience. At one point I dragged a gentleman from a table to dance with me. I was later to find out he was a middle-aged batchelor and this had been quite a highlight in his evening!!!

So back to sunny LA and back to focusing on music. There is an International Music Festival I will be participating in on Sunday at a place called Crash Mansion in downtown LA. It will be a multicultural day with all sorts of music and I am looking forward to the experience. There are quite a few other invitations floating around so now its just a matter of finding my own musicians and taking it from there.

I received pictures from my parents who are back in Yerevan one year later. They are seated with two of my best friends there and listening to one of my favourite bands. My heart was filled with so much happiness that they are already back and experience the buzz and vibrant atmosphere of Yerevan this time of the year. My heart yearns to return and see the friends I made, to smell the air, breathe the dust and most of all to gaze upon Ararat that graces the skyline of Yerevan.

For now I will sign off with that image in mind.....

Peace and Love

Sonya

Rewards and Awards for Hard Work

2007-08-07T21:02:00.000+01:00

And so it happens that I received about 50 pictures of the renovated classrooms in Marts, Lori. There remains a couple of rooms that need a coat of varnish and a new layer in the hallways - but apart from that 13 classrooms have been refloored, the kitchen and cafeteria have been tiled and now have running water, and there are new desks and chairs in most of the classrooms as well as new blackboards. I have put up some before and after shots of the classrooms. (I think they are self explanatory)! It is a relief to know the children are no longer sitting on dilapidated furniture and walking on sharp linoleum edges.

Once again a great big thank you to Beecroft Primary School in Leeds who donated a large amount of the funds, Victoria and Garo Suner from Seattle, and the many other generous people who trusted that I could get this project done. I thank you for the faith you had because understandably sometimes it can be hard to get things done in Armenia. This is why I would like to say an extra special thank you to my long time friend and somewhat of a Saint to the Armenian people Nareg Hartounian. Nareg is a very energetic, enthusiastic, and big hearted person who pours his love into Armenia. He founded the Naregatsi Art Institute which has been responsible for bringing together many young artists, musicians, dancers, designers, filmakers, sculptors, and other creative people. Nareg has been involved in dozens of charitable projects in Armenia such as making conditions better for disabled people, funding families, building a whole village, and now a second Art Institute in Karabagh. With Nareg on my side I have to say I felt confident we would get the work done. I would also like to mention Yerkir NGO who played an integral part in overseeing that the work was being carried out and who donated their time and energy and made the commitment to see this through.

It is hard to believe a year has gone by since my first return from Armenia. Where does the time go? I had a quiet winter and spring - reflecting on many things. I got older, I hope I became wiser, but most importantly even in the bleakest darkest hours of my life thus far I was able to maintain faith. I read some great books "Nothing in this Book is True but it's Exactly How Things Are" Bob Frissell and "Murder in Samarkand" by Craig Murray. Both eye opening - both get you to think outside of the box which is always refreshing given how we are conveniently distracted from thinking by television, computers, work, and having a good time...

I enjoyed a 6 month job working at the University College for the Creative Arts for the Head of College and the Deputy Head. An altogether enjoyable experience. My music collection grew substantially due to the Deputy Head and he now listens to the Armenian Navy Band and Dhafer Youssef and even Zulal because of the exchange.

My recent nomination in the category of "Best Alternative Album" at the 9th annual Armenian Music Awards has come as a very pleasant surprise. The awards take place in LA on the 23rd of November and I am up against my colleague Gor Mkhitarian with whom I am giving a concert in Montreal on the 22nd of September, Tigran Jamgochyan from Armenia and an unusual band called Los Armenios. The Music Awards website is http://www.myanush.com/. If and when voting is allowed I will let you know! I will be participating in this years Mosaic II concert in LA as well at the end of January. Its a pleasure to finally be able to get out there with the new material and share it with everyone. I thank everyone for their support and will keep concert dates up to date on www.myspace.com/sonyavaroujianmusic. which is the best way to keep updated with shows and whereabouts. Recently Depi Yerkir (Towards the Homeland) was included on a South Korean World Music compilation called Song of the Wayfarer. I am incredibly amused to say the least and am happy that music indeed IS the universal language and something that has the ability to touch all of us.

Its wonderful to see things happening and would you believe it we've had sunshine in England for over a week after more than a month of rain. Its all looking brighter. It's really about time but thanks to the big G up in the sky - none of this is possible without His will. He knows my heart better than anyone.

Peace and Love.

Out of the Blue

2007-06-13T10:19:00.000+01:00

16 years later......16 years later I get an email from the daughter of my fathers twin brother who married an English lady (abour 18 years ago). The last time I saw this little girl she was an 8 month old baby and then things didn't work out and my uncle's wife (now ex-wife) went back to England with her daughter. This was a cousin I was sure I would never hear from again.....
16 years later I get an email....16 years later I get her photos and I almost fall off my chair. She looks like me. She looks like my grandma - she looks so much like a part of my family that if I saw her on the street I would have to stop.
What can I say? I am so happy. To think she only lives an hour away too....
We are all excited about it - so much so my brother literally gave her the breakdown of the family on her dad's side (my uncle) and as expected from an Armenian family - that isn't a small job!!
I love the pleasant surprises in life. Don't you?
Peace and love
S

Nightdriving

2007-06-09T22:46:00.000+01:00

Have been MIA lately but that is because I have been going through a healthy metamorphasis. Don't want to say very much at all actually but wanted to touch base with cyber-world. I was sucked into Facebook last week which seems quite a time consuming distraction and voluntary aid for Big Brother to know what time you ate your lunch and who you saw and all that other very non-interesting malarchy. Because it gives you the ability to express yourself I thought I would really be cynical and let anyone who cared to know I was contemplating eating a croissant, then the moments when I ate it, the moments I began to digest. Ludicrous really....temporarily amusing myself but nevertheless I am sure the novelty will wear off until I find my long lost friend from Uzbekistan that I met in 77 who saved me from being trampled by a goat....Then ofcourse it will all be worth it....because friends like that - who save you from falling goats are few and far between...
I was driving home last night - after a splendid evening with some Armenian friends in what was a pub garden on a balmy evening. After exchanging numerous jokes, ideas, thoughts, and polite conversation I found myself on a long quiet drive home and wrote these lyrics....and thats all for today.

My life, my life is like nightdriving
I look back, look back in the mirror
On a solitary road
All I see is the darkness behind me
They say you reap what you sew
But you know in front, in front lies the light on the road

I thought it was right to care for all of those things
Things that seemed so pure, seemed so clean
And letting go is so much harder than bringing in
But now I know, it's okay to let go

Photos of the Armenian Navy Band in Marseille

2007-05-18T13:22:00.000+01:00

So here we are - us, them, we, Seto Tuncboyaciyan too! What a weekend, what a weekend....!!! I am waiting for the professional photos from Armen JAN!!! (Like of all of us in a group at Vieux Port on the waters edge.) Let the Armenian Navy go forth and the ship keep sailing on! :)

Armenia Project 2006: Pleasure and Pain, the Good with the Bad

2007-05-14T23:58:00.000+01:00

Armenia Project 2006: Pleasure and Pain, the Good with the Bad

Pleasure and Pain, the Good with the Bad

2007-05-14T23:55:00.000+01:00

And so it happens that time continuously brings with it a new set of experiences, a new set of life lessons, unforgettable moments worth remembering and moments we would like to forgot but cannot….

I left for Marseille on Friday and took with me a friend who I had only met twice before. She found me through my music. This woman taught me a great lesson – she kindly expressed the way she felt about my music. How it stirred something deep within, how it echoed what she felt and wanted to say, that it was like coming home to something….she also told me how she felt so awkward about asking to meet me the first time and how she hoped I wouldn’t think she was strange. I saw in her the love and respect I have for the Armenian Navy Band musicians and how at times I too felt awkward around them by the power the music had on my emotions and by my inexplicable loyalty to them. It was the first time she had met Armenians in such a large number in such a laid back and relaxed environment. It was the first time she had been to see live Armenian music. In all her years she had been starved of her identity and has now discovered it with the appetite of a child who learns to speak for the first time. Her company this weekend once again confirmed to me the power of music and how with honest music come honest people – people who do not use their popularity to take advantage of society but actually welcome the presence of those who are positively affected by their art. It is definitely ying and yang. Humans do not seem to survive too well without each other – at least in some capacity.

I saw my Armenian brothers and sister Anahit again. The bond and understanding I have with the musicians is not common to European or American society but from what I understood while living in Yerevan for as long as I did was that this is one of the things that does exist in Armenia. An ability to take care of one another, to respect and love like family without the need to justify it all the time, to not feel the need to explain why things are the way they are, to allow one to be free of the expectations of society and how things ought to be and should be and must be. To simply be non-judgemental and comfortable in your own skin and be around others who are comfortable with themselves.

With the incredible pleasure of meeting new Armenian artists from around the world and watching two of the best Armenian Navy Band concerts I have ever seen which even drove the young audience into a such a passionate frenzy that it led them into a full-fledged powerful dance performance, comes the ending as well. Comes the morning when it is all finished once again and I return to a land where people run from work to their television sets and back to work the next day. Comes the pain of separation from friends who are like family. Comes the acceptance that we are always changing and that circumstances and situations will change too one day. Comes the knowledge that as a result of living so fearlessly and spontaneously and allowing oneself to reach the heights of happiness, that it is inevitable that even the “normal” day to day experience becomes more of a negative contrast for those who choose to live this way. Comes the realisation that if we choose to live this way we cannot go unscathed – we suffer the consequences of all those pleasures – which is the absence of that something we know is beyond the daily experience. Which is once again where music steps in- allowing us to take that journey with our hearts and souls to those places and experiences we cannot always access ourselves.

I am in a grey place now. A place neither here nor there. A place that is like a waiting station without an actual bus schedule. I shall have to wait and see where the next journey takes me. Until then I will savour all my good memories and accept that pain is a consequence of living this way. Is it worth it? Hmmmmmmmmm…..I am smiling from ear to ear so it must be…..

I want to embrace you with my arms but not my heart
Like a soft breeze that darts playfully around you
You will not know where I came from or when I might leave
But you need not worry that I will take that which is inside you

I want to be pure and good
Shedding light upon life’s rocky path
Bringing hope like the sunrise
Persevering without expecting…

But even the flower which brings a moment of happiness
Will wilt with the absence of any nourishment
Created and developed as someone specific
I know the unforseen future lies not only in my own hands

I want to embrace you with my arms but not my heart
Because such strong love will surely smother
Heavy rains cause flood and the bright sun tends to burn
Thus the strong person finds themselves alone in the world…..

And so there it is. I will definitely put some pictures up from the weekend. We had some photographer friends around who documented it all very well! And what about those elections in Armenia? Was progress made towards democracy? Anyone out in Yerevan who can tell me what the general vibe is? How long will I last without a trip back to the Homeland I wonder..... Anyone have a bus schedule please? :)
Still living with passion.
Peace and love
S

Final Glimpses of Winter

2007-04-10T15:21:00.000+01:00

And so here is my pick for Santa Claus of the year 2006. He arrived with a big fuss and apparently due to an elf strike had worked exceptionally hard last year and dropped quite a bit of weight. We told him he was still as cute as ever even though my niece cried in horror until she started getting presents from him. We thought the walking stick was a nice touch. I got to kiss both his cheeks and my mother even got to sit on his lap!....Thanks dad for making us laugh this year.

As for the other photo - you would think it was Narnia but ladies and gentleman it was the view outside my bedroom window this past winter. We had a magical snowfall in February. Now everything is blossoming and colourful and new life is beginning everywhere. It has been an inspirational weekend of sunshine.

I spent last Friday at a Vieux Farka Toure and Rachid Taha concert. Vieux Farka Toure is the son of the late African legend Ali Farka Toure. His music, like his fathers, is emotional, melodic, compelling, and pure. Rachid Taha was an incredible live act to watch as well - what a character. His Mandol player (Algerian instrument that sounds a bit like oud) was fantastic. I was gobsmacked and inspired as always. Rachid had the crowd up and dancing and his antics on stage were highly entertaining. I enjoyed the combination of trumpet and mandol - something I must keep in mind for future music. I joined the Barbican as a member to refrain from flying to the Continent at every opportunity to see my friends in the Armenian Navy Band. I must confess that I will be off to Marseille in May to see them but have promised myself to confine myself to England in future as there is such a wealth of World Music and entertainment coming through London. I still have not given up on getting the Armenian Navy Band to London and have put it forth to several different organisations here in hopes that someone will seize the opportunity to bring them here while they are touring France. We shall see.

The latest development is that Gor Mkhitaryan and I have decided to collaborate for a concert in Montreal. I feel Gor delivers emotion and sincerity in his music which makes him a pleasure to listen to. I feel our styles will definitely compliment each other and I look forward to meeting him and working with him. It looks like a trip to LA for some jam sessions will be in the cards for the future and I've got a positive vibe about the whole thing. Perhaps if all goes as well as I think it will there will be future possiblities together - and why not? It's fantastic to be able to bring music to a live audience - each show, each interpretation always has its uniqueness and that is the beauty of the ever changing, flexible musician. It is a joy to work with other artists and then sometimes it is nice to just sit back with the 6 string guitar with a small spotlight and your own voice floating out into the the vast darkness.

Currently I spend my days keeping my head above the water, looking to the future, playing my oud, playing my guitar, and trying not to lose the love I have for life. These next few months I will see Bobby McFerrin, Dhafer Youssef (this I am really excited about), Sheema Mukherjee, Kuljit Bhara, The Taoists, The World Music Awards (Gotan Project, Mahmoud Ahmed, Debashish Bhattacharya, and others), Hugh Masekela, Israel Lopez, Omar Puente, hopefully Blue Swerver and who knows what else. I met some interesting people at the Rachid Taha concert and discovered there is a place in Brixton with free live music so I am off to see The Taoists there this Saturday after going to what I hear is an extremely interesting exhibition at the Menier Chocolate Factory in East London. This exhibition is about the Ottoman Armenians - pre-genocide, during the genocide, and post genocide with many photographs and unseen documents. It will be very educational I am sure. I am also looking forward to catching one of our prized classical virtuoso's from Armenia - Sergey Khatchatryan at Wigmore Hall this Thursday.

I miss Armenia. I miss the friendships, the life, the air, the smells and even the dust. Sometimes I look around me and I think to myself "how did we end up here?". We know the answers but they are hard to accept. I will be singing a few songs on the 21st for an Armenian Genocide remembrance concert at the Ealing Town Hall. Both songs are about returning to the Homeland. One is an old traditional song which talks about the regions of Sassoun and Mush which are now in present day Turkey. The other is one of my songs about returning to the homeland - to Mount Ararat. The longing is always there and has always been there. I think the time is nearing where Turkey will take responsiblity for the actions of its predecessors. I will be so proud of the Turks then - for helping to heal the wounds of almost a century, for acknowledging the horror that befell the Armenians as Genocide. Perhaps then, all four of my grandparents who were orphans - ALL FOUR who barely survived the atrocities and related their stories with anguish,horror, and indescribable grief, will smile down from the heavens and finally rest in peace. I have faith that the Turkish people will unite to express the truth and stop the denial of their government which is really beginning to make it embarrassing for them. Ishallah.

So enough politics for now. We musicians like to express ourselves - but most of all we believe in sincerity. We know that only when we mean it is it ever really convincing to an audience and thus I live my life with conviction. I am here to live and stand for the truth - even if it will cost me what it cost Hrant Dink but I have faith it will not come to that. So here I am sending out peace but most of all a wish for those who do not see to see, those who do not hear to hear, and those who speak without understanding to seek wisdom and then to speak words that will spread love, confidence, peace, health and happiness. I am including myself in the above as well, as none of us will ever amount to perfection and life experience seems to be the greatest teacher of all. So lets live! As Avak Bedikian in Australia says "Live With Passion". Well said Avak!

