FRIENDS of ARMENIAN CULTURE SOCIETY (FACS)
The Emperor, The Nalbandians and the Dawn of Western Music in Ethiopia
A concert honoring Ethiopian music legend Nerses Nalbandian
Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 7:00pm
The Dorothy & Charles Mosesian Theater for Arts
321 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472
This special tribute concert will feature works by Nerses Nalbandian.
Born in 1915 in Aintab, Turkey, Nalbandian settled in Aleppo, Syria, after his family escaped the genocide . In 1938, having worked as music teacher and choir master at the Armenian Orthodox Church in Syria, Nalbandian relocated to Ethiopia where he shaped modern Ethiopian music from his position as music director of the Haile Selassie National Theater during the 1950s and 60s.
Founded in 1985 by Russ Gershon, the ten-piece Either/Orchestra (E/O) is New England’s premier jazz ensemble. Their live show is a dazzling blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, precision big-band ensemble work and exotic Ethiopian sounds.
The concert will be preceded by an informative talk by Dr. Boris Adjemian, director of AGBU Nubar Library in Paris.
Learn more about “Arba Lijoch or "40 children" and Kevork Nalbandian in the 2015 Aurora Prize story and "How Armenian Genocide Orphans Sparked A Revolution In Ethiopian Music" piece in OkayAfrica.
Learn more about featured soloist Edvard Pogossian, cello
"TEZETA" [The Ethiopian Armenians] is a film about the tremendous impact of a small minority of people on the culture of a nation; the struggle to retain cultural identity and remain a viable community; and the role that music played in serving as a bridge between two cultures. The film is currently in production and directed by Aramazt Kalayjian.
Watch a long trailer here:
