Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
On Tuesday evening, February 26, the Shoghaken Armenian Folk Ensemble of Armenia performed in concert to an audience of more than 400 in the Satellite Student Union at Fresno State. The eight-member ensemble was on an international concert tour, which began in Paris, and continued in twenty-one cities in the United States, ending March 7 in Los Angeles.
The Shoghaken Ensemble utilizes traditional Armenian instruments such as the kanon, kamancha, duduk, dhol, oud, and shvi, to produce a captivating and exhilarating sound. It is one of the preeminent traditional music ensembles in Armenia and they proved it in a captivating performance, as they presented a broad spectrum of traditional Armenian folk music.
The audience was involved in their rich program for the entire evening. This was not only the result of the expert skills of the performers, but also due to the beautifully rich voices of a brother and sister duo, Hasmik and Aleksan Harutyunyan.
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian Studies at Fresno State opened the concert with his remarks. Special visitors Mrs. Karine Khodikyan, Vice Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, and Mr. Davit Muradyan, Vice Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia, traveled especially from Armenia to be present at the concert. Mrs. Khodikyan paid special tribute to the Ensemble and also made remarks on behalf of Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, on the occasion of the Saroyan Centennial in Fresno. Mr. Muradyan, who spoke eloquently about how Saroyan’s spirit was present at the concert, presented the Armenian Studies Program with a beautiful carpet, woven with the Armenian alphabet.
Gevorg Dabaghyan (duduk) demonstrated his mastery of the soulful instrument, while Karine Hovhannisyan (kanon), Grigor Takushyan (accompanying duduk), Vardan Baghdasaryan (kamancha), Levon Tevanyan (woodwinds-shvi, tav shvi, blul), Kam Khatchaturian (dhol) each contributed to the memorable evening.
Whether is was gentle lullabies or more powerful melodies, the songs each presented a different facet of Armenian cultural life. Dancing and singing also played an important role in the concert, with various dances and songs performed from different regions of Armenia. The concluding piece, “Lelum Le Le-Yarhooshta,” was from the region of Mush, and brought the audience to their feet. Several of the pieces featured compositions by Komitas Vartabed, as well as folk songs of Armenia.
The audience was in an enthusiastic mood for the entire evening and left the concert with a desire to hear more.
Harold Hagopian of New York produced the 2008 Shoghaken Concert Tour.
The concert was jointly co-sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program, the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, and net proceeds of the concert benefited the Armenian Studies Program.