Armenian ensemble, dancers dazzle

In the late 19th century, an Armenian priest by the name of Komitas

Vardapet traveled his native land, collecting folk songs that for

centuries had been passed on orally from generation to generation.

If not for Vardapet’s work, melodies that make up the very fabric

of Armenian culture might have been lost for eternity. But thanks to

that work, more than 800 people gathered at the Glendale High School

Auditorium Sunday were able to enjoy hauntingly beautiful renditions

of o7”Akh Im Anoush Yar” f7(“Oh, Sweet Love of Mine”) and o7”Eem

Chinaree Yaruh”f7 (“My Love Is Like a Tall Tree) as part of the

Glendale Community Concerts Assn.’s 2005-06 season premiere.

These and many other Armenian folk melodies, both ancient and

modern, were performed by the Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble, a

Fresno and Los Angeles-based group comprised mostly of Armenian

musicians displaced by the great Armenian earthquake of 1990. Also

performing in the event was the Zvartnots Dance Ensemble.

Zvartnots opened the show, with performances ranging from a

melancholy solo dance of “Elegia,” by renowned Armenian folk music

composer Kachatur Avetisyan, to a high-powered rendition of folk

dance melodies set to an electronic beat. The latter featured

costumed men in thigh-high boots linking arms and high-stepping

around women in traditional ankle-length dresses.

The Chookasian ensemble captivated the audience, playing

thousand-year-old instruments such as the kanun lap harp, the

oboe-like duduk and the tarr, a double-bodied lute, the sound of

which resembles the famed Russian balalaika.

Among the guests of honor at the concert was state Sen. Charles

Poochigian (R-Fresno), who characterized the event as a learning

experience combined with entertainment.

“The best part was being exposed to these unique, ancient

instruments,” Poochigian said. “It is like a history lesson in

addition to a musical performance. If you are a music lover, you

can’t help but appreciate it.”

All folk music seems to share some common themes, ensemble

director John Chookasian said.

“In every ethnic music there are crossovers of certain musical

phrases, and in our case some are common to Middle- and Near-Eastern

formats,” said Chookasian, a U.S. native whose wife, Barbara, also

sings with the group. “But there are also forms that are unique to

each genre which are discernible to students of music.”

The concert was amazing in that it brought Armenian music and

culture to an audience that was mostly non-Armenian, said Appo

Jabarian, a marketing director for USA-Armenian Life Magazine.

“Today’s event is really a celebration of the great American value

that encourages many cultures to flourish, that makes up the symphony

of cultures that is America,” Jabarian said.

For more information on future Glendale Community Concerts Assn.

events, visit o7www.glendalecommunity concerts.comf7.