"Marts"ing Along and Music in Lyon

2007-03-18T15:36:00.000Z

Look at these floors!!! For anyone who has been following this blog from December 2005 you will know what they used to look like - and for those of you who have not done - please have a look at the December 2005 Blog in the archives and you will see how much of an improvement it is!
Thank you immensely to those who contributed to this renovation project in the village of Marts. There is still work to be done but with Spring around the corner the village will get back into action . I will continue with updated photos as I receive them.
So Lyon was phenomenal as expected. The good old favourites of mine (The Armenian Navy Band) were as good as ever. I got to hear them play the Natural Seeds album for the first time and also heard an accapella version of Bzdik Zinvor which I had never done. Arto sang while the entire rest of the Navy Band held one note like a duduk in the background. Each and every concert is unique and it is always so exciting to see what they come up with. A thanks to Arman Jelalyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan (drummer and keyboardist) for their rhythmic dancing during the Arto signature beer bottle and saucepan rendition....It was a sight not to be forgotten. I got to explore Lyon with them as well as visit the Armenian Centre in Decines where the faces and characters were out of a movie. We enjoyed kebabs while the afternoon sun streamed through the windows and the old men gathered to play cards and backgammon. Arto entertained us with his humour and thoughts on life and we washed it all down with a lovely "tan" and Armenian coffee to follow. Monday morning was a visit to Radio Armenie which was a lot of fun. The girls who interviewed us were an absolute pleasure to work with and I was so happy to hear that you could switch on the radio anytime in Lyon and hear Armenian music. What a priviledge! Thanks to my friend Jean Charle who organised the interview for me and also took me to a divine lunch and showed me the impressive view of Lyon from the cathedral and the old Roman ampitheatre...I would love to see a summer show there. I found the Armenians in Lyon warm and friendly. I hope I will have a chance to return and perhaps present some of my own work there.
So! Back to the English grind...practising oud, playing guitar, piano, singing, thinking, writing, being....It's a good time. It seems I've been invited to participate in Mosaic II - a concert in LA next January. That should be a nice opportunity to be back in the US and also catch up with some of the other artists that I know will be there - not to mention my 30 something cousins in LA!! Hayde......Zanku chicken here I come....
Things seems to be rising through the fabric - weaving into some form of an unknown exciting journey that will keep life the way I felt it is meant to be lived. This month I am on the Australian newsletter called Armenian Happenings which is a very informative piece of email by the way! How do those Ozzies find out about everything way over there?? Well done and thanks for the info.
My space seems to be a new discovery of mine thanks to a lot of friends urging I get myself up there. For those of you who are interested you can have a look www.myspace.com/sonyavaroujianmusic. And as for London - May 19th is looking like a likely date for a concert - I shall keep you posted. It's good to be alive with Spring ahead. So pleased the school is coming along in the village and hopefully there will be reason to go to Armenia in the near future. Ahhhh - but who needs a reason for Armenia??? :)
Peace
S

Remembering Hrant Dink

2007-03-02T15:22:00.000Z

What was a last minute event organised by Amnesty International UK, English PEN, Index on Censorship and the Armenian Institute at the Amnesty International UK building in London turned out to be an overwhelmingly moving event in which I believe who Hrant was and what he represented were portrayed accurately and vividly. I was touched to be able to participate - even if it was with poetry rather than song and I must say a special thank you to Nouritza Matossian who organised the event and invited me to recite.

We had music by Levon Chilingirian, vocalist Sonia Vartoukian, and duduk player Tigran Alexanyan, different personal accounts from those who knew Hrant, photos of his life and the day of his funeral, a reading of his wife Rakel's eulogy, and what I think was most moving was the ipromptu footage that Nouritza had videoed while visiting him in Turkey.

Hrant Dink was truly a great man. He was a man who was not afraid to love and to speak the truth. He upheld some of the most important values of human life and achieved a great amount in his lifetime which was brutally cut short. As I watched him on film I wanted to run up and throw my arms around him and tell him how I loved him. I am grateful to all the Turks who realise what he stood for and who realise that the past should be dealt with so that we can come together with tolerance once and for all. I am grateful to the Armenians who will carry on his legacy and to all the other organisations who struggle for truth and justice to prevail through the dark veil of politics. It is not a just world but we do well to follow those who seek to make it so, those who shine like a great beacon of light on humankind, whose love and honesty is more powerful than any weapon. They may have put out his light but we as human beings can carry on shining for everything that Hrant Dink stood for.

16 Days and Counting

2007-02-23T15:58:00.000Z

BAREV AXPHER JAN NEROGHUTYUN TUNE MEKE CHKA!!!
..........saxophones, trumpet, trombone, qanun, kamancha, drums, percussion, blul, duduk, shvi, zurna, bular, bass, cello, keyboard......
16 days and I meet up with the Armenian Navy Band in Lyon. If I can't get to Yerevan, Armenia fortunately I can get to Lyon, France and experience a small but very profound part of Armenia in France. 18 days to the absolute pleasure of seeing these guys do a live show. No two of which have ever been the same thanks to a level of musical competency that gives them the ability to improvise fearlessly and play the moment. A talent that not many musicians possess. A true inspiration for any music lover.
I apologise for my lack of interesting photos the last few months. Most anything coming out of England would appear to be gray anyway. I am waiting for my camera cable so that I can upload some photos. I still manage to zoom and click on interesting things - one of which was my father as Santa Claus this last Christmas. I had never witnessed this in all of my life and it was definitely a moment I will never forget!
So the good news is that feedback continues to come in from around the world regarding the Janapar recording. There has been interest expressed from many diasporans around the world such as Brazil, Argentina, Cyprus, and such so I emphasise that it would be with great pleasure that I come and share my music. Thank you. A most wonderful surprise was the purchase of my CD from a Korean in Korea. Just a confirmation in my belief that music is truly the universal language. So when Arto sings "doo doo da de doo danglar da da de doo da" and it speaks volumes there is no surprise. The message is in the emotion, the delivery, the sound. Precious music :)
Next Wednesday is a tribute to Hrant Dink in Central London hosted by Amnesty International. I am happy to be participating in the event. I will not be singing this time but I will be reading two poems in Armenian that evening, one that translates as such:

From Ravenna

Across the hoary crest of Ararat
Centuries have rolled, like a minute,
And passed on.

The lightning swords of countless storms
Have been shattered on its rock
And passed on.

The eyes of generations, in death-throes,
Have looked on its peak
And passed on.

Now, for a time, it is your turn -
You, too. must look at its proud brow
And pass on.

(Isahakian)

Hmmm - I certainly have looked at the proud brow of Ararat in awe many a time. It is an image forever haunting, forever changing, ever so majestic. So true that we will come and go and our dear mountain has been there since the beginning of time. Its awesome.
And so it looks like late Spring early Summer this year will hold a Sonya concert in London. Also on the agenda is a special acoustic concert by the ANB and if all goes well we shall have the full band here as well. I shall keep you updated throughout. Speaking of which hopefully I will get my camera cable soon and you can imagine there shall be photos of me grinning from ear to ear in Lyon.
Peace and love to all and a big big big thank you to friends, fans, and family that support and encourage the music.
Live life , live music.
S

A New Page

2007-02-12T15:38:00.000Z

This blog is written not for those who expect any cheering up but maybe for those who don't mind me having a moment of reflection.....this afternoon at exactly 2:00pm I posted my petition for divorce. As I stood there in a busy rainy English High Street, I dropped the big white envelope down the slot and the tears came rolling down my eyes. I was there alone - at that moment in my life. Something so overwhelmingly emotional. I cannot describe what it feels like to go through this but I have been told it is similiar to losing a loved one in death. No matter how many ways I looked at the situation - I had not lost my husband - I had never had him it seems - which is the only way I can reason his abandonement of me, which is the only way I can explain his callous behaviour, which is the only way it becomes possible in my mind. How one human being who promises to love another can make these decisions.... not discuss them, seek advice, and run into the arms of the next easiest thing... It's a hard hard hard thing to go through and accept. I know many people would not put this information on a blog. It IS very personal perhaps - but I guess I am saying I am not ashamed because I know we are all human and it happens to the best of us. I wish more people had the courage to express themselves. Thanks for those who have been supportive and have reached out. Its like cancer - people are afraid to talk to me about it - but I appreciate those who have the courage to do so. God knows I need my friends and family. I know that God will allow me to heal through my music and time. I do hope the emotion manifests itself in my music and perhaps something positive will come out.
I spoke to my old friend Bernard today. He made light of the situation that life is a bunch of paperwork. You are born - you get a birth certificate, perhaps a baptism certificate, then school reports, degrees, bills, marriage certificates, house titles, perhaps divorce??? Its another piece of paper I've got to deal with is how he put it. And so, when all is done and dusted with this piece of paper, I suppose I've got a new piece of paper to look forward to? A fresh page, a new start, a new life, and best of all new experiences to look forward to. I'm off to see the Armenian Navy Band in Lyon in one month - now what could be better than that? :)
Peace and love
S

Moving Along in the UK

2007-02-04T15:16:00.000Z

Hello world, hello all - I hope this blog finds you well. I have fallen off the face of the earth once more but found my way back sifting through the many things that I have been dealing with in the last 3 months! Firstly I want to say that I am extremely pleased that Time Magazine will finally publish an issue in February containing facts about the Armenian Genocide with a fulll explanatory DVD after the ridiculous Turkish propaganda they circulated in March. Thank you to the many people who came together to object to what had previously been distributed. I also wrote a letter to the Editor and pessimistically thought what difference will it make but whether or not it did - I am thrilled to see that through coming together and putting the pressure on we as Armenians (and those who wanted the truth to be heard) achieved something extremely positive. Bravo to the ANC for their thank you letter to TIME as well.
On a lighter note - the good news is that it looks like the Armenian Navy Band and myself will definitely be hitting Australia at the end of this year so I will keep you posted. A massive thank you to Avak Bedikian at Armenian Life magazine who will be making it happen. Speaking of which - Armenian Life magazine is a very professional high quality magazine that comes out of Melbourne and covers all sorts of topics relating to Armenia around the globe. For those in OZ - you should be getting it! For those outside of OZ - have a look into it - it's very interesting. Of course this next issue will be dedicated to Hrant Dink.
At the moment we are in the process of planning an Armenian Navy Band concert in London as well. I am exploring the possibilities and all the angles. I am trying organise an ANB/Katuner (fantastic jazz by 7 of the ANB musicians)concert in Central London and a special acoustic ANB trio/Sonya concert the following day. We shall see what happens. It would be nice to premiere Katuner in France this year too - they are there at least 3 times so it would be a great opportunity. Anyone who has experience in these areas that feels like contributing please let me know.
I spent the day yesterday at the Victoria and Albert museum admiring textiles, furniture, fashion, and other forms of art. I nipped out for a Crepe (by the way - Yerevan - start this business out there - you can't get a really good crepe in Yerevan yet - the closest you get in a Blinchik!) and then returned to the National History Museum where I stood in awe of the dinosaurs once more and tried to go and see some spiders to try and overcome my fear. Instead I was confronted by a giant rubber scorpion which didn't really do much for me but inspired by Christian Bale in Batman Returns, I thought if I keep exposing myself to spiders I might get over it. The presence of several large ones in the apartment in Yerevan this summer left me less than pleased. I could become Spiderwoman and start jumping off buildings and spinning webs but somehow I think they might lock me up if I try...
My museum binge was followed by the electric guitar exhibition at Harrod's where different designers, musicians, and artists, chefs & photographers have designed their own guitars. It was interesting - some were more interesting than others. At the end of the day the amount of consumerism and availability at Harrod's had my head spinning and I was yearning for the simplicity of Yerevan - where life in that sense can be so much less complicating.
Oud lessons are coming along slowly and I can play a few melodies now. I need to practise religiously so I can take it on stage with me at the end of the year hopefully. Apart from that I delve into the world of the worker tomorrow where I start at a Creative University as assistant to the Head teacher (similiar to that which I did last year with a Primary School) but now I am dealing with bigger humans - the kind that tend to swear and spit more but I am looking forward to working.
So - I shall be back - hopefully with some more interesting information. Just thought I would mention I am alive!
Love, love, love all around!! The sun is shining in England today (a rarity) and so we shall shine on as well.
Peace
S

Hrant Dink

2007-01-24T13:54:00.000Z

Why does the Genocide continue? Because when a wound is not able to heal, when one denies the existence of something so horrible as genocide it will continue to re-infect, to weep, to scar,....
Such an honest man with a true love for humanity and people has been gunned down mercilessly and cold-bloodedly for the wrong reasons...
I cannot believe the outpouring of emotion this has generated. The 100,000 people that marched in Istanbul, the thousands that gathered in Yerevan on Tuesday, the information on the internet, youtube, journals, newspapers,... It's about time the Genocide was brought to the forefront again - but why did it have to take a brutal assassination of an innocent man who was trying to breach the gap between two peoples?
I am not one who can comprehend the reasoning in politics very well - hence I am a musician, but it hurts to see the injustice of the world - that those who love humanity the most are made to suffer. It still bewilders me that in the UK the first four pages of the paper are smattered with photos of Jade Goody and her being kicked out of the Big Brother house because of racist remarks against Ms. Shipley (Asian). So I suppose a verbal comment on a reality tv show still overrides the importance of the cold blooded assassination of an amazing journalist advocating freedom of speech in Turkey and the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915? I don't understand...
I truly hope that Hrant Dink's death was not in vain. It is a great loss for the entire world to lose a human being of this calibre. I hope that there will be some justice in all of this in the end. God rest his soul.

Onwards and Forwards 2007

2007-01-02T16:35:00.000Z

Wow....what a year....Despite a year of extremes, successes, failures, happiness, sadness, and everything else that happened I have to say 2006 was a brilliant year. I woke up on New Years Day to find a bright blue sky, a crisp winters day, a bustle of activity after weeks and weeks of cloud and rain in England. I hope it is a positive sign for the year to come and something inside me tells me that this year is going to be a really good one. I seem to feel it in every fiber of my being and as a musician believing in something is more than half the battle. I am excited to be alive and I am excited to have met the people I met this past year who helped me expand on my musical journey. Some of you know that some great sacrifices were made to be able to return to what I love most - for those people who have been there - I can never thank you enough for your support. For people like my soon to be ex-husband, I hope one day you can find a similiar happiness to that which I have found and am only sorry that you were never able to share mine with me, really know or understand me or celebrate the person that I truly am. With that in mind I choose not to mourn the divorce my husband presented me with and am only excited at grasping the future. I am so happy to be alive, to be creating music, to be Armenian and come from such an amazing land with such incredible history and culture. I am excited to learn, to live, to see, to hear, and mostly to keep loving life despite everything.
So onwards and forwards! My New Years Resolutions are to see the village project through, to manage a few concerts and to definitely make my way back to Armenia to once again revive all that is creative and meaningful to me. The musical ideas seem to be breaking forth at this point and I can only imagine what might be created when I find the opportunity to return to Yerevan and collaborate with some wonderful talented musicians.
I hear there is a lot of snow on the ground in Yerevan and as one friend pointed out - it is cold but very very romantic. So for those of you in Yerevan - fall in love! For a city that is changing and evolving on a daily basis, that is growing rapidly, so full of novelty but strong in its traditions - you are in the place to be. Make it happen. I am hoping that the diasporans will start traveling out to Armenia not only in August and September but in all the months of the year to experience Armenia as it truly is... Beautiful in all its seasons and always different at different times of the year.
I spent New Years Eve this year at an organised Armenian party with some friends here in London. I must say that we managed to have a nice time dancing into the night. After several shots of traditional vodka and a glass of Armenian Brandy the world was set right once again :) I think there was a suggestion of going to eat "khash" at 3:00 in the morning but I am not sure anyone made it out there. Garlic and more vodka at 3am...hmmmm...it might have worked if we had snow on the ground too! Anyway - I am looking forward to Armenian Christmas on Saturday where I will go to one of the two Armenian churches in London to celebrate. Perhaps in the evening the world will be set right once again :) For all of those who are preparing to make "tolma" in Armenia or who have already done so....(as I have discovered this is the tradition), may your fingers be blessed and roll untiringly.
I will be back - in good spirits no doubt with hopefully some interesting stories or good news. I am now off to enjoy a traditional English leek and potato pie.....oh...what I would do for some khorovats.....
Peace, love, joy, happiness, health, and an appetite for life to all of you in 2007!
S

Akh Ararat Dagh

2006-12-15T16:35:00.000Z

This was a picture I was recently sent by my photographer friend "Pazeh" who I am sure some of you will know. His full name is Hrair Hawk Khatcherian and if you haven't seen his photography he has got some amazing books out there. Apart from his wondeful photos of Armenia and its wonderful landscapes, architecture, churches and people I also recommend you have a look at his 40 nudes! This photo is taken in Turkey though it looks to be taken from Armenia. Just across the border...How beautiful is Mount Ararat? Every time I see it I appreciate it all over again.
Enjoy.

