Armenian News
RFE/RL Report
Armenia's Rivas Reaches Eurovision Final
28.05.2010
Karlen Aslanian, Gayane Danielian
Armenia's entry has earned the right to sing in the final of a popular
annual pan-European song contest, raising hopes among local fans for a
coveted top prize this year.
Russian-Armenian singer Eva Rivas (born Valeria
Reshetnikova-Tsaturian) performed an English-language song, `Apricot
Stone', during a Eurovision show in Norwegian capital Oslo Thursday
night. Famous Armenian maestro Jivan Gasparian accompanied her in the
three-minute performance, playing the duduk. Rivas's song was about
ties to the Motherland symbolized by an apricot pit.
The 22-year-old native of Rostov-na-Donu in southern Russia was one of
10 out of 17 participants of the contest's second semifinal voted by
the audiences and experts into the final. The other winning entries of
the day included Azerbaijan's Safura, Georgia's Sofia Nizharadze and
Turkish rock band maNga.
Armenia - Eva Rivas and Jivan Gasparian during the dress rehearsal of
the Eurovision song contest in Oslo
One of bookmaker favorites, Rivas, will now compete in the grand
finale scheduled for Saturday against 24 contestants, including
representatives of the Eurovision founding nations, France, Spain, the
United Kingdom, Germany, and host Norway. The ultimate winner, as in
the case with the semifinals, will be decided through a combination of
a telephone-based public voting and a jury vote.
People in Yerevan approached by RFE/RL on Friday were optimistic about
Rivas's chances to secure the first win for the country at
Eurovision. Most said they liked her Thursday performance and praised
the combination of the singer's voice, looks and song.
`This wasn't a diva style performance, but was a simple show, wild
beauty,' popular Armenian singer Shushan Petrosian told RFE/RL. `She
[Rivas] was singing very emotionally and was free in her movements on
the stage, she was like fire. Even her coarse voice sounded natural.'
Petrosian said she liked the Ukrainian entry most, but stopped short
of making predictions for the final.
Armenia's leading blogger writing about the local showbiz Kamo
Tovmasian told RFE/RL he was impressed by Rivas's performance which he
said deserved a victory this year. `Hers was one of the best
performances... Forecasts for an Armenia win had also been made
before. So, I think one simply has to wait and see,' he said.
`I don't think that the main competition will be between Eva [Rivas]
and Safura. Azerbaijan's show is not that strong,' Tovmasian added.
Armenia, which participates in the annual contest for the fifth time,
has traditionally enjoyed strong support from the televoting public
not least due to the presence of Armenian communities in European
countries. The nation's best Eurovision result so far was in 2008 when
singer Sirusho finished fourth.
Last year, Azerbaijani citizens who had voted for the Armenian song in
the Eurovision contest, were called to the Security Ministry to
explain their vote after the national telecommunications company
offered its phone records to the authorities. That led to an
investigation by Eurovision officials and eventual rule changes
concerning telephone records.
28.05.2010
Karlen Aslanian, Gayane Danielian
Armenia's entry has earned the right to sing in the final of a popular
annual pan-European song contest, raising hopes among local fans for a
coveted top prize this year.
Russian-Armenian singer Eva Rivas (born Valeria
Reshetnikova-Tsaturian) performed an English-language song, `Apricot
Stone', during a Eurovision show in Norwegian capital Oslo Thursday
night. Famous Armenian maestro Jivan Gasparian accompanied her in the
three-minute performance, playing the duduk. Rivas's song was about
ties to the Motherland symbolized by an apricot pit.
The 22-year-old native of Rostov-na-Donu in southern Russia was one of
10 out of 17 participants of the contest's second semifinal voted by
the audiences and experts into the final. The other winning entries of
the day included Azerbaijan's Safura, Georgia's Sofia Nizharadze and
Turkish rock band maNga.
Armenia - Eva Rivas and Jivan Gasparian during the dress rehearsal of
the Eurovision song contest in Oslo
One of bookmaker favorites, Rivas, will now compete in the grand
finale scheduled for Saturday against 24 contestants, including
representatives of the Eurovision founding nations, France, Spain, the
United Kingdom, Germany, and host Norway. The ultimate winner, as in
the case with the semifinals, will be decided through a combination of
a telephone-based public voting and a jury vote.
People in Yerevan approached by RFE/RL on Friday were optimistic about
Rivas's chances to secure the first win for the country at
Eurovision. Most said they liked her Thursday performance and praised
the combination of the singer's voice, looks and song.
`This wasn't a diva style performance, but was a simple show, wild
beauty,' popular Armenian singer Shushan Petrosian told RFE/RL. `She
[Rivas] was singing very emotionally and was free in her movements on
the stage, she was like fire. Even her coarse voice sounded natural.'
Petrosian said she liked the Ukrainian entry most, but stopped short
of making predictions for the final.
Armenia's leading blogger writing about the local showbiz Kamo
Tovmasian told RFE/RL he was impressed by Rivas's performance which he
said deserved a victory this year. `Hers was one of the best
performances... Forecasts for an Armenia win had also been made
before. So, I think one simply has to wait and see,' he said.
`I don't think that the main competition will be between Eva [Rivas]
and Safura. Azerbaijan's show is not that strong,' Tovmasian added.
