Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Underscoring a dark time in history

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Underscoring a dark time in history

    Times Union, Albany, NY
    Dec 2 2004

    Underscoring a dark time in history

    Night devoted to Armenian music and culture has a reference point in
    genocide of 1915

    By DAVID FILKINS, Staff writer
    First published: Thursday, December 2, 2004

    TROY -- Ralph Enokian doesn't make a peep as he conducts the Armenian
    Men's Choral Ensemble, but becomes a chatterbox when lecturing about
    the Armenian Genocide at local schools.
    The former director of music for the Shenendehowa Central School
    District uses entertainment and history to bring his relatively
    unknown homeland to light.


    Enokian, whose descendants came from the small country in
    southwestern Asia, is one of four prominent Armenians bringing their
    country's music and culture to the Capital Region. On Saturday,
    Rensselaer Newman Foundation will host "Armenian Arts and Culture
    Night."

    Joining Enokian on stage will be award-winning opera and concert
    singer Sylvia Kutchukian and Rev. Dr. Mihran Kupeyan, author,
    historian, pastor and advocate for the acknowledgment of the Armenian
    Genocide.

    Kutchukian will be accompanied by pianist Charles Moore and Kupeyan
    will give a talk entitled "Armenians, People of Ararat." Troy Mayor
    Harry Tutunjian, himself an Armenian American, will be giving the
    opening remarks.

    The program is being presented by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's
    Chapel and Cultural Center in association with area Armenian
    residents.

    "Armenia has a rich history and we really wanted to raise awareness
    of the country," said Eric Smith, director of the Chapel and Cultural
    Center. "We want to provide a program with interesting points in
    arts, culture, religion and music. The local Armenian population is
    bigger than people might think."

    That number is roughly 2,000, according to Rafi Topalian, founder of
    the Capital District Armenian Genocide Committee. Aside from
    celebrating cultural contributions, Armenians want such events to
    bring a dark part of their history to light.

    More than 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Turkish Ottoman
    Empire in 1915. Topalian said the Armenian Genocide served as the
    model for Adolf Hitler's similar plight 30 years later. Turkey denies
    the genocide occurred, attributing the deaths to civil war in the
    region. Half of the Armenian population was lost in the bloodshed.

    "Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, we want to rise above the
    dark part in our history," Topalian said. "We are willing to forgive
    but we will never forget. We really just want what happened to be
    acknowledged."

    Topalian, who is also a singer in Enokian's choir, said the Capital
    District Armenian Genocide Committee is planning a commemoration at
    the Well of the Capitol on April 25 to commemorate the 90th
    anniversary of the genocide.

    Enokian retired from Shenendehowa in 1999 after 34 years as the
    director of music, but continues to teach, appearing at local schools
    during Armenian history lessons. He said he has a responsibility to
    raise awareness because his grandparents were victims of the brutal
    period.

    His eight-man ensemble features various styles of music, almost
    entirely in Armenian, but does two songs in English "just to show
    that we can."

    "The end product is the re-creation of beautiful Armenian culture,"
    Enokian said. "We show our love for Armenian music, culture and being
    Armenian Americans."

    The program begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Armenian
    food will be provided and any donations will be given to the State
    Museum's Armenian Cultural Series and to Armenian orphanages.
Working...
X