You "Oud"n't Say So??

2006-11-30T15:20:00.000Z

Just a quick blog to say that I am alive. Just as God always seems to make a way in the musical venues of my life, I recently developed an urge to explore the oud and see if it is something I could develop in my musical repertoire. It just so happened that a friend of mine Charle had a spare oud sitting in his attic (as you do) and I have been allowed to borrow it to perform my exploration. On top of that I have managed to secure an appointment with Ahmed Mukhtar www.amukhtar.com so that he can have a look at this oud and start me on lessons. You can imagine my excitement. I am thrilled. While talking about this idea to an old aquaintance Lori Khatchadourian, she suggested I look into the music of Souad Massi. I have since acquired her latest CD and I must say I am enjoying it incredibly. She is from Algeria and now based in Paris and plays oud and guitar. It certainly adds an interesting element to the music - taking it away from typical folk and tying it into more Middle Eastern roots : http://souadmassi.artistes.universalmusic.fr/.
I have decided to also take it upon myself to organise some concerts for the Armenian Navy Band in London. As they are being invited over to France for the year of Armenia in France I think it is a great opportunity to get them playing in London. I have currently contacted Ronnie Scott's jazz club and will be following up with them soon in hope that the ANB could do a few nights there in May and would also like to envision that we can organise a special acoustic concert in the large Armenian church (St. Yeghishe) in London too. We shall see. I have also personally been asked to perform here in London so it might even be possible to tie in some of that with them. It is a nice project for me to focus on - I enjoy their music immensely as those who have read my blogs would have realised and would love to see more opportunities for them to play and be recognised - especially after winning in the BBC World Music Awards!
Speaking of which, Armenian Life Magazine in Melbourne Australia has been in touch and there is talk of organising a joint Armenian Navy Band and Sonya concert in Melbourne and Sydney for November 2007. I would be incredibly touched, overjoyed and flattered if we can bring this one about. What bigger joy than to travel with other musicians (whom I admire) and share our music with fellow music lovers. Isn't that what it is all about anyway?
So who knows what the future holds. I will keep my head down and keep playing for now - keep writing, learning, exploring and most of all feeling. Feeling is the key :)
Oh yes! For the particular person who decided to "anonymously" comment that this blog website is self-absorbed....let me elaborate. This blog is about my experiences in and out of Armenia and deals with my music as well as the Marts school renovation project. Therefore, if perhaps you would rather I talk about something else - (like yourself for instance) or perhaps tell us how interesting your own life is I would be open to doing that for you (whoever you may be). Furthermore, one is entitled to their own musical opinions and I definitely prefer the Armenian Navy Band over Lilit Pipoyan but I think we are all grown ups here and we can handle having different opinions. If however, you can't handle it - please feel free to not engage in reading my blog. I don't force anyone to share my experiences. Thank you. (Blimey - the nerve of some people!)
That being said - for those of you who have supported me in the music, in the school renovation, with moral support and kindness - thank you. It is a great priviledge for me to share that which I love to do and also my love for my homeland Armenia.
On that note - peace and love and happiness to those who are miserable - life is too short.
XX
S

This Woman's Heart

2006-11-14T14:30:00.000Z

I would like to dedicate this blog to my husband Trevor. He may feel that it is too late to include him in the great journey that my life has taken in the last 14 months but I feel it is due time that I share what it is that he signifies for me. I met my husband in the summer of 2003 at a gastropub in London called the Firestables. I recall at the time that he made me laugh and that no one had made me laugh for a long time. We managed to date for 8 months before we got engaged. In that short period I felt that I had met my soulmate. He took an interest in my family, my culture, and my beliefs. He showered me with the most beautiful roses I had ever received in my life on my birthday that first year. He made me feel beautiful and loved and we developed an incredible relationship in which I wished to support his dreams and see him happy. He surprised me on Christmas by returning from the Canary Islands early and arriving on my doorstep to celebrate Christmas with my family. February of 2005 brought on our engagement in one of the most romantic and wonderful holidays. The simple engagement ring he presented to me symbolised his love in the most profound way as he did not wait to propose until later when we would receive the more elaborate ring that was being made by my cousin in California. Our wedding was planned to the very last detail and I can recall it to be a stunning day surrounded by friends and family who really made the event incredibly special. The speeches were heartfelt and the love that surrounded us was incredibly evident. This was in November of 2004.
Our marriage afterwards presented unforseen and unusual pressures that in hindsight distorted the very beautiful thing we had created. I became ill with thyroid, lost my job in unpleasant circumstances, went though a nerve wracking tribunal, took on a minimum wage job to "keep busy" and found myself in unchartered territory without family or friends. I looked to my husband as my best friend. Taking advantage of that I expressed my frustration at being alone and pleaded to move South so that we could be with our families. In discovering that we were stuck where we were because of his work situation I began to blame his work, and expressed unhappiness about the home we lived in and the fact that we did not have a social life. Perhaps even though I expressed how incredibly I loved him it was muted by the fact that I was frustrated in those other situations. Given the opportunity to go to Armenia as a volunteer in the summer of 2005 I jumped on the occassion for a fresh change and some inspiration.
In Armenia I discovered freedom and with it my passion and love for music resurfaced causing me to want to return and record the new "Janapar" cd. I returned excited and full of ideals and expressed that our lifestyle should change and that I should follow my music. I returned in April for 3 months which turned into 4 and recorded the CD. At this time I was in my own world - eager to create something with all of me and positive that it would make me a better person. I focused on evaluating my life, spending a lot of time thinking and hoping to strike a balance between music and life with my family.
I want to say that I could have never done it without the basis of having a husband who loved me the way he did and gave me the freedom to go and record a CD that is love at its best through and through. I want to say that I have carried him with me always and although at times I may have seemed elsewhere that the music never took his place, Armenia never took his place and no one else took it either.
Despite so many new experiences, I am the same girl who enjoyed the Epsom horse races, who loves countryside walks and pints of Guinness at the pub, the same girl who loves Boys Choir music and the Kingly Street Blues Bar, the same girl who prayed for the success of my husband, who put love and care into our home to make it ours, who walked along the riverside in Putney and in the gardens of Richmond Park, who embraced my husband when he came home from work and even ran him a hot bath at times! I am faced with the fact that he feels that our lives have changed and that his path needs to take him elsewhere. I know that standing in front of the altar with the cross over our heads and his eyes looking into mine that I thought my path would always be with his. I am thankful for the times in which he supported me. I am that very same girl.
Thank you husband for the positive things in my life and take care not to delve on the negatives which only grow and distort themselves into unrealistic little ugly monsters if we let them. Remember the very reading at our wedding: 1st Corinthians Chapter 13: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Peace and love
Sonya

Artsy Concert Photos

2006-11-08T15:09:00.000Z

Just got some photos from my photographer friend Artur who was at Thursday's concert. Thought I would share a few!

Winding Down in Style

2006-11-08T13:33:00.000Z

Since my last concert on the 26th, I have had the priviledge of riding the metro in Armenia for the first time and discovering a whole new underworld at the Baregamutyun metro station. The metro costs a mere 50AMD ($1.00 =380AMD to give you an idea of how cheap it is). The metro is fast, clean, efficient and even has a tv screen on the platform to provide you with entertainment (some funny clips to keep you smiling) while you wait. I went to Baregamutyun to check out the area and was surprised to see a whole world of underground shops as soon as I walked off the escalator to exit. In the same area you can buy a kebab, exchange money, buy stockings, rent a dvd, get some fresh flowers, fruits, batteries, shampoo, slippers, clothes,... I felt like I was in a film that takes place in China. All very interesting.
After the concert I have been invited to do some more radio and tv. I am holding off on some invites as it has been planned that I will be the opening act for a concert that will take place on the 3rd of December at the Avante Garde Folk Club. This will be jointly with my friend and fellow England musician Andre Simonian who will be having his debut in Yerevan. The idea is that I will sing 6 or so of my English songs, join him for two of his songs, and then join his band for another two. I think it will be an interesting evening - certainly different and refreshing for Yerevan which has a lack of English music. Andre's band is called the Beautified Project and can be checked out on: www.thebeautified.com. He's spelled my name completely wrong on the website but I'll forgive him - it's been happening to me since I was 6. Anyway - we'll probably do some radio and tv together before the 3rd so Armenia will once again have to see my face on the teli - at this rate I need to reinvent myself rather soon - red hair perhaps???
So I went to see some of the Armenian Navy Band members who call themselves "Gatuner" (the Cats) for the first time ever at the Stop Club. It was a fantastic evening. They are such incredible musicians it would be fantastic to collaborate with them in future. Saturday was Bet & John Williams at The Club. Beautiful medieavel acoustic type folk music. The lady can really sing! I rushed off to a Halloween party to find I was the only one in costume and I of course felt like an idiot for the first part of the evening until I realised I was the one who was positively experiencing Halloween. With a few minor adjustments (the removal of the wig, long gloves, and cape) I managed to have a splendid evening and felt better for not going home to change.
Sunday night was a play at the Stanislavski theatre called "Bari Kaloust" (Welcome) which was a story of 3 Armenians who end up in the waiting/security area of LAX Airport. One is an Armenian from Lebanon, one from Iran, and the other from Armenia. The story plays upon the differences in dialect, mentality, and outlook yet also points out the points that bring them together. It is a fantastic comedy with a very strong and clever message - I hope it tours. If anyone out there reading this can invite these guys to their hometown I suggest it strongly. (Perhaps you would like to invite me and the musicians as well?) :)
I spent Monday evening in the recording studio with Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Norayr, and Vahak (Navy Band members) watching them create and very interestingly watching a video of their trip to Western Turkey (not too long ago Armenian territory) to give a concert. It was bizarre to see a land so obviously Armenian in architecture now being transformed by Turks into something completely Muslim. It was emotional to see their reactions and feelings on camera and I couldn't help but feel as if someone had steamrolled over me.
Wednesday night I had the priviledge of seeing Artur Meschian in concert for the first time. He also plays in a similiar genre as myself (what I would classify as folk) and I must say his lyrics are fabulous. Thursday was Shushan Petrossyan - a very popular singer here and although there were a lot of Armenian celebs there and the show was something out of Los Angeles inclusive of dancers and costumes, I felt it lacked emotion and truth but nevertheless it was entertaining. Friday we went to see an Armenian rock band called Empiray and IT ROCKED. It was an assembly hall full of people who really should have been in a stadium. Well done to the band for power driven music and the singer for a voice that really is the dogs bollocks. The week ended with Lilit Pipoyan's concert at the opera which drove me into deep depression and finally tears. Though she has a unique voice and wonderful musical arrangements I reckon she should be listened to in small doses and come with a warning that says "not suitable for those contemplating suicide and/or clinically depressed individuals". I enjoyed some of the songs immensely but it was short-lived. So as not to jump off the balcony in my misery I rushed to a Bambir concert at The Club which was the older Bambir (ie: the parents of the rockers from Gyumri) and immediately I felt I was transferred to the pubs of Ireland. Having been inspired by this experience I then transferred myself to Cheers to meet up with friends and of course have a pint.
Sunday 7 of us hired a Marshutka (mini bus) and headed to Bars Lij (Plain Lake) in Dilijan to catch the end of autumn. This is about 2 hours out of the city. Seems we were a little late and most of the foliage was on the floor but we still managed to throw down some blankets, have some cheese, bread, olives and vodka and enjoy ourselves in the outdoors. Our Marshutka got stuck in the mud so they had to send another one from Yerevan and soon enough our vodka supply was depleted. When the new vehicle got to us we stopped en route to have a fantastic feast of kebab where I beat a local Armenian man at backgammon (3-0). I am not sure he liked that but I have to admit I lost to the last two people I played so I was feeling quite pleased about it.
And so the new week is here and one must get a bit more serious about things. The cold has officially kicked in and I am now wrapping up in layers and finding the streets are less busy than usual as people are staying home and keeping warm. Who knows what the next week will bring but enough babbling for now. I have not philosophized or discussed serious matters in this blog so naturally this week of quiet (did I mention my birthday at the end of the week?) Hee hee....I actually have had a lot of alone time in the days - and all those concerts were inspirational so hopefully the creativity will flow.
From the freezing cold streets of Yerevan where inevitably you will almost get hit by a car at least once a day.
Peace and love
X
S

Concert Photos

2006-11-02T14:22:00.000Z

Here are some photos from the concert on the 27th. Compliments of Manoog Caprielian.

The Gift of Music

2006-10-27T14:50:00.000+01:00

I am currently experiencing the aftermath of what I would consider one of the most enjoyable concerts I have ever given. Last night at the Avante Garde Folk Club we the musicians and they the audience seem to have connected on some wonderful level. I have never enjoyed the stage so much or felt such great emotion and energy circulating between audience and performer. Opening night was also successful and enjoyable but I think yesterday I reached some kind of milestone in musical experience and understanding that will stand out for me for a long time. It was magic for me - I am very emotional about it!
I would like to thank everyone involved in this project - the incredible musicians who created a wonderful atmosphere last night: Hagop Jaghaspanyan-guitar, Eduard Hartunyan-percussion, Levon Tevanyan-Shvi, Armen Grigoryan-duduk, Nelly Manoukyan-flute, Mary Vardanyan-qanun, Astghik Ghazaryan - oboe, Meruzhan Yeghanyan-accordion, Haik Babayan-Cello, Lilit Mkhitaryan-Viola, Lusine Aghababyan, 2nd Violin, Gemma Abrahamyan-1st Violin, Artyom Manoukyan - Cello, Anna Bayatya - backing vocals. Thank you.
I would like to thank Narine Zarifyan for her hard work in pulling together the rehearsals. Raffi Niziblian, Arsineh Khachikian and the girls at Deem Communications who made things happen, Manoog Caprielian for helping with achieving sponsorship and promotion, The British Council and Kotayk for the sponsorship, Serli from Birthright for her diligence in putting up posters and recruiting people, the girls who sold CD's, the Folk Club (Arayig/Armine) for giving us the hall and a superb sound technician - Grisha - thanks. Thanks to all of the people from press and publicity who covered the show - John Hughes/Armenia Now, Tar 21, Inessa and her crew from Sharm, Shoghagat, and anyone else that I wasn't aware of! To all the TV and radio stations that invited me prior to the concert and are inviting me still - thank you! To the photographers like Nareg, Hawk, and Artur for capturing those moments. Also the British Alumni Assocation for pulling together so many people to support the show, Armen Movsisyan, Mr X, Levon Blbulyan, Raffi Hovhannesyan, Shahe Khatchadourian and absolutely every single body that was there to share in those moments. For those of you that were there from abroad - if you enjoyed the experience, we would be happy to come and share the music in different parts of the world too so keep us in mind! Thank you to all of you who came - to the fans - you are the most important of all.
Being a musician is a strange road - you touch so many people and feel so much in life but in reality it can be a lonely road. Those two hours on the stage are moments that are indescribable - you are allowed to lay yourself bare - open up and show all emotion - and its okay. No one will tell you you care too much or you are too intense. You are actually allowed to really feel. Something that people often are afraid to experience on a daily basis. Yet on the stage - every minute we feel great joy or bleed with pain takes our audience on a journey with us and makes the difference between something stagnant or something that is very real. And perhaps because the performer is separated from the audience by the stage, the audience allows themselves to be taken on a journey they would not allow themselves to take on a daily basis. So I guess what I am saying is that I wish people would allow themselves to feel more things more of the time. It is wonderful stuff to be true to your heart.
So! Enough philosphising. I am not sure what lies ahead on this path but I know to keep following it. I will put up concert photos once I receive them from the various wonderful people that took the photos. Once again - thank you to everyone who contributed in any way shape or form - from inspiring me to come to Armenia in the first place to the person who might have stuck up a poster for me. You are all part of the framework - thank you. Will be back with more excitement from autumnal Yerevan.
Peace and love
X
S

