Shoghaken Armenian Folk Ensemble Concert is a Hit

Zhanna Bagdasarov
Staff Writer

On Monday evening, April 12, more than 450 members of the Fresno Armenian community gathered at the Satellite Student Union, in the heart of the Fresno State campus, to experience the extraordinary sounds of Armenian folk music performed by the Shoghaken Armenian Folk Ensemble of Armenia. Each one of the eight-member ensemble contributed something completely different and unique to the group by utilizing their incredible talents on traditional Armenian instruments such as the kanon, kamancha, duduk, dhol and shvi.

The program began at 7:30 PM and kept the audience in a highly energized state until its end at 10:00 PM. This was not only the result of the expert skills of the performers, but also largely due to the beautifully rich voices of a brother and sister duo, Hasmik and Aleksan Harutyunyan. Whether it was Hasmik Harutyunyan singing her exquisite lullabies, or her brother expressing his love for his land, the audience couldn’t get enough of their great stage-presence.

What generated an even greater audience response was the dancing by the duo during their performances together. Their most notable duet was when they not only sang but also danced in a way most appropriate to the lyrics of the song. One could easily notice the audience’s encouraging response when the siblings introduced dancing to their selection. Some could hardly refrain from jumping from their seats and joining the performers on stage. Undoubtedly, it was this warm welcome that caused the ensemble to be comfortable enough to incorporate all their skills into the performance.

This was a first such concert for me and I must admit that it greatly broadened my knowledge of Armenian instruments and music, and it made me appreciate the level of skill and dedication that these people put into every aspect of their performance. The audience appreciation was apparent, which stemmed from the opportunity to listen to such a talented group of people not only maintain a tie with their roots, but also continue the tradition well into the 21st century.

The concert was jointly co-sponsored by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, the Armenian Studies Program, and the Armenian Community School of Fresno. Proceeds of the concert benefited the Armenian Community School of Fresno.