Survival through Revival w/ Darone Sassounian

We are absolutely thrilled to return back to our podcast programming with Darone Sassounian following the release of his compilation album titled Silk Road: Journey of the Armenian Diaspora 1971-1982. Speaking with AI Trustee Tatiana der Avedissian, the pair discuss Darone’s early influences and musical practices, define the term “selector” and investigate the art of DJing - a selfless offering curated through vibe, atmosphere and dedication to the audience.

Darone Sassounian is a DJ, selector, and producer from Los Angeles. He runs the indie artist management and booking label, Rocky Hill. Darone focuses on bringing an array of sounds into the world - ranging from styles introduced to him at an early age, to sounds he sought after later on. Darone released his full length compilation; "Silk Road: Journey of the Armenian Diaspora (1971 - 1982)" via Terrestrial Funk on February 22, 2021. Compiled by Darone Sassounian, who spent three years tracking down the records and artists through crate digging across LA, the Middle East and Europe; fulfilling a calling to lift his people’s voice, a people that have always faced the threat of erasure. The music was made a generation after the Armenian Genocide, a testament to perseverance. The seven tracks featured are incredibly inventive and unique in their interpretations of Western seventies sounds.

Listen to the album here and read more about diasporan music through Darone’s lens here.
Follow Darone on Instagram and on Facebook.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

The Notes That Bind Us w/ Ara Dinkjian

As a young child, Ara Dinkjian was told by his father, famous singer and musician Onnik Dinkjian not to touch the oud hanging on the wall of his parents’ bedroom. 5-year-old Ara was intrigued and did precisely the opposite, trying to teach himself to play. Now, he’s one of the best oud players in the world, a composer, researcher and ethnomusicologist  and in his own words, ‘the luckiest person in the world’.

We are also very lucky at the Armenian Institute as not only we have the immense honour of working and collaborating with Ara for The Notes That Bind Us concert, but also sat down with him to talk about the magical influence of music on the Armenian American communities after the Genocide. Ara is in conversation with our trustee Richard Anooshian, who has his own very deep personal connection to the New York Armenian music scene through his choreographer father, Arsen Anooshian – who taught Ara dance (although he still chose oud!). The conversation is led by the Armenian Institute’s director Tatevik Ayvazyan.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Broken, Kitchen or Heritage Armenian? Part 2 w/ Shushan Karapetian

Returning to the conversation, AI's librarian Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian continues the discussion with Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Deputy Director of University of Southern California's Institute of Armenian Studies, to confront the realities of preserving heritage and native languages amongst bi-lingual schools across Los Angeles. The pair reflect on these newfound methods, and idealise environments that create space and encouragement for more than one language.

Shushan Karapetian is Deputy Director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, where she leads the Institute’s research and scholarship initiatives, deepening the integration with entities both on and off campus and expanding the scope of academic programming. She received a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from UCLA in 2014, where she taught Armenian Studies courses for ten years. Her dissertation, “‘How Do I Teach My Kids My Broken Armenian?’: A Study of Eastern Armenian Heritage Language Speakers in Los Angeles,” received the Society for Armenian Studies Distinguished Dissertation Award in 2015. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Russ Campbell Young Scholar Award in recognition of outstanding scholarship in heritage language research. She also serves as associate director of the National Heritage Language Resource Center at UCLA. Shushan researches, teaches, and writes about the Armenian experience, particularly focusing on competing ideologies at the intersection of language and the construction of transnational identity.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Broken, Kitchen or Heritage Armenian? Part 1 w/ Shushan Karapetian

AI's treasured librarian Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian talks with Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Deputy Director of University of Southern California's Institute of Armenian Studies to discuss the plethora of experiences that exist within bilingual individuals, seen often amongst global Armenian communities. The varied experiences of heritage and native Armenian speakers prove themselves cyclical, a cycle Shushan strongly believes must be changed for the betterment of language practice and preservation.