Photos as Promised

2006-10-19T12:09:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos (several weeks later) of the preparation of the Aznavour concert and the actual show :)

The Final Countdown

2006-10-18T14:46:00.000+01:00

One week to go and I will be back up there with the warm glaring lights, 13 musicians, and quite a lot of expectant eyes and ears! It was quiet building up to this week but now it seems it's all rock and roll. I have an interview with Armenia Now tomorrow and another one with Channel One for a program called "Veradarts Tebi Abaka" (Return to the future). Monday and Tuesday promise a morning interview on Channel One, rehearsals, morning interview with the much loved and mutually dreaded Raffo and Hovo on Armenia TV, and another radio interview in the afternoon with Hay FM radio station followed by more rehearsing.
Yerevan is plastered with "Sonya" posters and thankfully to Arsineh my face is not plastered on them and therefore vanity is underplayed in the process! Phew! TV commercials start this Friday as to a more frequent showing of the music video and hopefully it will bring the crowds.
On a different note I have been taking a lot of the quiet time to think about life in general and I have come to the realisation that it is truly difficult to be an artist/musician and have people outside of the field "get you". Sometimes it is an incredibly lonely place to be... Where others my age have bouncing babies I seem to have concerts. It should be said that bouncing babies are a miracle in themselves and I would be mad to not want some of my own and I suppose I should start by accepting marriage offers perhaps!!! It has been a sad few days for Armenia. One of their much loved singers has died in a car crash. She was in her 30's with a loving family and a wonderful little boy with whom she recently did a duet and music video. She loved life and it is terrible to go so young and so suddenly. I feel for her family and mostly for her little boy who must be so confused and hurt right now.
On a lighter note I went to see a film called "Medz Badmutyun Pokr Kaghakum" (A Big Story in a Little City). This Yerevan production was absolutely hysterical. I spent a good part of the 90 minute film dying of laughter. Anyone who has not been to Yerevan should see this film to get a very real snapshot of the lifestyle and characters that exist in Yerevan. The story is great - I will not give too much away. Have a look for it on Armenian info pages. It's a real treat.
Also looking forward to many concerts coming up at the end of the month apart from my own - Gatuner, John & Bet Williams, Lilit Pipoyan, Artur Meschian, Shushan Petrossyan - should be a fantastic time. A time for inspiration for sure.
Autumn is my favourite time of year - it is inspirational regardless. To be here in Yerevan and watch the cold take hold of the city, the cafe's pack up, the tourists disappear. It is a great time for reflection and creativity.
On that note am off to have dinner with photographer friend Paze who has been hassling me to finish this blog because he is starving. With due respect...
Ciao, Hajogh, Paka...
S

Concert Preparations (Take 2)

2006-10-04T14:25:00.000+01:00

Phone calls, PR, Marketing, Mingling, Strumming, Singing, ahhhh the joys and excitment that lead up to a performance! I now have two large billboards up in the city centre - one at the Opera and one near Kino Moscow (see photo where I am visibly uncomfortable POSING alongside the billboard to give an idea of the size of the thing). I will do the diasporan "Hotline" show this Friday which gets broadcast internationally to promote the CD release of "Janapar" - I think I will also have them run the music video "Hambuyr". All is well so far in the line of giving this a better shot. The best news of all is that the British Council has agreed to sponsor me for part of the costs of the concert. They have agreed to pay for the musicians which is a significant portion of the expenses. So! With decent ticket sales we might even break even! My relief is of a very grand scale and I must say a special thank you to Manoog Caprelian who was kind enough to suit up and come with me and make a fantastic impression on the Council. As of yesterday, the CD is available in most CD shops in the Yerevan city centre, it is downloadable from mperia.com and should shortly be avaialable on cdbaby.com as well. It can be previewed on hamovhotov.com too - a great little website coming out of California.
Monday morning is another morning talk show on Nor Alik/Channel 1. I reckon there will be a few more before the show. Also with postponing the date it seems I will have all the same musicians as those who played on the CD so it will be wonderful to celebrate both evenings with them.
On the social front I got to see a superb unplugged evening at Stop Club with Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Artyom Manoukyan, and Vahak (their keyboardist). It was unlike their folk club gigs and really was about the big boys having a jam session in someone's basement. It was incredibly special. The mixture of rhythms, ideas, sounds - a true work of genius tinged with insanity - wonderful.
I had a Friday evening with the British Alumni Association which composes of young Armenian professionals who have studied in the UK and have now returned home (Armenia) to work. They are a great bunch of people and I will be joining them regularly as I was impressed by the numbers of movers and shakers in the group who are really doing something for Armenia. It was a priviledge to be welcomed as a member.
Finally I had the pleasure of playing/jamming with other young musicians who are here. One in particular - my friend Andre Simonian is also here in Armenia doing music and it has been wonderful to have evenings where we play guitar or jam with his musicians. There is an incredible amount of talent here and I am excited to be meeting and working with these people. I feel alive again. It is good to be back.
I am meeting with the mayor of the village tomorrow and will find out about the progress of the work in the school. Apart from that I hope to dodge the city this weekend and maybe get out and catch the foliage. After all - autumn is my favourite season. Would be nice to sit in peace for a day! I must say we've had two massive rainbows over Yerevan this week - I love to see them. I always remember about God's promise of peace when I see them. Rainbows do put me at peace!
Will try and get up a photo of the billboard and other concert stuff. Trying to get photos on the computer of the massive Charles Aznavour concert that took place last weekend but I am sure cilicia.com has provided some for show. Will go and check them out actually.
Till the next time...
Peace and love
Sonya

One Week of Heaven and Hell

2006-09-22T10:26:00.000+01:00

So I admit to taking full advantage of the fact that my parents are here in Armenia for the first time. I have jumped on their minivan on several ocassions to see parts of Armenia I hadn't seen at all or had seen 20 years ago. Its been wonderful to spend time with them here and to see them going through the emotions that I first had coming here as a diasporan Armenia. Every photo except the 2nd and 3rd which are the same church are in a different region of Armenia. I gave up seeing another region today so that I could catch up with work and the less fortunate turn of events that took place in Yerevan.
I arrived in Armenia to find that although some things had been prepared regarding my concert on the 24th, with all the other events going on in town, 10 days before my posters had not yet been put up, the tv
advertisment had not been shown, and unfortnuately only a very small amount of sponsorship had been gained. Furthermore there had been no radio play and the music video had not aired and we were even lacking a percussionist. So naturally I called it off rather than committing career suicide. Although the musicians were not entirely pleased I felt that having them play to a hall that takes 600 people that would in the most optimistic light only have 300 people in it the day of the concert would be a lot more crushing to everyone's morale. So the plan is to give a concert at the end of October and it looks like it will be the 25th of October at the Avante Garde Folk Club on Pushkin Street and we may even add a show on the 26th. Yerevan has finally cooled down a little bit. Last night we celebrated 15 years of independence. It began with a military parade and ended with concerts and fireworks all over the city. Mayhem was once again in play and all had a good time.
There was so much going on that the electricity blew around midnight and I ended up giving an acoustic impromptu concert at our favourite wine bar. Makeshift was once again in play.
So much changes yet nothing changes here in Yerevan. I am happy to be here once again and look forward to what lies ahead. Will keep you posted.
Peace and love
S

The Marts School Project

2006-09-22T10:20:00.000+01:00

And so I made it up to the village this past week with parents and friends in tow who were experiencing Armenia for the first time. It was wonderful to see that new desks and chairs had arrived, that there was running water in the newly tiled kitchen and buffet, and the classrooms are in the process of being refloored.
You can imagine my joy after all this time. A special thank you to Beecroft Primary School in Leeds, England for all of their dedication to this project, The Suner family in Seattle Washington who made it possible to do more than just the floor, and of course Shahe Khachadourian from Lebanon, not to mention everyone else who was involved - whether large or small - every little bit helped to make this project a possibility. Thank you!
The floors will be sanded and varnished and they have now been instructed to lay the wood in a slightly different manner to increase the longevity of the floor. There are 18 rooms in total - it is a big job but we seem to have it covered!
I will visit again in future and photograph the progress.
Until then I think they will be hammering away.
Peace
S

In the Hands of God

2006-09-12T10:54:00.001+01:00

Last night 1000 freshly pressed CD's arrived in England - 500 of which I will take to Armenia. I hear that Kotayk Beer is sponsoring my concert on the 24th. I wonder if this will entail my having to take swigs of beer while singing? Flattering nevertheless to have such a household name involved. I also hear that the mock up of the printed CD booklet looks very nice from various different sources who have seen it. I am excited to have a look. I think Arsineh Khachikian did a beautiful job on the graphic design. My musicians have already rehearsed bar a percussionist which they are having difficulty finding - this is a bit frightening. There seem to be no other bites on sponsorship other than Kotayk and that is frightening too. Some tv stations insist on having me as a guest before airing the music video - these are all unforseen little bumps which unfortunately do not help the PR side of things.
Well - I have played, practised, felt, loved, cried, lost and gained in my project this last year. I aim to get on the stage on September 24th and give a performance in which every fiber of my being will be resonating that which I believe in and experienced. I pray that all things will come together. I can do no more but to leave this last bit of the project to unravel just as it should.
We fly to Armenia tomorrow (my parents will be going for the first time). I find it hard to believe that 5 weeks went so quickly. I am mixed with excitement, anxiety, joy, and the old enemy that tries to creep in called fear. That last one I will have to boot up the bottom once I leave the house! Fear is just one of those annoying things that seems quite pointless in life as all you need to do is overcome it mentally.
There is a bit of very very surprising and good news!! I received an email last week saying that the deciding educational board in Marts village had second thoughts about delaying the work and wanted to "strike while the iron was hot" . I hear they are working as we speak and should wrap up before the cold winter sets in. I never thought they would make that decision while the kids were in school! I hope to take my parents up to the village and will take photos if I make it up there. At the end of the day the work will be done - it is a matter of when and it would be quite nice to see it finished after all the effort and donations of many generous people that went towards the project. I can't wait! The principal of the school sent the following message this week "Qeznitz shat shnorhakal klinen mer erexanere, menq el ankaskats.Ete amen mi spyurqahay qo aratsi 10 tokosn aner, hima menq tas angam aveli bareketzik erkrum kapreinq." For those who do not understand Armenian he says "The children of the village and undoubtedly the rest of the village are very thankful for the work that you are doing and that if every diasporan Armenian did even 10% of what we organised then Armenia would be 10 times better off as a country". I would like to say thanks to everyone involved who participated - I only had the idea and all of you gave the means. God bless you.
So this is it. We'll see what happens from here and as I say in the title I am most definitely in the hands of God and look forward to discover exactly what is supposed to happen next.
From my last day in the land of rain. Finally!
X
S

Oh Paris! (Paghee)!

2006-09-09T12:54:00.000+01:00

Four days in a city which I had from previous experience classed as unfriendly and pretentious but what a nice surprise to be incorrect! I had a lot of time to myself these past few days which allowed me to reflect on life, Past, future, present - all of which seem incredibly intense at the moment but truthfully I would expect no less with so many changes in the last year.
I was in Paris to get the mastering of the CD done and to get the duplication on the go so that we could have it all ready for the concert on the 24th of September. I was extremely fortunate to have this side of the project (ie: mastering, duplication, not to mention 2 song arrangements) sponsored by a dear friend Bernard Ganimian who has been aware of
my musical past and has supported and encouraged my growth and
perseverance in this side of my life. After a gruelling security check which included a queue that was two hours long, a body scan and body search where I felt like I might get an interrogation because I forgot my Vicks inhaler in my handbag I actually made it on the plane to Paris.
We had an incredibly delicous Pizza (yes we were in France I realise) with some lovely wine and caught up on the whole process I had been through. Tuesday was spent at the mastering studio all day in which I worked with Jean Pierre at LA Source Studios. Jean Pierre was a very tall man with 3/4 length shorts, a tshirt, and red trainers. He reminded me very much of Gerard Depardieu and it wasn't just his being French or his nose. It was entertaining nevertheless and now the CD should resonate equally on all sorts of devices! Bernard took me to a lovely sushi meal in the evening (again I realise I was in Paris but was having withdrawal as good Sushi is hard to come by). After an early night I went back to the mastering studio to fine tune a few things and then we rushed off to the duplication so that we could get it all done on time. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of Paris. I had the odd cafe sitting at the streetside bistros watching the passers by. I went in search of Creme Brulee and ended up with Tart au Citron. The rubbish collectors passing by wished me a good appetite while I had lunch, random people on the street smiled, even a gentleman offered to pay for my coffee in the evening while surrounded by his friends - I thought this sort of thing doesn't happen in England. Paris is such a friendly place! I spent the evening reading a book in my hotel room and listening to music.
Thursday was spent much the same way wandering around Paris and taking in the sights but was followed by a surprise trip to Monmarte thanks to Bernard on route to the airport. I adore going there and so it was a great way to end a ponderous few days. A massive thank you to Bernard for taking care of this end of things. I only pray the concert will be well attended and a good reflection of all the work that we put in these last four months.
And so! 4 days left to go back to Armenia. I shall have to decide what to take in my suitcase as I have the wonderful security checks to look forward to, need to carry 500 CD's and am only allowed 23 kilos. Hmmmmm....
I am sure all will be well! Will be writing to you from the blistering heat of Yerevan next time around.
Peace and love
X
S

Images of England

2006-08-22T16:00:00.000+01:00

I can definitely say that the rolling green hills of England are a massive contrast to the rocky, dusty, mountainous summer yellows of Armenia. It continues to rain at least once a day since I have been here. When in Rome do as the Romans and so my Sunday consisted of a walk in the countryside and a stop at the local pub.
One thing that I have always enjoyed about England are its dramatic skies. The clouds are so prevalent here that when the sun breaks through it is like angels descending from heaven. It can be breathtaking.
I look forward to my return to the land of heat and dust. Apparently preparations for the concert are underway. An advertisement is being prepared, a search for sponsors, the hall has confirmed its availability and tv stations have agreed to air the music video. Thanks to the hard work of Deem Communications who are seeing to the work while I am away strolling amongst the green English hills one might say.
All is moving forwards - as always. Enjoying the anticipation.
Peace and love
Sonya

