AGBU New Year’s Eve Celebrations
As promised, the New Year’s Eve celebrations at AGBU Toronto were memorable and joyous. Many of those present were heard making comments like “This was the best ever”. Fine catered food and homemade appetizers were available for all to enjoy and the Babayan ballroom was elegantly decorated for the event. To commemorate the official beginning of the New Year, party favours and balloons fell from the ceiling at midnight. The new decade was ushered in musically thanks to the talents of Harout from DJ Sound of Med, who made sure everyone was always on their feet dancing and enjoying themselves.
The kids also had their own entertainment in the gymnasium under the care of babysitters. The children were visited by a clown and by Santa, who brought gifts for them. We thank our friends and members who supported us and joined us for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. May 2010 be a prosperous year for all.
Book Launching: Children of Armenia by Michael Bobelian
AGBU’s Toronto chapter and The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research were proud to welcome Michael Bobelian, journalist, attorney and grandson of Genocide survivors at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Center on Friday, November 13th.
Mr. Bobelian gave a talk titled “Children of Armenia: A Forgotten Genocide and the Century-Long Struggle for Justice” that detailed the social and political reasons for which the Armenian Genocide has long faded from public consciousness.
Having conducted years of archival research and personal interviews, Bobelian’s presentation was both captivating and informative. A reception, question and answer period and book signing followed the lecture. Attendees greatly appreciated the insights Bobelian provided; the event was a success!
AGBU Toronto Bazaar & Food Fair
On Sunday, November 15th, Armenians from the GTA area gathered in the the Babayan ballroom of the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre for AGBU Toronto’s annual bazaar and food fair. This event consistently draws a
large number of community members as it is a rare opportunity to taste and purchase delicious, authentic Armenian food. This year, the ballroom was filled to capacity and the hall was beautifully decorated within a Christmas theme.
Among the many savory items available at the food fair were a variety of homemade dishes including herise, kebab, koftas, sarma, itch, etc. Other featured food items included a selection of Middle Eastern salads and desserts. In addition to all the wonderful food, many vendors were also on site selling culturally relevant merchandise.
In order to ensure that the event proceeded smoothly, volunteers were on hand to help with the preparation and organization of the event.
AGBU thanks them for graciously contributing their time and help. It is with the help of our members and friends that AGBU’s bazaar has become a popular family event where people come to see their old friends and taste delicious Armenian food. We hope that you will join us at next year’s bazaar for great food and fun!
Yerazart Concert
On Wednesday, October 14th 2009, a group of young musicians from Armenia enchanted the crowd at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre of AGBU’s Toronto chapter. The six talented youth that performed had been chosen from a roster of 490 young artists who compete yearly in Armenia for the opportunity to participate in Western concert tours, an opportunity made possible in coordination with Yerazart, a Boston-based, non-profit organization. Founded in 2004 by Noubar Afeyan and Raffi Festekjian, Yerazart aims to assist talented young Armenian musicians in various aspects of their professional development.
Under the artistic direction of Arman Padaryan, these talented Armenian musicians put on a show that was indeed very impressive. Several pieces moved members of the audience to tears: among them, a haunting duduk melody performed by Norayr Gapoyan (“Ashkharums agh chim kashi” composed by Sayat Nova) and a heavenly vocal rendition of “Garun a” (composed by Komitas) delivered by Mane Galoyan with Hripsime Aghakaryan accompanying on piano.
The diversity of the pieces chosen demonstrated both the musicians’ breadth as artists and their mastery of the instruments. Baghdasaryan’s “Rhapsody Polonaise”, a highly technical piece, was played with finesse and fervor by violinist Hrayr Karapetyan. In addition, Hripsime Aghakaryan’s performance of Babadjanian’s “Capriccio” on piano bared witness to the young woman’s excellent musicianship and elegant phrasing.
Numbers in the second act included oboist Mane Harutyunyan’s charming performance of Colin’s “Concert” and cellist Hayk Sukiasyan’s rendition of Harutyunyan’s “Exprompt”, an adventure of a piece during which Sukiasyan moved swiftly and gracefully from fast-paced, dramatic passages to more mournful ones. The last act brought all 6 of the Yerazart musicians together to perform as a sextet, for which the youth received a standing ovation. The evening was truly a culturally enriching experience enjoyed by all who attended.
A thank you letter from Yeraz Art can be viewed by clicking here.
Kef Night 2009
AGBU was proud to host our annual Kef Night at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre on September 18th, 2009. Over 200 people came together to celebrate Armenian food, music and culture, and the Babayan ballroom of the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre was beautifully decorated for the occasion. Attendees enjoyed a wide variety of delicious home made Armenian and Middle Eastern food, while also being entertained by a number of Armenian performers.
D.J. “Sound of Med” provided musical entertainment for guests who wished to dance. In addition, Libarid Nercessian performed a comedy sketch, Sossie Mardirossian sang 2 popular Armenian songs and Seta Deherian entertained the audience with a hula hoop competition. Capping off the evening, Shogher Menengichian and Hagop Misakyan demonstrated a few Latin dance steps to younger members of the audience.
The 2009 Kef Night was truly a great success that provided a wonderful venue for fun and celebration among members of the AGBU community.
Thank you to those who attended; we hope to see you again next year for an equally pleasant evening of merriment and good cheer!
