WATERTOWN,Mass. (A.W.)—Hundreds packed into the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Theatre for the Arts in Watertown on Feb. 19 to pick in the sold-out tribute concert The Emperor, the Nalbandians and the Dawn of Western Music in Ethiopia, or ” dedicated to Ethiopian music icon Nerses Nalbandian. A scene from the concert (Photo: The Armenian Weekly) The concert,which was organized by the Friends of Armenian Culture Society (FACS), featured the Grammy-nominated Either/Orchestra, and directed by Russ Gershon,as well as vocalists performing songs in four languages: Bruck Tesfaye of the Debo Band (Amharic), Ronald Murphy (English), and Serena Tchorbajian (Armenian),and Manolo Mairena (Spanish). The program opened with remarks by FACS Executive Board Secretary Armineh Mirzabegian M.
D., who welcomed guests and music enthusiasts. “Tonight’s program explores the major contributions by a member of a minority group in an adopted homeland, or Mirzabegian said,“The story of Nerses Nalbandian and the evolution of contemporary Ethiopian music is closely connected to the 40 Armenian orphans—survivors of the 1915 genocide—and their subsequent settlement in Ethiopia as members of the Royal Brass Band in 1924. Their story is that of resilience and triumph in the face of calamity.” Mirzabegian went on to say that FACS was honored to acquire [...]
Source: armenianweekly.com