Rain, Rain Go Away

2006-08-18T10:02:00.000+01:00

Contrasts, contrasts, life is full of contrasts. Some pictures of the greenery (and reddery it seems!) of England. I have come back to days of rain and cold. Apparently it is still roasting in Armenia and I have been wearing boots and a jacket all week - not to mention carrying an umbrella. It seems this movement from one extreme to the other makes me appreciate just how incredibly alive I am. These next 26 days in England are a process for me. I am packing all my personals from my old home, simultaneously my parents are packing all their personals as well as they are moving from our other old home. It seems I have spent 4 days throwing out so many things I held on to for so long. Bags and bags of clothing went to charity. So much of what we accumulate for whatever reason thinking that at some point it might come in useful. (Oh yes! Let me wear those 1983 skin tight Jane Fonda workout leggings next time I go to the gym!) So far it has been some kind of cleansing metamorphasis thing. I seem to be shedding layers of stuff. (Lets hope I come out a butterfly!) I cannot explain the sense of freedom I feel at not looking backwards and looking forwards in my life. I always say that if I get hit by a very big truck (one of those TNT orange and whilte ones preferably) that I would die happy knowing that I lived such a life rich with experiences and emotions. It doesn't seem to slow down - It seems to continually get better. Perhaps maturity (at least to some degree!) combined with the experience makes it sweeter. As my good friend Dave Najarian Kelly said to me while I was in Yerevan: "The older the berry the sweeter the juice". Bless him. He has quite a few Simpsons and South Park quotes too for all those awkward moments. For anyone planning a trip to Yerevan I suggest looking him up. When in doubt check Cheers Wine Bar on Nalbandyan Street. He'll either be there or they will locate him for you.
I have recently been in touch with Sylvie Keshishian - a Londoner who actually went and lived in Armenia for 2.5 years. She has been trying to make it back there and I can say that many people I ran into in Armenia are missing her terribly. I am going to meet up with her for a coffee so that we can share experiences. She seems to have had a similiar emotional experience and I quote her "Isn't it a place where you can breathe, constantly learn and be INSPIRED? ....you understand the DEPTH of friendships there." So true, so true...
There seems to have been a hold up in the school renovation project due to a large portion of the funds which got lost in transit between England and Armenia. Apparently the fault of the English bank if you can believe it! Although the renovation team has done a lot of prep work for the flooring and have part of the materials waiting at the school they are holding off on laying cement and nailing down the wood. Unfortunately, if they start doing the bulk of the work at the moment there is no way that they will finish by the 25th of August which is when school will begin. Due to the size of the school and all facilities being necessary, it is not feasible to work on the school while the children are there. Furthermore the DAC volunteers are at the school at the moment and requested that the work not be carried out so as not to disturb their summer camp activities. The finances have been recovered from the bank but a little bit too late for 2006. The work will start anew at the end of June 2007. The upside is that if the prepped wood dries for a longer period of time it will be more durable and we will have a better floor. Everything is in writing and we can rest assure that the work will be carried out - not to mention Yerkir organisation have done many similiar projects. A little frustrating that it didn't happen for us this summer but we will see to it next summer for sure. Everything happens as it should. Would rather do a good job than a last minute rush job.
And so I will go back to my cardboard boxes, boxes and more boxes. Perhaps restring that old Alvarez guitar and play some tunes. Wrenched myself out of bed at 1am last night and fumbled to find the small tape recorder as a nice melody came into my head. Must go and evaluate how nice it actually is this morning!
So will keep you posted on any changes. If anyone is aware of any job opportunities in Armenia please do let me know as I would like to be able to stay out there - and as Sylvie said - be inspired. I'm a really good employee - truly! I can do Design, Admin, Sales, Translating, Teaching, Event Planning, Music Related, ....
Will be back soon.
Peace and love.
S

Armenia You Are Calling Me

2006-08-10T22:14:00.000+01:00

I have been in England for all of 48 hours and already there has been a massive bomb scare at the airport this morning. I am glad I missed that but it makes me think about the world we are living in and all the madness surrounding us - where man forgets to be man and to celebrate life and in contrast decides to destruct life and the beauty that surrounds it.
My four months in Armenia are temporarily over. I am "home" for 5 weeks taking care of the mastering and duplication process which will have me in Paris for a few days at the beginning of September. I am counting the days (33 in total) to my return where I will give my CD release concert and see the fruit of all the tenacious work that took place in Yerevan.
I felt this last image of watermelon was appropriate in demonstrating a typical Armenian roadside scene. It is appropriate in demonstrating the abundance and life in the land that I love so much. I can tell you that stepping on to the plane and no longer hearing Armenian around me or seeing the beautiful faces of our people was difficult to bear. I didn't come up with a masterpiece but I will share what I felt and what I put on paper (a napkin to be precise) on my 5 hour return to the land of rain and for the record currently the most expensive city in the world with wages that don't match according to recent statistics. What fun.

The sweet scent of my dusty soil, my crystal water, my mountains
Permeates my clothes, my hair, my fingers
I can only inhale hungrily that which remains temporarily
Like a half-crazed lover, famished for his other
Only just departing in a sea of different faces
10,000 miles above the earth morbid history repeats
As I am exiled once more from that which belongs to me
I feel the loss of my vocabulary, my language has gone
My lips form the vowels of that which is not mine
My land my beautiful Armenia I am all of you
Each day without you is another day less than who I am
Each day I vow to bring myself back to you
Where it was meant that I should exist amongst the memory
Of my fathers, fathers, my long lost fathers
Only to touch your hallowed ground shall my soul rise to your heavenly mountains
I inhale all of you and hold my breath to reach you once again
To celebrate my love

All that inspired on BA flight 6872 or whatever it was. Believe me - I feel a part of me has been wrenched out and my happiness lies in knowing i will be returning. One cannot explain easily the beauty of life there. It mainly has to do with the fact that humanity still exists. Family remains a family, friends remain friends, there is respect for one another, there is a love for life and all this prevails through the most difficult conditions and hardships. Yes - of course there are bad things too like there are in all parts of the world but truly the quality of life was so much better than the rat race of material acquisition I have returned to.

My last days in Armenia were hectic ones. The CD mixing finished beautifully. We showed a premiere of the music video on Thursday evening on "Nor Alik" Channel 1. My parents managed to see it via satellite in England and where overwhelmed with emotion. I was personally overwhelmed by the kind words that all the guests present had to offer after viewing the video. I cannot thank the people enough for understanding, encouraging and appreciating my music. I had a fantastic team of people behind me and everything fell into place so much better than if I had planned it. Trusting my gut and listening to my rhythm I followed a path I knew I had to take. This has been such an astounding experience I wish that everyone can feel something like this at least once in their lives.
I said my temporary goodbyes and thank you's to everyone who made this a possibility. I am eager to see them again and in the meantime will be practising like a good musician to make sure I can give it my best on the 24th of September.

Love to all and thanks to all who have been following this blog, listening, and supporting me.
I will drop in soon - perhaps with some photos of Yorkshire cows, pint glasses, Marks & Spencer, and beautifully manicured homes with perfect gardens, perfect cars, perfectly groomed children, and the odd biddy walking in a park with a walking stick, Wellington boots and a hunting cap.
Peace
S

Bees and Buckets

2006-07-29T14:07:00.000+01:00

So I didn't actually get as wer as I thought last Sunday. It turned out to be a day of deliciously prepared homemade food at my friend Anna's family home in Saghmosavank. It was a beautiful day and we were surrounded by sunshine, family, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs and even a little kitten. Anna's father Tero is a proud man. He loves to work and create things and he looks as if he is part of the land. Forming, shaping, building, growing,... these are the things he does. He proudly showed me their peach trees, apricot trees, apple trees, various pear trees, berries and raspberries. Apricot season is pretty much over but there was one apricot left on a tree and he insisted that I taste it. It was the sweetest, juciest apricot I had ever eaten in my life. Similiarly the raspberries I picked off the bushes were sweetest raspberries I had ever eaten - 10 times sweeter than the organic ones you buy at the supermarket for an outrageous price.
I couldn't stop eating them! Later tero showed me the bees he keeps for honey. Without any protective clothing he reached his hands in and took out layer after layer of honeycomb saturated with bees! Half anxious and half curious I got close enough to get a good look and understanding of how the system works. It was fascinating. After dinner I challenged Anna's brother to backgammon and lost neck to neck and then the madness began as buckets, bottles, cups and saucepans of water started to get thrown left and right. I managed to dodge most of the water and was blessed with only a few drops. We had a fantastic day in all and ended up singing at the top of our voices on our drive home.
The week in the studio has been a productive one. It looks like I will finally be wrapping up this week and am busy discussing distribution deals and concert preparations. The work is hard but I get great pleasure in doing that which I love. I meet nwe faces on a daily basis and have come to love the flow and energy of this city. I do however look forward to the green hills of England and seeing my family soon.
I hope to get some work in progress photos of the village school as the DAC volunteer crew are due to arrive this week and will head up to the village a week later.
We had some refreshing rain today for a change which cooled things down a bit. After a mad night out with some French Armenians who all ended up coming over for coffee at an unmentionable hour I am enjoying a relaxing weekend! I shall be back with more later.
S

Music

2006-07-27T12:24:00.000+01:00

I feel it is easy for me to express myself with words but today the emotion that I felt while listening to "Marts" (the song I have written about the village) being mixed is one which I am struggling to describe accurately. I can attempt to say that it was a mixture of of goosebumps, joy with a desire to cry and an overwhelming sense of what was borderline ecstatic madness. To love so much, to feel so much and have it induced naturally by sheerly engaging in that which I feel I am meant to do in this life should be so obvious. So many of us make excuses to not be able to do the things we truly want to do and deprive ourselves of the chance to feel true happiness. I could not purchase this feeling anywhere - it is from within. I am grateful for the light.

Interesting Back Rubs and Pagan Preparations

2006-07-22T09:13:00.000+01:00

And yet another week of mayhem has flown by with splashes of colour and unique moments of Armenian insanity. I have been in the studio every day from 11am until 4pm trying to wrap up the CD so that I can get on my flight back to London on the 8th of August with CD in hand ready to be mastered and duplicated.
This week we finalised the string quartet recordings, wrapped up the Qanun, the Shvi, the Clarinet and Oboe and finally the percussion. We are left with a phenomenal piece of music which will be played by an incredible Cellist Artyom Manoogyan and accompanied by guitar and of course vocal. I am excited for Monday mornings session which will entail the recording of this piece. We have finalised the mix for one song which will be the music video (pictured in last blog) and the light at the end of the tunnel is definitely looking brighter these days.
Two days ago I thought I would treat myself to a back massage after a month of hard work. I should elaborate that a half hour back massage costs 3,000AMD - as in $6.00. I thought it was worth splurging :) I noticed a guitar in the corner of the massage place and wondered why it was there. The ladies that work in the establishment know that I am a singer and while being rubbed I was told by my lady that she played the guitar years ago and someone recently gave her a guitar as a gift. She proceeded to ask me if I would play a song for her before I left. Judging that saying yes would be favourable and would lead to particularly good attention on my aching muscles I consented. It was a good call as I was reduced to a mound of jello not long after. I picked up the guitar and started tuning it and was told that another client had come in and could I perhaps go back into the room in which I was massaged to play my song so as not to disturb them. I am not sure if they thought that I was going to break out into something like Nirvana but I sat back up on the massage table, guitar in hand, in almost darkness, scents of oil in the air, all the romance and love surrounding me and with my newly invigorated muscles sang them a love song. It was an incredibly random moment that went over very well! Next I will be singing in hair salons and supermarkets - stay tuned!!
Apart from that I was at a cafe in the week when a young boy approached and asked if I was indeed "Sona". I must elaborate that Sona is a typical Armenian name and for some reason these kids can't get their head around the name "Sonya" and I am called Sona often. In any case I confirmed and he proceeded to tell me that he has been trying to play my songs on the guitar for the last 2 weeks. When I asked him where he knew them from he told me that he had come to my concert and recorded the songs on his cell phone. I've been bootlegged! - but sweet nevertheless. Perhaps I should think about publishing one of those guitar song books??? :)
Apart from that I had a productive meeting with the principal of the village school today. He proceeded to tell me his worries about meeting deadlines in time for the kids to start classes in September. In general he expressed his gratitude at the project and stressed that it is not often that aid reaches remote villages like Marts. So once again to all who participated - you are really making a difference for these people. Thank you!
I need to apologise for killing off the old lady (she appears in my May Blog of the village). Apparently she is alive and kicking and it is her husband that has passed away. I don't have a photo of him but last time I saw him he was taking sheep up to the top of the mountain at the crack of dawn and was back very late in the evening. He was living until he died - if you know what I mean. He embraced me with his very rough whiskers and drank a shot of vodka to my health the last time I saw him.
I met with a young dancer named Tsolag yesterday who suggested collaborating with me for the September concert. His dance group do some very interesting Avante Garde type dancing with interesting costumes. I managed to view one dance called "Love" that was set to one of Arto Tuncboyaciyan's duduk pieces. This particular dance was so beautiful, erotic, emotional, fluid,... It has been playing over and over in my memory since I saw it. It really was a fantastic representation of what I think love is if expressed to its fullest capacity. Hmmmm. There is so much talent here.
Finally the country is getting geared up for "Vartavar" tomorrow. This is a holiday that dates back to pagan times. Essentially it began when people tossed roses at each other (hence the word Vart=Rose). Unfortunately for conservatives, the roses eventually were replaced by large doses of water - ie. bucketfuls. In essence, if I decide to step out of my apartment tomorrow, it is very likely that some invigorated youth will pour a bucketful of water off his/her balcony right on to my head. It is also likely that children will run up to me and throw water at me or that at some point I might get tossed into the fountains in Republic Square. Black will be the colour of my t-shirt tomorrow and all electronic equipment will remain at home. I actually have an escape plan already. I am leaving to go to Saghmosavank to my friends parents house in the village. Last time I was there was in May (see Interviews and Dreams) and had a splendid day with them. In the villages, each family tends to go up to the mountains and slaughter a lamb and have kebab. Maybe they throw vodka on each other instead of water.... now we're talking!!
So - we shall see what the next week reveals. I have attached some random photos of Armenia that I have taken since being here. Some of these photos were taken by a friend Manoog Caprielian on the Ijevan weekend. The one in the studio is my sound engineer Arman. He is a barrel of laughs and makes recording an altogether amusing experience.
Regarding Lebanon - prayers go out to all of those with family there. I hear more and more people are getting out. I hope this brings some of the Armenians there back to Armenia. I wish them all safety and Godspeed.
Will be back - no doubt fed and watered.
Peace and love
S

A Music Video!

2006-07-16T14:11:00.000+01:00

We've done it! After a 12 hour day of pain, suffering, joy,heat, hunger and then cold we managed to shoot what will be my first music video. We set the video to my song "Hambyur/Kiss". I will not give away the entire storyline but have put some stills up as a sneak preview to what some of the story will entail. Very sweet, very romantic - and shot in some of the natural beauty in Armenia which seems to be in almost every corner.
Ardag Avdalyan agreed to make the video and after a day of picking actors to play the parts, I arrived at the set only to find that none of them could make it. Who was supposed to be my "love" turned out to be a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair, a huge gut and an abundance of hair all over his body. Absolutely stunned and appalled at my situation, we pulled Ardag's son off the camera and had him play the part. My fear being that perhaps he was not as mature as one should have looked but he was 100 times better than what would have appeared to be a run in with someone's dad. Hoping all will come together believably and beautifully but it was some experience. We were up in the mountains near Kurdish settlers who keep animals and live in tents for 3 months, we passed through Oshagan where the inventor of the Armenian alphabet is buried and there is also an old beautiful bridge, we went up to the ruins of Amberd Castle which date back to the 7th century!
We shot the swing scene first and I had to get intimate with my boy before we had even said 10 words to each other! The lady who played the grandmother killed everyone that day. She found a need to talk incessantly about everything and anything (mainly herself) and also proceeded to pick every herb in every field and mountainside that we visited which resulted in allergy attacks of some of the crew members. Apparently she cures all sorts of ailments with her potions. (A bit like the old goat in Cold Mountain who saves Jude Law). We decided she was a hazard to the countryside and we should get her home as soon as possible but she was picking herbs from 10am until 10pm with an uncontrollable fervour. Hmmmm.... She was eating all fruits and berries and food off the set of the video with the same uncontrollable fervour.
In the morning we suffered scorching heat and by the time we were shooting the final shots in the field I had to stop from shaking so that I could play guitar I was so incredibly cold. We had a meal of cheese, salami, tomatoes and cucumbers at 5pm when I felt like a truck had rolled over me. All in all it took great endurance but I tried to live every moment of the video and think about the love I have for music that inspired such a song. It was my love for that real moment in life - that real feeling of fearless powerful love and connection that seems to confirm that so many things are possible in the world.
Friday evening I took my friend Anna to see Arto Tunciboyaciyan for the first time at the Avante Garde Folk Club. It was a treat as always. I pray that my music can grow in that way - to branch out, to dig deeper, to touch people and move and inspire them to feel and to truly live.
On a completely different note I hear about the things in Lebanon and I hope anyone with friends or family there are not affected and that all will resolve in safety. God be with all of you.
Enjoy the pics. I shall be busy in the studio all week but will report back shortly.
Peace and love
S

Sevan, Ichevan, Work Begins in Marts!