Shushan Karapetian is Deputy Director of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, where she leads the Institute’s research and scholarship initiatives, deepening the integration with entities both on and off campus and expanding the scope of academic programming. She received a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from UCLA in 2014, where she taught Armenian Studies courses for ten years. Her dissertation, “‘How Do I Teach My Kids My Broken Armenian?’: A Study of Eastern Armenian Heritage Language Speakers in Los Angeles,” received the Society for Armenian Studies Distinguished Dissertation Award in 2015. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Russ Campbell Young Scholar Award in recognition of outstanding scholarship in heritage language research. She also serves as associate director of the National Heritage Language Resource Center at UCLA. Shushan researches, teaches, and writes about the Armenian experience, particularly focusing on competing ideologies at the intersection of language and the construction of transnational identity.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

What is the Armenian Diaspora Survey? Researching Public Opinion in the Armenian Diaspora.

This podcast explores the people behind the Armenian Diaspora Survey. Hosted by this year’s UK qualitative researcher and AI Academic Advisor, Dr. Susan Pattie speaks with a number of team members based globally, including Director Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian (London), researcher and interviewer, Dr. Lalai Manjikian (Montreal), team leader Dr. Pamela Young (Boston) and interviewer Lucila Tossounian (Buenos Aires). We learn how and why ADS exists, who benefits from it, and where to find out more!

If you are an Armenian living in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Paris or Rostov-on-Don, you can participate in the current survey here, closing at the end of June 2021: https://www.armeniandiasporasurvey.com/

The Armenian Diaspora Survey (ADS) was born out of an interest to learn more about what people are thinking about and doing in contemporary Armenian communities across the globe. Led by a team of academics, researchers and experts, the ADS aims to provide a snapshot of the contemporary Diaspora. The project fills a critical gap in the knowledge of the Diaspora and provides evidence-based understanding of the multilayered and diverse aspects of diasporic life. An Advisory Committee of experienced scholars and researchers assists the ADS Director and Team in creating the tools for the research and the analysis of the results. The project is funded by the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, and administered by the Armenian Institute, London.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Lola Koundakjian: Dead Armenian Poets Society

To accompany our celebration of Armenian Poetry Project’s 15th anniversary with the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA), our director Tatevik Ayvazyan chats with founder and poet, Lola Koundakjian. Born in Beirut and now residing in New York City, Lola has been influenced by literature and art from an early age, and today continues to champion the memory and preservation of the incredible poets we have in our community. Lola also shares with us a few of her beautiful poems in both Armenian and English. You can find Lola’s Armenian Poetry Project here or read more about the event.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Sophia Armen: Armenian Genocide Justice Today

Armenians have been fighting for over a century to gain recognition of the genocide: but what comes next? We speak with Sophia Armen, who is the third generation of her family to be involved in the Armenian resistance, about the necessity of cross-cultural mobilisation & conversation, and the modern, haunting presence of genocide denial.

Sophia Armen is an Armenian-American feminist community organizer, scholar and writer born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is the Co-Director of the Armenian-American Action Network and helps lead The Feminist Front, that works at the intersction of racial and gender justice. Her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Armenian Weekly, Mondoweiss, and The Electronic Intifada.

Follow Sophia on Twitter and on Instagram.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.

Women at the Forefront w/ Maro Matosian

To launch our Discover series, where we learn from leading figures in our global community, we spoke with Maro Matosian, founder of the Women's Support Centre in Yerevan, about the necessity of this work in Armenian society. Amidst rehabilitating victims of domestic violence, when the war broke out in Artsakh, NGOs in Armenia were forced to transform into relief organisations. Collaborating with Kooyrigs and working closely with local hospitals, Maro and WSC continually distributed medical supplies to the frontlines funded by donations from Armenia, the diaspora and beyond. Maro also sheds light on the country’s need for not just financial support, but professional, and the responsibility which lies within the diaspora.

Maro Matosian is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Support Center in Armenia. WSC combats domestic violence through protection, rehabilitation, and empowerment of women; raises awareness; and advocates for social and legal reform. Maro is also one of the founding members of the “Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women” and an expert in the field by the Council of Europe.

Zanazan Sounds is also available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.