paul chaderjian

....and Boghos Kupelian takes a swig of the Armenian brandy and congratulates the three dozen young Armenians gathered on the second-floor office of the former Atwater Village, California, warehouse that has served as the temporary office of the West Coast Bureau of the Armenian Reporter. The occasion is a visit from our editor Vincent Lima from Yerevan. I have invited the sixty-plus active contributors to the Reporter to come, meet up, chat, and enjoy lahmejune and boregs and tahn from Sassoun Bakery . . . and brandy. The latter was the idea of Boghos’s son Roger Kupelian. As I walk from one friendly face to another, it dawns on me that not only have we just finished producing the first year of an exceptionally interesting, avant-garde Armenian newspaper, but we have actually engaged young Armenians to participate in something uniquely Armenian. Thanks to the leadership of the newspaper’s owner and the support of our growing circle of subscribers and advertisers, we have reached ...

-- Hye Riders Set Example of Charity and Outreach By Paul Chaderjian PASADENA, Calif. – The appetizing aroma from skewered kebobs barbequed over an open flame, a giant and inviting bounce-house for kids, loud Armenian music and nearly two dozen powerful and picture-perfect Harley-Davidson motorcycles greeted supporters of the annual Hye Riders motorcycle club toy drive. "We heard about what they’re doing," says Sam Kartounian, " and we figured it would be a great way for us to support this small niche in the Armenian community. I think it’s really commendable what they’re actually doing, being that the whole image of bikers is kind of stepping out of the whole realm of what Armenian society dictates." Throughout the sunny Sunday afternoon, Armenians from all over Southern California, Armenian, Hispanic and African-American bikers and their families -- as well as those simply wanting to enjoy a good Armenian picnic -- stopped by the Pasadena Armenian Community...

** Frank dialogue with one of the brightest stars in entertainment * The secrets of her success, her visit to Armenia, her childhood, and her new gig by Paul Chaderjian BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Seven nights before the giant presses in Gardena, California, or Westwood, New Jersey, printed these black letters on the paper that is in your hands now, the writer of this article had writer's block. After all, how does one come up with the perfect opening sentence of an Armenian Reporter cover story about Cher, a modern-day legend? She's a superstar with more than four decades of staying power. She has sold more than 100 million albums and is an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe-winning performer. She has starred in movies and on television and has directed; she has been known for her tastes in fashion and men. Her life and her loves have been chronicled by media around the world. And now, entering her sixth decade of life, she is making a comeba...

--> “Express yourself” by Paul Chaderjian Many of us are always trying to find a meaning or reasons for how life unfolds. It's human nature to ask why, especially when it comes to our raison d’etre. While many may believe in the Chaos Theory, the Butterfly Effect, or Existentialism, I take my cues from others who come into my world to introduce new ideas, new ways of thinking, or to challenge what I know or how I see things. In each impossible situation, difficult personality, or life hurdle, I look for the windows that open when a door is slammed in my life. In each work of art, entertainment, or news story I encounter, I note the messages and ideas that speak to my heart. I find inspiration in and ideas from events that may seem circumstantial but indeed may be the illumination of the path we are individually supposed to take to make the collective journey that I believe was predestined. I decided to write this prologue because of an “Aha!” mome...

Evening marks the release of 31-song Sayat Nova set and children’s DVD  By Paul Chaderjian   GLENDALE, Calif. – In front of the black backdrop of the stage, a spotlight from above illuminates the pianist and the piano. The beige and-brown grand piano is a Petrof; the suit-clad pianist is none other than one of the culture’s shining stars: Armen Babakhanian.  This performance, this evening – celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Hamazkayin Music Committee – has the audience of nearly 300 mesmerized. “Excellent, excellent, excellent,” says Rita Demirjian, a supporter of the arts and a community activist. “I always have high expectations from the Hamazkayin, but tonight’s program went beyond my expectations.”  This story begins two decades ago when the Western United States Executive Board of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society created its music committee. The goal was to document and promote Armenian music by publishing and recording mus...

review by Paul Chaderjian The Bullet Collection by Patricia Sarrafian Ward Graywolf Press If depression is imprisoned and unexpressed rage, the trauma, rage and scars of the Lebanese Civil War is finally being addressed through the new literary voice of a generation of survivors like novelist Patricia Sarrafian Ward. In her debut novel, "The Bullet Collection," those who witnessed the annihilation of the Paris of the Middle East come to life to address the psychological effects of bombs, sniper fire, shelling, air raids and violent bloodshed. Sarrafian Ward, a Lebanese native who moved to the US in 1987, effortlessly captures the history and images of a catastrophe through the minds and hearts of one Lebanese family, whose typical and atypical idiosyncrasies are a true reflection to thousands who witnessed, escaped or simply ignored the reality of a violent and heartless war. While some lost their homes and wealth, others lost their loved ...

--> Review by Paul Chaderjian The Daydreaming Boy By Micheline Aharonian Marcom Riverhead Books, Penguin Group Literature crosses into uncharted boundaries with Micheline Aharonian Marcom's genius introspection of the psychology of an Armenian Genocide survivor five decades after the great catastrophe. More than a just another book, more than just another survivor story, more than scenes and dialogue, "The Daydreaming Boy" is a like prayer, an homage, a poetic mantra of images, thoughts, sounds and feelings. It's a hymn that flows like music, like a waterfall or like a desperate jump into an uncharted ocean of emotions. "The Daydreaming Boy" sways and lullabies, informs and challenges, races into the past and to the future. It invites the reader into a dream state, where capturing a reader's attention is no longer the object and empathy is not just a longing but a reality. This literary daydream is a collective trance state ...