2006-07-11T17:18:00.000+01:00

What a joy to be here and to have every fibre of my being pulsating with the energy that can be found here in Armenia. It has been yet another week of progress between seeing the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the CD, getting out to see the natural beauty Armenia has to offer, catching Sayat Nova dance ensemble from Boston, seeing two outdoor music jazz concerts, witnessing the opening of Square One Restaurant at Zvartnots airport which has finally added a splash of colour, style, modernity and cheer at the once gray airport, seeing Arto Tunciboyacyan at what I would consider his best ever concert, meeting Armen Varadian a serious contender for the 2010 Olympic Games as a representative for Armenia (in Skeleton) see http://www.skeletonsport.com/personal/?contactid=1465, camping on the shores of Lake Sevan, seeing the beauty of Ichevan for the first time, going back to one of my favourite monasteries - Geghart and finding my inner peace, and best of all, receiving the news that work has indeed begun in Marts and the old floors are being ripped up and the new material has arrived to be put down.
The last of the news really got me excited because it has been a long process getting the funds together for such a scheme - especially as the big well known charity organisations I approached were not interested in what I was doing and even said I wouldn't be able to handle it on my own. Thanks to Nareg Hartunyan and Yerkir Non-Profit it will all become a reality. Thanks especially to all the people that donated and made this possible. I hope to be able to get up to Marts before my return to England in August and will be sure to photograph the progress. I will also ask the DAC volunteers who are there in August to take photographs so that by September we can show where we are.
Sevan was brilliant. We set up a tent with on the shore and had a feast of barbequed vegetables and fish. In our midst we had the luxury of a man named Khajag who has been in the restaurant business for 17 years and when he got out his barbequeing kit (see photo) we knew we were in for a seriously good meal. We played some guitar, took random swims in the lake, and ended up gleaning the land for wood at 11pm when our wood was running out. In the plot next to ours we could see a raging bonfire surrounded by locals who had the radio going which made it even harder (by the way the radio was playing all night and was also accompanied by noisy frogs and violent birds in the morning who managed to get into our food supply).
At Arto's concert I experienced a song which was cello and synthesiser called "The Olive Tree". This particular piece of music touched my soul in such a way that I would like to write a piece of music just for the cello. I cannot explain the magic Arto is capable of inducing. He is a true musical genius. By the end of the concert he had children from different nations dancing around him and he was like a crazed magical pied piper! His musicians are all indredibly talented and it is a great inspiration to me to see the brilliance of sound and music which is so alive and so incredibly diverse.
I continue to meet interesting people on a day to day basis. I met a couple from Missouri last week who are Allman Brothers fans and as Yankee as Yanks can be yet they have been living in Dilijan for a year and speak Armenian. It was incredible! We met at a bar where the actual pumps for the kegs are on the wall (see picture) and you are charged per liter that you drink. Can you imagine what kind of reaction this would cause in the UK or the USA? All you can drink and the responsibility is yours - amazing it doesn't seem to cause any problems here.
So this is it for the time being. I shall be back with info.
Peace and love, sunshine and happiness
S

Press, Publicity, PR, Bootlegging,Collaborations...

2006-07-05T11:54:00.000+01:00

It has been a productive few days in the city of Yerevan. Perhaps it is because of the appearance of rain clouds as of late that are keeping us away from the paradisical playground of the Congress Hotel swimming pool (see photo). Either way - have had much productive meetings with James Tufenkian, great conversations with Arthur Ispiryan (singer - see photo), Roupen Haghverdian (father of "heghinagayin" music in Armenia) who has agreed to collaborate on one of my songs and is seen in the photos writing lyrics for one of my songs, with Ardag Avdalian who is writing the storyline for a music video, Raffi Der Hovhannesian political mover and shaker, and so on.
I picked up a copy of Officia (Russian magazine) where they have covered the guitar festival in June and was pleased to see a photo of myself included in the article along with the Yerevan Weekly which seemed to have me on half of the back page with a great write up by Zela Margossian (thank you Zela - very well written and true to my heart).
The latest bit of information which had me floored was that I walked into my local supermarket where one of the employees (Harout) asked for my website details. I was happy to provide them and told him he could listen to free samples of all of my songs and could also buy the mp3's as albums or single songs off my website. He was quick to inform me that he already had bought my CD of 10 English songs from the local Armenian CD shop. I stared at him quizzically as I am positive my old CD's are not available as the original copies sold out. After spelling out my name and confirming that indeed it was my music that he bought I came to the realisation that after only 3 months in Armenia I have been pirated!!! Ahhhh - no escape from the slack musical laws in this country. The artists here are quick to be copied and there isn't very much you can do. The good news is that Harout told me there was an underground movement in Armenia of fans of my previous English stuff. I guess there was a demand that made it a temptation to pirate in the first place. It's a shame we artists don't make money on the stuff we bleed for.
So there you have it in a nutshell. My condolences go out to the boys in the jazz band Time Report that were due to give an outdoor concert at the beginning of the week. I also send my condolences to the lighting and sound technicians who were all set up and ready to roll at 8:30pm when the skies turned black and poured out endless hail and battering rain. I hope the equipment made it and the instruments are not too badly damaged. Goes to show that no matter how much you plan in this world God always has the last word!
Arsineh Khachikian my graphic designer has come up with a beautiful layout and cover for the CD. I am incredibly excited how the magic is all being woven together on this project. A further thank you to several people who donated towards the project this week - Maral Balabanian and Minas Kalachian. These kids are really going to be smiling thanks to you guys :)
I shall be back soon with an update on the village and music.
From the land of hail and rainclouds and World Cup Mania
Peace
S

Concerts, Music, Parties,....

2006-07-03T10:25:00.000+01:00

Tuesday evening, the temperature at 30 degrees Celsius and hoardes of people pouring in to the hall, the air conditioning unfortunately having given up in the previous weeks, and 14 musicians on a stage which would be more appropriate for 6 or 7 we pulled off one very hot and sweaty concert!
The overall energy was fabulous. The crowd was a good mix of diasporans, local fans who had been exposed to the tv interviews, big boys like James Tufenkian and some of Arto Tunciboyacians Navy Band musicians, poet Levon Blbulian, Lilit Pipoyan, soloists and organisers of Kohar, artist Yuri Arevian, one of the employees of my local supermarket, etc..
We managed to play most of the songs on the new CD and I threw in a couple of my old English tunes with just the guitar and percussion which went over very well. By the 7th song my chest looked as if it were made of glass and sweat was dripping on my guitar and running into my eyeballs and stinging my eyes. We persevered to complete 12 of the 14 songs we had planned to do to an audience who equally endured the conditions and finished off clapping along and applauding with great enthusiasm.
Thank you, thank you, thank you...to everyone who made it happen. Linus Quartet: Lusine Aghababyan, Lilit Mkhitaryan, Gemma Abrahamyan, Askhen Gasparyan. Flautist Nelly Manoukyan, Guitarist Ashot Vosganyan, Percussion Edik Hartunyan, Accordion Arthur Khachatryan, Kanun Mary Vardanyan, Shvi Arthur Krikoryan, Duduk Armen Krikoryan, Oboe Asghik Ghazaryan, and Clarinet Martin Oolikhanyan. To my arranger/producer Narine Zarifyan, Naregatsi Art Institute who gave us the hall, recorded the concert on to DVD and invited the press. To the technical team who sorted it all out last minute and of course to all the people who took the time to come and watch the show - thank you.
We have been invited to play Vahakni Country Club some time in mid-late July and James Tufenkian is eager to purchase the first CD and play us in his hotels and restaurants. The general feedback has been very good and having just arrived from a recording session this morning I too am excited about the evolution of this record.
The plan is to wrap up at the end of this month and return to Armenia in the 3rd and 4th weeks of September to give a CD promotional concert. In the meantime we are preparing to record a music video for one of the songs so that it can circulate in the month of August and more people can get the gist of what the music is about. God willing it will touch people the way Armenia touched me last year and we can raise a bit of dosh for the benefit of these villages.
Speaking of which..the mayor of the village will be down today and we shall be likely to go up this week and put things into action finally. On my return in September I expect to be able to photograph a school with solid wood floors, running water in the kitchen, tiled hallways and kitchen and God willing if we get the funds some new desks and chairs too. I miss the kids so much already - I would truly enjoy a trip up there this week if studio time allows it.
Friday night marked the closing ceremonies of Meg Azg Meg Meshaguyt (One People, One Culture) which proved to be a ROCKING outdoor concert with thousands gathered in Republic Square to witness many great and well loved Armenian artists including the Kohar Choir , Nune, Alla Levonyan, and even Andre - our Eurovision song contest entry this year. We placed 8 by the way for our first year of participation - not too bad eh? The evening ended with splendid fireworks over the Square and I must say I was impressed by the quality and duration (Go Armenia). I admit that at the first explosion quite a few people took to the floor - hey you never know.
Saturday evening was a splendid dinner at a restaurant called Gedap in the valley. We had some delicous food in the company of singer Artur Ispiryan and his lovely wife Madlene, Alex Sardar, Edil Hovnanian, Brian Arzruni, and other friends who to say the least are all movers and shakers in Armenia.
As for yesterday evening, we enjoyed a feast at the Hovnanian residence that overlooked the valley. A completely overwhelmingly beautiful house with 16 bathrooms, wrap around balconies, an art collection to die for, complete with impecccable taste and a swimming pool. Edil created an absolutely beautiful atmosphere with fantastic food from top restaurants, good wine, good music and an excellent mix of people. We enjoyed some chit chat and broke into song later in the evening. Some of the Birthright Armenia volunteers got the bright idea of throwing the guests into the pool at 1am. Black evening dress, sandals and jewelry did not seem to work in my favour as I was hurled into the swimming pool. I was not very impressed but thanks to modern day tumble dryers and blow dryers I made it home in one piece.
Today I meet with James Tufenkian to hash out ideas regarding the interior design of his hotels. I also meet with Arsineh Khachikian my adorable graphic designer to review the CD packaging and will be off to watch "Time Report" a fantastic jazz band on the steps of the Cascade. Another interesting evening of music to say the least for which there seems to be no lack of in this small and exciting city. An artists paradise to say the least.
I shall be back with more - emerging occasionally from the dust and the heat...
Peace and love.
S

Heartwarming Excerpts and Concert Preparations

2006-06-26T11:01:00.000+01:00

So I was having a cup of coffee with Samuel Mesropian, principal of the "Himnadram" Cultural Office and organiser of the Golden Guitar Festival in which I participated this last month. I made a comment on how I was so impressed that they gave one of the participants a guitar at the end of the festival because he hadn't owned one in 5 years. I was then told that after the fall of communism, this guy's employment basically became non-existent and eventually he ended up moving out of the city in desperation and into a summer residence (this is basically a stone hut in the mountains with no facilities or running water). Apparently he began growing his own food and only owned some old filthy clothes. However, when one of his friends heard about the Guitar Festival he convinced him to participate after buying him a fresh pair of clothes and cleaned him up for the auditions. I must say he was one of my favourite participants. The audience loved him too and I suppose no one realised where this guy was coming from. I think its fantastic that they got him fresh clothes and even gave him a guitar in the end. The love of music is so powerful.

Yerevan continues to be extremely hot. I have been busy in the studio and rehearsing for what will offically be my concert. We had a run through yesterday and although it seems it ought to be haphazard rehearsing once for a debut it all seemed to come togehter. I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and putting it behind me now too so I can fully focus on getting the recording done.

I had coffee with an old friend Raffi Meneshian who used to be my Camp Counselor. At the age of 15 he had played violin for me during the camp talent show and I had sang and we had won. He now runs Pomegranate Records which has a nice collection of artists under its name. It is funny how 15 years later we should see each other in Armenia. But that is the way Armenia is. I have come across so many faces from my childhood and some of us have made it here and its so great that we are still connected to our Armenianness. In so many ways after all the things we have been taught while growing up it is a sort of homecoming.

The latest on the village is that some of the wood is already ready and Yerkir should be heading up this weekend to put everything into action. I might sit in for the ride if I am able. Unfortunately my friends grandmother in the village has died. Her photo is in my May 25th blog entitled More From Armenia. Hard to believe she died suddenly - I remember her amazing blue eyes.

At the moment there is the mayhem of Meg Azg Meg Meshaguyt (One People One Culture) Festival going on around Armenia. Though I have been asked to participate the level of unorganisation was so unbearable that I turned it down in the end. They called me to a meeting on Thursday and asked if I could be 7 hours away with my 9 musicians the following day. The other concerts available also seemed to be last minute in random places so I though it better to focus on the one concert tomorrow. I managed 4 tv interviews all last week as well. I did two morning shows - one of which was a technical nightmare and unfortunately the one that is broadcast to the entire globe (as luck would have it!). I also did another morning show and a prerecorded show called "Hotline" that is done in English and specifically recorded for the diaspora and worldwide specatators. My host was Nina Hovanian - daughter of famous tycoon who married an Armenian war hero. She runs a shop here in Yerevan which has tremendously talented local artists. She is providing a lot of jobs and putting out and designing some really beautiful stuff. Apparently she met her husband when deciding to collect some flowers in what she didn't realise was a war zone. Naturally he dove on her and saved her life. Then there was love....

And so I shall leave it here for now though I could go on and on and on and on. Getting some concert prep work done. I shall be back from the land of heat and music with further news.

Tchuss!

In the Swing of Things

2006-06-18T08:30:00.000+01:00

And so the last few days I have tried to concentrate on not melting....The heat is pretty intense especially when rehearsing in hot classrooms and recording in hot studios. I was finally offered some relief at the Congress Hotel Swimming Pool. (Building on far left with pink roof in the photo of Ararat Mountain bordering the city). After much batting of the eyelashes and flashing of the teeth I was given a space amongst the idle, the wealthy, the self-pampering types and probably a very fortunate and clever crowd. One dip into the pool and the payment of $100 a month became very very justifiable!! I shall eat less and swim more!!

Recording is going brilliantly though one forgets exactly how much time it takes to put these things together. With the heat nerves can wear thin although it is a joy to hear all of it unfold. We have been invited to appear on "Pari Looys" on Armenia TV with Garen on Wednesday morning. (This is the Armenian version of the Good Morning Show). We might do a gig on channel 2 also - possibly Friday. The concert is nearing and I am trying to remember my song lyrics which I have had to alter many times and so I may sing a few interesting things on stage!

The meeting with the mayor of Martz and Yerkir non-profit organisation regarding my school renovation project in the village of Martz went brilliantly. They are officially preparing the wood flooring (drying the wood to prevent it from warping, cracking, etc..) The tiles for hallways and kitchen are to be shipped over this week and once the kids have finished their exams work will start in the building. Estimated finish time is September the 1st. It seems the mayor, the non-profit and myself are cooperating brilliantly and so hopefully a will go as planned. Thank you to everyone who has contributed - we are making a real difference! We are still short of funds in general and for desks and chairs - another $2,000 would be useful. For anyone who would like to participate please email me as every little bit goes quite a way here. sonyavar@yahoo.co.uk. Further information regarding this project can be found in previous blogs (August 2005, One Month to Go, To the Village and Musical Advances).

