Haytoug Talks

Most of us have been on the receiving end of a constant unprecedented news stream this last year. But for those routinely providing this crucial information, it is a whole other feat. We spoke to Araksya Karapetyan about life in the newsroom, behind the screen - what brought her into the journalism and media space, what keeps her drawn to it, and how to keep up with its ever changing nature.

“Kef” (Party) music is a dance-oriented style of Armenian-American music that arose in the United States during the first half of the 20th century, as an expansion on the traditional and popular musical heritage of Ottoman Armenians. A generation later, Armenian-American musicians in the mid 20th century, while continuing to play their “Kef” traditional music, also began to experiment and fuse their musical traditions and styles with American Jazz, Country, Pop and all sorts of musical genres. Andrew Hagopian, a Master Oud player, will take us through our diaspora's musical pastime, as we explore examples of this Armenian-American cultural fusion, as well as some classic folk songs played on the Oud by Mr. Oud Jr.

Many traditions and customs of our ancestors have been lost or forgotten as a result of our dispossession from Armenia, or simply through time. Today we are uncovering one of these hidden traditions, hardly known to Armenians around the world - Harsneren, or “language of the bride.” Harsneren is the sign language developed and employed by newly wed Armenian women who historically, and still in many regions today, are not allowed to speak until granted permission by their husbands or husband’s family. Tune into our fascinating conversation with researcher Carla Kekejian on the first formal study of this incredibly impactful, yet consequential phenomenon.

Inspiration often comes through exceptional moments. In this case, it comes in the form of an exceptional human being - Mari Manoogian - the talented, 28 year old Armenian Michigan State Representative who is changing the game. We spoke to Manoogian about her recent accomplishments, the role of Armenian culture in her political identity, upcoming expectations for the Biden Administration and hopes on Genocide recognition coming this April 24th.

This past year saw a resurgence in conversations about race and power in the West; particularly here in the United States. We reflect with our guest Kohar Avakian, an American Studies Ph.D student at Yale University, on Armenian Racial Identity. Armenian identity is layered and complex, as our exile has forced us to become citizens of the world. Having an immense and beautiful diaspora also means having nuanced interpretations of what that Armenian identity looks like - most notably, Armenian racial identity. In the Cartozian Case of 1924, Tatos Cartozian was initially denied citizenship in the U.S, after physically arriving in court and being deemed not white. Upon contesting, he was given citizenship under the pretense that Armenians were majority Christian and the expectation that they would be able to assimilate right away. Important historical bookmarks like these help contextualize the evolution of Armenian racial identity and inform how we and others view our own identity, today.

Armenian Ethnic Folk Dance is making a comeback into our collective cultural consciousness. With this week's guest, Alex Avaneszadeh, we discuss how Ethnic Armenian Folk dance is more than just dance; it's an ancient form of expression that evokes the ethos of Armenian life and all it encompasses. The purpose of these dances are not only to be performed on stage, but to bond folks and compliment the spirit of life's many circumstances, from life and harvest to war and death.

To learn these dances from the comfort of your own home, you can find the link to signup in our social media bios. 

Back in November, three of our producers interviewed Rex Kalamian, assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings with nearly three decades of experience coaching in the NBA. From college hoops to coaching in the All-Star Game and the NBA Finals, Rex discusses his journey as the lone Armenian working in the NBA.

The Armenian language is a huge part of our identity, and is one that has evolved and shape-shifted to last thousands of years. Where is the language today? What is the reality of Armenian in the diaspora? We are joined with Deputy Director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, Dr. Shushan Karapetian in the studio to do a deep dive into the Armenian Language in the 21st Century.

Despite the world's commitment 72 years ago with the adoption of the United Nations convention to ensure the prevention of genocide, the atrocious crime continues to proliferate around the world, while many watch in silence. The media has a vital function to raise awareness and highlight these injustices - but as the recent conflict in Artsakh demonstrated, much more needs to be done. Our guest, ANCA-WR Communications Director Alex Galitsky, discusses how media plays that role, and why initiatives like the Impact Media Institute are crucial to preventing genocide. Our producer, Armen Shrikian, joins us for this conversation.