Finally we had a farewell party for a dear friend of ours from Syria called Sam. It was my first official late night in Yerevan. The evening consisted of more interesting fruit concoctions, apple flavoured "nergileh", much much dancing, new faces, great conversations and a good night overall. We followed it with a barbeque the following afternoon where Sam's host family kindly threw a get together in his honour for about thirty something people. The food was divine and soon shots of apricot vodka went around and the singing broke out. The host of the house made a toast to all the Armenians who have come here from outside of Armenia - he felt priveledged that we should gather under his roof. When we come here and try to make a difference, people DO actually care. It means a lot to them. And so we come full circle to say that after this exciting barbeque, several of us decided to return to the pool and cool off for one hour. This was followed by a helping of Square One chocolate cake (the kind that oozes when you stick your fork into it).And so the days merge into one another - I shall be Yerevan bound the next few weeks as the days are full of rehearsals and recordings (and random dips into the pool).

Coming to you chlorinated and cooled.

Did I mention monasteries?

2006-06-13T09:47:00.000+01:00

And so another eventful few days has gone by in Armenia where life is spontaneous, amusing, charming and lately very hot! I have experienced nights out at Paplavok Jazz Club with a little man called "Forche" entertaining the masses followed by a friendly gathering on the steps of the Cascade overlooking Yerevan with the Birthright Armenia volunteer crew and bizarre alchoholic fruit concoctions. I have been rejected from the closest swimming pool in Yerevan due to a high number of applications (and the line - don't you know who I am didn't seem to cut it just yet)!. I spent a day of madness with avid monastery fans cramped in a small white Niva hopping from one awesome monument to the next. Upon making a wrong turn in the road we found ourselves at the top of a mountain looking right at the peak of Mount Aragadz. Scattered before us were shepherd tents and horses and donkeys grazing on what was some of the most spectacular terrain I had seen. What a lifestyle far from our own. (Those lucky jackasses - the donkeys not the shepherds). At this point the horses seemed to take a very keen interest in our car. I wonder if cars make it up there normally! We picked up the son of the local shepherd to show us the road back which he had obviously only ever done on horseback or foot and he hadn't negotiated for big rocks and the art of tackling them with a car. Fortunately for us we had an experienced driver and only hit one big rock once and managed not to pierce anything!
The monasteries were interesting - some in ruins and some still standing in all their glory. After a lunch of local cheese, bread, tomatoes and cucumbers we made our way to one very beautiful one nestled in a valley. Fields of vibrant flowers lined the roads as we ventured through Western Armenia and a red and purple sunset, followed by a massive yellow moon escorted us home.
I had the priveledge of being introduced to "Ardashes" kebab which if anyone has a love of the "kebab" must venture out to Armenia just to have this gastronomical overtaking of all the senses. The barbequed mushrooms scored very high on the "if I eat more I shall go insane from joy" category, the veal barbeque was spicy and delicious, the chicken melted in the mouth, the vegetables and potatoes were another example of supreme divinity... I highly recommend it.
As for recording, we have had a very successful session yesterday evening with the standard of the string quartet at a truly superior level. We start preparing for our concert on the 27th and all is slowly but surely falling into place - now if I can just remember all my words when I sing!
Regarding the school renovation, we will start soon with a final meeting with the mayor of the village this Thursday. Will look forward to seeing it in action. Off for another venture.
From the hot summer sun of Yerevan I bid you all sunshine and flowers.

Officially Armenian and Some Applause

2006-06-09T14:13:00.000+01:00

And so it has finally happened! 5 painstaking visits to the "Ovir" and I have bought myself and Armenian passport valid for the next 10 years. This beautiful blue document complete with picture, official stamps and pages of unmarked beauty is mine. The joy! To have grown up my whole life knowing that I am Armenian and to finally be accepted as one of my own countrymen (with a $300 charge). I am one very very happy Armenian! I no longer require a visa to return here and I am also free to travel to Karabagh. The gates are now open - it shall become a "choori jampah" (waterway) for me.
Last night was my debut performance on a stage in Armenia. I took part in the "Vosge Guitar 2006 Paradon" (Golden Guitar Festival 2006). I must say that I experienced the true feeling of being home again - home in my heart and soul and truly enjoying giving it out to the audience. I was pleased it was received with great enthusiasm and am truly touched and feel fortunate that Armenia accepts me among their loved musicians. I have the great luck of being greatly supported by the "Bob Dylan" of Armenia (Roupen Haghverdian) and his support sheds some light on me and I hope that I am able to shine.
As for Armenia, I have found my roots and to say the least they are growing downwards. We had a fantastic night out at an open air concert at the Opera to celebrate the victory of the Armenian Chess Team. The music was pumping, the crowds were dancing and soon we had an abundance of sparklers, balloons and flags. It was great to see the national pride and the happiness evident in all the people present. I shall attach some pictures in the future.
Finally, the recording goes well. A very special thank you to the musicians who made it happen at the concert last night. They are a special group of young people who truly enjoy their art and I felt priveledged to have such a dedicated and talented group of people with me: Linus String Quartet, Nelly Manoukian on flute, Nairi Musoyan on duduk, Asghik Ghazarian on oboe, Ashod Vosganian on guitar, and Sasha Grigoryan on percussion. Thank you, thank you, thank you - couldn't have done it without you.
Will be back with pictures - might take a few in the studio tonight.
Peace and love
-S

Music, Music, Music and Some Monasteries

2006-06-04T12:24:00.000+01:00

And so it intensifies.....I have had the pleasure of entertaining and being entertained. From the smoky corners of Malkhas Jazz Club where greats like Armen Hyusnuts on saxophone (see photo) and Malkhas himself (see photo) to evenings at the Avante Garde Folk Club where the Armenian Navy Band put on one of their best shows that I have ever seen, to the outside wonderful mayhem of the Cascade where I could liken the concert atmosphere to Central Park concerts in New York City. As unbearably hot June makes its way into Yerevan, so do the tourists and the buzz and night life.
I have also had the pleasure of being shown once again on a tv program and playing some of my songs and have had my first live rehearsal since I have been here. I am excited to start the recrording process tomorrow and also excited to make my first appearance on a stage in Armenia this Thursday evening as part of the "Golden Guitar Festival" which will be televised, broadcast and then also sold as a DVD. Not too bad... :) I was invited to play a concert at the Avante Garde Folk Club as well. So little time so much to do - I wish the days were longer.
As for the social scene, I have met a group of very interesting young people through my photographer/designer friend Arsineh Khachikian who has permanently moved to Armenia from the USA. There are young people here from all parts of the world trying to make a difference in Armenia or at the very least acquainting themselves to that which they have heard about for so long but never actually felt or seen. Its a great gang of people - great minds, great souls - all very interesting for a creative extrovert like myself! Its nice to connect to fellow diasporan Armenians too - after all I have more in common with them than the locals. Its familiar - a small piece of what I have always known.
This Sunday Arsineh and I hired my driver Serop to take us to a place called Pujavank. In my 2 inch sandals I tackled muddy roads, brooks and inclines under a blistering sun to get photographed for the CD. Arsineh (see photo) is a dear friend I have known since she was 12 and I am thrilled she is here at the moment. Doors seem to be opening for her left and right as she is a blossoming talent having been commissioned to take photos of people such as System of Down and the last Nune concert in Armenia. I have the fortune of her services to prepare the CD booklet. Before we tackled the road our driver decided it was undriveable. He thought it a perfect moment to give up and lay some bread in the shade and cut us hunks of cheese and sausage and drink a jar of yogurt which he managed to get on his chin and nose too. On our way up, poor Arsineh slipped in the brook, stubbed a toe and tackled the road barefoot and even managed to get a few scrapes all in the name of art.Beautiful. Us artists bleed, cry, hurt, and go hungry in the name of art. When we got to the top of a very long hike we encountered the ruins of 12th century Pujavank (see photos). There we took some great shots and headed back down and passed out in the car on the way home.
All is well here in Yerevan apart from the sweltering heat. Oh what I would do for air conditioned, tiled apartments and lazy summer days sipping Pimms or lemonade...anyway - into the hot and intense studio for me. Here we go....

More From Armenia Continued

2006-05-26T11:42:00.000+01:00

There is an interesting characteristic in cemetaries in Armenia that I suppose one should be made aware of. There is the tradition of etching a photo of the deceased on the tombstone. Some are full standing figures, some are portraits, some do actually choose not to have a picture and simply have their name or a sculpture similiar to the graves in Europe or America. However, when I came across the tombstone above (first photo) I could not help myself and had to take a photo. Obviously Garlen Yeritsian was a chauffer or had a truck or something.... I think it's great. God Bless his soul.
The second photo is taken at Lake Sevan. Although it was much too cold to even consider going into the lake it was still beautiful to do a bit of horseriding around the area. (I need to mention that the horses were reluctant to do much walking around so it was more like forcing donkeys across the terrain). However, one cannot deny the wonderful feeling of traveling naturally and furthermore - there's nothing like being saddle sore for a few days. The lake was gorgeous and the snow capped mountains surrounding it were stunning.
The remaining photos are of Sanahin monastery. It is hard to believe that this sort of architecture existed in Armenia in the 1200's. The loftiness of the columns in the main part of the church reminded me of cathedrals in Europe. Here were the Armenians building in this advanced way and all of it on the top of mountains overlooking lush green valleys. They knew what they were doing.
I got a phone call from the electricity board this morning - they got a bit personal and irate with me because I wasn't aware when and where I was supposed to go to pay my bill. At the place (which is I think like a post office) there is no concept of waiting on line and people push through to get to the window first. I had to physically remove a woman's hand from in front of me while she waved the money in the tellers face. Despite telling her that she was rude she managed to get her way and pay her bill. Not every single thing in Armenia is wonderful!!! Now with the fear of having water, electricity or telephone cut off I can carry on living in my apartment but nevertheless continue to have the fear that they will randomly decide to cut the water while I am showering or cut the electricity while I am cooking. It has happened but I have pulled through like a trooper!
Armenia continues to be magical. A full schedule of recording, performing, and keeping an eye on the school renovation exist ahead. June will be a hectic month and I am sure it will fly by. Hoping I can get it all wrapped up by the 8th of July but will have to be prepared if I need to stay on. That means end of August. Just as well I am almost officially a citizen and passport holder here! I have the joy of returning to the Ovil (government building), where ex-Soviet style Armenian officials are awaiting my arrival with what I am sure will be sheer joy and hospitality. (not).
Can't wait.
Will keep you all posted on progress and perhaps more reportage style photos in future.
Peace, love, free-flowing water and endless electricity!!!
S

More From Armenia

2006-05-25T17:01:00.000+01:00

And another two weeks has gone by with yet another group of unforgettable experiences and impressions to be embedded in the mind for a lifetime. In two weeks we experienced the slaughter of a lamb in our honour, had a chauffer who drove a Volga with a BMW steering wheel and had to roll start our car, smoked a cigarette every 20 minutes, and engaged in gathering his phlegm and spitting out the window every 20 minutes. We've been to the crowded cafes in Yerevan where you can get a delicious Lahmajo at Tufenkian's "Mer Taghe" on Toumanian Street to the fresh kill of Marts where I avoided witnessing the slaughter and couldn't get any of the meal down my throat! What might have been a two hour trip to the village turned into a 6 hour ordeal with teh experience of milking cows and shots of Vodka all around.
Armenia is the land where the word "makeshift" must have been invented. It is here that all the unexpected happens and you become witness to the strangest things. We witnessed about 20 people trying to get into a "Yeraz" the green van in the picture below (previous blog) and a guy on the end stuffing in what looked like an 80 year old woman in the back of the car....
We explored the shores of Lake Sevan in the freezing cold and revisited some of my favourite places in the North. The monasteries of Sanahin, Haghpat and Kobayr. I shall add more pictures tomorrow.
On the music front I am getting prepared to start recording by the end of next week. Fingers crossed all will go well. It seems the preparation is endless and I am eager to start the recording process. As for the work in the village, the t's are being crossed and the i's dotted so that we are ready to roll by June. I have been preparing what is to come for the last two months and am looking forward to the action.
Promise to be back shortly!

Interviews and "Dreams"

2006-05-10T13:23:00.000+01:00

What an interesting few days it has been! Firstly I had my first television interview on Rubicon TV station here and to my surprise sounds like it got televised to many different countries including Cyprus, Germany and England. It's fun to be recognised and have people ask if they can have a photo with you. Given the fact that I am just doing what I love it is extremely touching to be appreciated by people. I hope I will always retain the simplicity and humility of appreciating all people even if somehow the success of the music reaches leaps and bounds. It is always and will always be about my love for music and the ability to touch others with the emotion and energy it gives. This is the meaning of music, and stardom and all the rest that come with it are just temporary and ego massaging. The important thing is to love and to give love - always. It was a fun day out at the tv studio which sits in an area called Nork Marash. The views down to the city are astounding and I was just in time to catch the sunset.
Yesterday was the 9th of May which is something like Veterans Day over here. Most city folk will go out to the country and have a get together or go to concerts. I had the priviledge of being invited by my dear friend Anna to meet her family and have a "khorovadz" (kebab) together. Travelling by local martshutka which is a minivan that operates as our buses do in Europe, we first went to a more remote area of Yerevan where I met a string of relatives who all lived in a complex with their individual houses. Hidden behind Anna's apartment were beehives for making honey and a wonderful garden patch of fresh greens which her father proudly keeps. After grabbing a bottle of cognac for the folks we set of to Saghmos - to the village where her parents stay in their house.
Anna's family is wonderful. Her father is wise and proud, her mother is soft and clever, her brothers are good strong men and the family dogs, chickens, goats, and cocks - they are all fabulous too. We took the family "porsche" as they like to call it to the valley to have a khorovadz. I have never seen anything like this vehicle before. It is a fantastic acid green and could probably house about 20 people in one go (see pictures). In this car we had seats, tires, tools, a table, a bed, pots, pans, drinks, food, a gas stove, lighting, blankets, and bushels of wood. If I ever stay here and need a car - this is the car for me. The name of the car is "Yeraz" which means dream in Armenian.
On route we stopped at an old dilapidated church which apparently used to be in better condition but some people from America decided to renovate it so they took down half of it and then for whatever reason left it that way. It's a sad story. Around the corner from the church we heard live music and singing and saw that a group of boys had gathered and were playing traditional Armenian instruments on the slopes of the beautiful valley and drinking ample portions of vodka. They were having a lot of fun! After avoiding being roped in as this would be considered improper as they we all men and not exactly sober, we continued down the valley to a nice location near the river. Anna decided to make us some coffee when we got there but we forgot the jazzveh so she made it in a tin pan (see photo). I quickly learned why the name "Yeraz" was so perfect for this car. After laying a spread in the valley and cooking our meat, it suddenly started to rain heavily. We managed to relocate all of our belongings, all 7 of us, set up a table and seats and have our meal in the "Dream". Shortly after it began to hail but there we were eating khorovadz and drinking vodka with the hail stones pelting the metal above us and shouting to hear one another. It was fantastic!
We then went on to see Saghmosavank - a very old church which in recent years has been repaired and there we looked down on the valley at the Kasakh river which was breathtaking. On the way home we stopped at a park which had the Armenian letters carved in stone and I was pleased to see that S & V were together and so I posed for a photo. (how appropriate!).
All in all it has been an interesting few days. I am invited for another interview on Friday evening at 9:30pm on Yerevan tv and will also be doing the version of the Good Morning show in a few weeks which is on Armenia tv. The songs are currently being transferred into sheet music and God willing recording will begin by the beginning of June.
As for our dear school and village, I decided to use floorboards rather than parquet and managed to lower the budget by about $3,000 but we are still short on funds. I will address that in more detail by general email but we can certainly get most of the work done at this point... so onwards! I am excited to see the transformation take place.
When asked on my tv interview - what would you like to say to all the people that are not in Armenia? I replied - everyone should come to Armenia - at least once. It will change your life. And so it already has changed mine in so many ways....

Becoming a Local

2006-05-03T13:50:00.000+01:00

When you go to the local market and they no longer charge you 700 Dram for a lettuce and their faces light up when they see you and they call you "sister" and charge you 150 and throw in some spinach, when the taxi no longer charges you 1000 Dram for a central destination and you get there for 500, when you start filling up bottles of water to prepare for the hour when they shut down your water, when you systematically get up early to get laundry done and hang it on a washing line, when you start craving a nice strong Armenian coffee in the morning, afternoon, and in fact anytime their might be an excuse to drink it, when you stop trusting the traffic and bolt across the road when the walk sign turns green (in actual fact it is a "run" sign), when you start carrying a torch because you know the electricity is bound to go at some point, and when you start talking to everyone around you and start randomly meeting people in all sorts of places,....I reckon you start becoming a local.
3 weeks into my project and I feel a buzz and excitement that things are happening around me. I have had the priviledge of having some friends here as well as the priviledge of meeting many new ones. It amazes me that while walking the streets of Yerevan you can meet an Armenian celebrity and they will stop and have a conversation with you and invite you around for coffee. Yesterday, Armen Movsisyan, one of the musicians whose music inspired me to do what I am doing invited me to his house so we could listen to my music and think about my "poetry". I have been listening to his CD's since my return last August and I feel his music is pure and speaks to the soul. After introducing myself to him at the Art Institute he kindly offered to look at my music. I sat in admiration, awe, disbelief, and mostly with a great feeling of kindness, love and gratefulness while he shook his head, sang along to my songs, rubbed his head and commanded several things from his children that were clearly within reach. He chain smoked I think an entire packet of cigarettes in the 6 hours that he spent analysing my words but he paid me the greatest compliment. He mentioned that he thought it incredibly brave to do what I was doing as I am not a native Armenian and that he thoroughly enjoyed my style and music. When I spoke to him earlier today he asked if the time we had spent looking at my work had been helpful. When I said of course he replied by saying, "Well thank God for that"!
I had a nice chuckle!
The above picture is at Oshagan - where the inventor of the Armenian alphabet is buried. The letter I am standing in front of is an "S".
Currently I have got one of the girls from the village of Martz (Leili) down here for a few days. She is ill and the doctor has prescribed 6 different medications for her to take. I am not quite sure how this is possible or why but the cost is about 28,000 - which is close to $60.00. How they expect these people to pay for their medication is a mystery to me.
Armenia is still a mystery for me in many ways but I am learning about its beauty, its hardships, its history, its fears, its hopes, and its communion with the everlasting spirit of survival. They are survivors here - each and every one of them.
We shall see how I do the next few days!

Images of Armenia

2006-05-01T01:40:00.000+01:00

Culture and more Culture

2006-04-27T13:43:00.000+01:00

It seems every corner I turn and every instance in which I leave myself open to speaking with the numerous people I meet here in Armenia, I learn so many interesting things. I have met a Bulgarian woman who has documented the war on the front lines in Karabagh and received a bullet in the leg, I have met painters who might interrupt a friendly dinner to ask us to pose and reassemble ourselves so that he might have a photo for his paintings, a Russian tour guide who knows the ins and outs of the city and has a deep soul and understanding of human life. My days are endlessly filled with interesting people and their stories.
The trip back to the village was short and sweet. We spent most of the day photographing a nearby 9th century monastery which was breathtaking. Hawk (see picture), myself and Zaven the head of the Parajanov museum in Yerevan were witness to a dramatically beautiful day in Armenia. I felt I could have been in the hills of Ireland. We stopped at Lake Sevan where the mist was just starting to lift revealing the twin churches on the lake. The mountain peaks were sliced by clouds and by the time we got to the monastery the sun made its appearance. In the village the children were happy to see us again. We managed a local kebab on the way home and even went to a concert in the evening.

On April 24 we tackled torrential rains and made our way to the Genocide memorial. At 4:30 there was already a wall of flowers for the 1.5 million Armenians who were mercilessly killed in WWI by the Turks. I said a quiet prayer for my great-grandparents and grandparents. The number of people were overwhelming and continued to arrive into the evening hours.

It is no wonder that we are a nation of artists, photographers, musicians, dancers, poets, writers,.....how can we forget? How can we not come back "home" and give back and make strong what our neighbours have tried to rob us of for so many centuries?

To the Village and Musical Advances

2006-04-17T16:22:00.000+01:00

We had the advantage of being driven up to the village of Martz this past Saturday with one of the members of the Yerkir organisation, the construction expert, and the hired driver. We left at 7am in the morning with a most somber crew. The driver did not speak a word during our 3 and 1/2 hour journey, Robert the Yerkir representative stuck his headphones in and Hrair the construction expert nodded off in his own world. Fortunately I had my friend Anna with me (guardian angel as I call her) and we had a good laugh at our situation. We passed many towns each turning greener and more beautiful as we headed north. Though we could not locate the village on a local map we crossed our fingers and headed in the right direction.
After tackling a muddy track which left our tyres spinning and many Hail Mary's we reached our destination. New little piglets were scattered about rummaging through the turf welcoming us back to the village. The look on the villagers faces was one of surprise mixed with joy and grateful acceptance. I explained our mission to renovate the school and we were welcomed with great respect. We measured, photographed and discussed as the children slowly got the gist of the fact that I was back. One by one they crept out of their classrooms to come and give kisses and hugs and exchange a few words. Some of them quickly went and picked fresh daffodils to hand to us. Not before long the children queued up and waited to greet us and asked eagerly if we would be coming back to run the summer camp in August. Their excitement at my confirmation was bittersweet.
Martz at this time of the year is so beautiful. All the fruit trees are flowering, the river has risen and playfully runs its course through the rocks. Everything suggests new life and new hope. Some things remain exactly the same. The village dog Quatro greeted us as if we had never left, the large irrigation pipes along the road which were meant to be constructed still lay strewn about as they had been 7 months before. The mayor had changed, the principal of the school had changed, one of the young boys was now married but time had not touched anything else. We were treated to a typical meal of pork barbeque, potatoes, local cheeses, bread, whisky, wine, and sausages. Toast after toast and the locals got their midday buzz while we feigned to drink what was in our glasses! We are now to put together the budget to see how far we can take the money we have raised and will start work after une 10th when the children finish school. I am to return on Saturday with Hrair "Hawk" Khatcherian (renowned photographer) to document the village and our work.
On the musical front many doors are opening. I have found a jovial and warm hearted woman who has worked with many top musicans in Armenia to work with the arrangements of the songs. In the mean time I am being introduced to reporters and television stations who are all showing interest in the fact that these songs are coming together for the benefit of the poor villages in Armenia. God seems to be guiding the way constantly and all I do is listen and follow. Truly my days are incredibly busy but they are never planned. Spontaneously things seem to unfold, take shape and just fit perfectly along the road. I go forth with great happiness.
I shall attempt to get some pictures of the village uploaded soon.
Until then - Happy Easter. Peace, love, light, sunshine and spring flowers.
Sonya

Here at Last

2006-04-11T15:23:00.000+01:00

Well it's all very real now! It has been a rough two days with no running water in the apartment and a sense of complete isolation from everything I know but things are beginning to take shape and come together. I feel like a foreigner in my own land sometimes and yet other times I am incredibly connected and moved by it all.
There are a wealth of musicians, artists, and photographers here. The city is buzzing with life and energy. At the Naregatsi Art Institute there is something every evening - from fashion shows to pantomime to concerts and exhibitions. It is a true cultural fountain.
To wake in the morning and see Mount Ararat majestically on the horizon is incredibly moving. She is playful and flirtatious - sometimes barely showing herself and sometimes stating her presence like a queen. When she decides to show herself I have to catch my breath at her splendour.
We visited the home of Roupen Haghperdian - a famous singer here. He is a character out of a feminists nightmare. It was entertaining nevertheless. We have also managed to watch some incredible jazz musicians and meet many interesting artists. I am now meeting and greeting - socialising and discovering my environment so as to begin my musical venture. As for the village - I am meeting with the director of Yerkir this week and hopefully we will set a date to go up and see them. SO much to do - but all will fall into place - I am at peace with it.
I have enjoyed the quiet times at my apartment as well. Sitting on the balcony and overlooking the city. Summer has already arrived and tourist season will begin soon bringing with it more buzz.
I shall check in again shortly.
Love and light
S

3 Weeks to Go

2006-03-19T16:35:00.000Z

Firstly I must speak about Beecroft Primary School. These children and their community along with the generosity of the Head Teacher are doing so much for Armenia that it fills me with immense happiness. In the past few months they have done some non-uniform days, a toy sale in which they have brought in all their unwanted toys to sell, and now they are preparing for a musical evening this week which will feature a projection of some of the photos of the village while the concert goes on. All benefits from this concert are once again going towards Martz. The school alone have raised over £700.00 and they are talking about sending some more after I am gone. One parent took it upon herself to raise money and donated £75.00. The outpouring of generosity is so touching. These children in Armenia will have their new floor and hopefully their new desks to write on as well. What a miracle!
Also - I have taught some of the children "Mardigi Yerkeh" for which I have written some verses in English - but to hear the children here in England sing one of the most loved Armenian songs and get excited about it is also something that is unexplainable for me. We Armenians have been silenced for so many years. If we all took it upon ourselves to give back a little bit of what the rest of the world has taken perhaps the next time someone mentioned Armenia people would know where it was and what it was.
The answers lie in our children. We should watch their reactions to their surroundings and ask about their opinions more often. You will be amazed at what you can learn!
I will try and put up some pictures of the little ones at their toy sale.
Peace, love and light
X
S

One Month to Go

2006-03-05T19:16:00.000Z

Incredible how time flies. Here I was thinking I had all this time to get myself organised - piano lessons, vocal lessons - things I'd never taken seriously but always taken for granted. I have 5 weeks to take off and I am filled with a mixture of excitment and fear. I am doing what I know to be right and have got a nce collection of songs to record with some that are still stuck up there in my head that will no doubt flow whan I am back in the right environment. So far I have managed to collect £700.00 for the school floor in Martz which will be replaced. I am thankful to all of those who have contributed. It is very hard to feel or want to do anything until you are there among them and you feel on your own flesh, bone, and soul what it means to be deprived.
The primary school (Beecroft) for whom I will work until the end of March have been incredibly supportive. The children in Martz will be so excited that other children in England have raised money for them. It makes it so much more special. I remember a child telling me that by us coming to see them that it made them feel that the world hadn't forgotten about them. They are so full of awe and wonder - I can't wait to see their little faces again. I see the children in the Primary school here in England and realise that children are the same everywhere - surely people are the same everywhere too. It is a shame us grown-ups start to complicate it all.
I recommend a good book "The Little Prince" by Antoine De St. Exupery. It was handed to me years ago. Never let the child inside die.

Getting Closer to Home

2006-01-25T13:58:00.000Z

10 weeks..... 10 weeks and I will be beginning what I expect will be a life changing experience. I miss the children of the village and I hope to be able to go and see them in the Spring. I am filling my free time with piano playing, vocal practise, and guitar. I really look forward to working with the local talent. Musicians learn so much from each other and I am excited about the process of bringing it all together. I believe it's all going to fall into place. How exciting :)

August 2005

2005-12-27T17:14:00.000Z

This past August of 2005 I had a life changing experience. I went to Armenia with a French Armenian organisation called DAC (Diasporan Armenian Connection) and it was all sort of last minute as I had been itching to go there for quite a while but hadn't planned anything. It was hard work but it was extremely rewarding.

Working with children who don’t have a lot is so incredibly satisfying. Most of them had no more than 3 outfits and one pair of shoes – often too big for their feet as they had been inherited by an older sibling or relative. I recall one child actually owned a pair of sunglasses which he wore ever so proudly. They have no television, no radios or access to music in their curriculum, and no coloured pencils, papers, markers, crayons in their schools. They are working on dilapidated desks, sitting on dilapidated chairs on dilapidated floors and despite all this they don’t have want in their hearts. Never in my 10 days with them did one of them cry and say they want this or that or that they refuse to listen to me. They were so polite and well behaved and best of all they were real children as you would hope children would be - innocent, respectful, and a great awe for new things and learning. They did not behave like adults in little peoples bodies like most of the children around us are today. They had managed to maintain the sweetness of childhood that is so hard to find in our environment nowadays. They were even unaware of the concept of beauty. No one was favoured or even aware of their looks even though some of the children were stunning. No one was bullied, no one was neglected and they looked after each other like they were one big family. It was absolutely amazing. Every morning they walked up to the school with bunches of fresh flowers they had picked for us (the teachers) from their gardens and they handed them to us before the day began. I have never seen so much goodness.

The village I was in was very remote – up in the mountains and most of the men were land workers – dealing with farming, timber, and hay. These men are still using axes only to chop their wood and scythes to cut down entire fields. The women grow vegetables and fruits and often go to the bigger cities in hope of selling their goods. It is an unbelievably simple lifestyle.

Anyway, I didn’t want to come back. I fell in love with the way of life. We woke up in the morning to cocks crowing and in a span of 20 minutes we would see pigs, cows, donkeys, sheep, and turkeys. One group of animals would meander down the field and out would come another. As for the people, though they had almost nothing they wanted to give everything they had to us. They presented us with their best home brew, local honey, chocolates, meat so we could have kebabs, cheeses – whatever they had that they could give us. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.

I was working in "animation" which involved teaching the kids arts & crafts, music/song, theatre, and dance. We worked with them from 9 until 5 with a two hour break in between and then often had meetings and prepared for the next day most of the evening. We also had duties like washing dishes and getting water as there where 17 of us staying in the school.

I have decided that between now and the Spring of 2006 I am going to get back into that which I know and love most and that is my music. I have started to compose in Armenian for the first time and am hoping to return to Armenia in early April to collaborate with Armenian musicians and record a CD that will be dedicated to the village of Martz. I have managed to write 8 original songs thus far and amazingly it all seems to be flowing after I had a creative dry spell for almost 4 years. It is of a standard I am excited about as well and the general feedback has been extremely positive. I am really looking forward to getting back into the studio.

The hope is that the proceeds from concerts and whatever CD sales and possibly photo sales will aid in raising enough money to go back and help the village and other villages like it. I hope to return to Martz in the time that I will be spending in Yerevan (approximately 3 months) so I can go see the children and see what some of the priorities are as far as helping them out.

For instance, the school floor desperately needs to be replaced – it has laminate that is torn up so sharply in places it is dangerous (see photos). I will be collaborating with Yerkir (see http://www.yerkir.org/) this year who will be involved with helping to replace the school floor by depending on the aid of the school I currently work with in Leeds, England and perhaps any other donations that may come in until the summer of 2006. The electricity of the village desperately needs rewiring – they had live wires in the kindergarten sticking out of the walls, the water is in desperate need of fluoride as is the introduction of a dental hygienist. Some children as young as four have rotting black teeth but even though we introduced toothbrushes and toothpaste a lot of them were reluctant to brush because of bleeding. They were not made aware of the consequences of brushing after neglecting their teeth for years – there’s a lot to be done and this is only one village. There is a joiner in this village, but there is a need for a plane saw so as to take the raw timber and prep it so that desks and tables can be made. It is possible to purchase new tables and desks in Armenia for £25.00 a unit but the idea is to give the local villagers the work and pay them for their skill. We will need a water technician, a dental hygienist, a farming specialist, timber specialist and a few carpenters/construction people and anyone skilled in electricity/wiring.

This project has given me a great appetite for helping the children of Armenia. It all seems so much more meaningful when you are helping the less fortunate. Things like big houses and nice cars seem so trivial. It really puts things in perspective about how material things can be so unfulfilling compared to the genuine smile and gratitude of a child or a poor villager. One child insisted that I take her one valuable possession – a gold cross so that I would remember her. As you can imagine I blatantly refused – but it shows their mentality – their gratefulness to the work that we do for them there. Our involvement and help means so much to them. They feel that they are not forgotten.

After returning from Armenia I put my interior design career on the back burner and have started working for a primary school so as to gather more experience with children as well as to learn the supplies used in modern day school buildings. I hope any knowledge that I gain will be helpful in creating a safer and healthier environment for the children of Armenia. Every bit of advice, knowledge, and financial backing will find its way there. Through collaboration with Yerkir and personally being involved with the running and seeing through of these projects, I am sure of it.

God willing this project will be a success.