Armenia, which participates in the annual contest for the fifth time,
has traditionally enjoyed strong support from the televoting public
not least due to the presence of Armenian communities in European
countries. The nation's best Eurovision result so far was in 2008 when
singer Sirusho finished fourth.
Last year, Azerbaijani citizens who had voted for the Armenian song in
the Eurovision contest, were called to the Security Ministry to
explain their vote after the national telecommunications company
offered its phone records to the authorities. That led to an
investigation by Eurovision officials and eventual rule changes
concerning telephone records.
HOW ANGELINA JOLIE LOOK-ALIKE MAY WIN EUROVISION 2010
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
May 26 2010
SC
On May 29th the world will know the name of the 2010 Eurovision
winner. This time the winner may well become an Angelina Jolie
look-alike Eva Rivas representing Armenia.
This evening I heard that the European bookmakers are lowever the
bets on Eva Rivas because of her increasing chances of becoming the
winner of the 2010 Eurovision with her song Apricot Stone. Armenia
is a relatively new entrant into the Eurovision Song Contest and Eva
is the 5th representative the country is sending to the competition,
which this time takes place in Oslo.
In the past few years Eurovision voting was highly politicized. It is
widely held that friendly countries give votes to one another and to
their neighbor. The citizens for a particular country cannot vote for
their representative. Thus, to make a comparison with the American
Idol imagine each state sends only one representative for the Idol.
You are in North Carolina and can vote for any state but yours. Now,
let's say the representative of California is very good and South
Carolina is OK too. You decide to vote for South Carolina because
it is your neighbor. If South Carolina wins, next year it gets to
host the American idol FInale. This in turn means more tourism,
more revenues for SC and puts it on the spotlight.
This is how Eurovision use to be in general. Eastern Europeans used
to vote for each other, Scandinavians for their neighbors and so on.
However, few years ago the organizers, finally realizing this
situation, changed it. Now the 50 percent of the vote comes from
the international jury. Thus, the potential winner should have both,
neighboring countries in the final and a great song performance to
get the votes of the jury.
Eva Rivas seems to have both and this is why apparently bookmakers
have lowered her bets anticipating her to become the possible winner.
This young girl, who many say, looks like Angelina Jolie (see the
image comparison where Eva is on the right), has a great song and
the and the favor of the neighboring countries.
Her song Apricot Stone has every winning component. It starts
moderately, then grows in the rhythm. World renowned duduk player
Jivan Gasparyan, who participated in the creation of so many Hollywood
movies, will accompany Rivas in her Eurovision performance. Watch
Eva Rivas singing Apricot Stone here.
When it comes to the countries giving her the vote political reasons,
many of those countries that historically have given Armenia a high
vote are already in the Final. Six of these countries are in the
Semi-final and at least some of the will go to the final. There is
also another dimension to this aspect. Eva Rivas is half Armenian and
half Greek. She has spent most of her life in Russia and it expected
that she may get more votes because of her half being Greek. Countries
supporting Greece and Russia may also give Eva substantial number of
votes because of that very reason.
However, we wish that the best singer becomes and the best song
become the winner of the 2010 Eurovision. Rivas will make her first
performance on May 27th. The final will be held in Oslo on May 29th.
* The Most Beautiful Woman in Eurovision 2010 * The 2010 Eurovision
Shines The Spotlight on Norway.
ARMENIA WILL ORGANIZE ROCK AGAINST GENOCIDE FESTIVAL
Tert.am
27.05.10
By a May 27 ruling the Government of Armenia decided to offer a 10
million AMD subvention to the Municipality of Shirak marz (province).
The money will be used for the construction of Gyumri's #6 Musical
School after Azat Shirinyan.
The program Rock Aid Armenia/Armenia Grateful 2 Rock envisages
reconstructing the above-mentioned music school. The 18,327,000 m AMD
raised by a recent benefit concert by the famous British group Deep
Purple (Ian Gilan) will be transferred to a bank account specially
opened by the Fund for Armenian Relief and will be used for the
purpose.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan also said that the Government
intends organizing a festival called Rock Against Genocide.
Several musicians across the world have already agreed participating
in it.
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
May 26 2010
SC
On May 29th the world will know the name of the 2010 Eurovision
winner. This time the winner may well become an Angelina Jolie
look-alike Eva Rivas representing Armenia.
This evening I heard that the European bookmakers are lowever the
bets on Eva Rivas because of her increasing chances of becoming the
winner of the 2010 Eurovision with her song Apricot Stone. Armenia
is a relatively new entrant into the Eurovision Song Contest and Eva
is the 5th representative the country is sending to the competition,
which this time takes place in Oslo.
In the past few years Eurovision voting was highly politicized. It is
widely held that friendly countries give votes to one another and to
their neighbor. The citizens for a particular country cannot vote for
their representative. Thus, to make a comparison with the American
Idol imagine each state sends only one representative for the Idol.
You are in North Carolina and can vote for any state but yours. Now,
let's say the representative of California is very good and South
Carolina is OK too. You decide to vote for South Carolina because
it is your neighbor. If South Carolina wins, next year it gets to
host the American idol FInale. This in turn means more tourism,
more revenues for SC and puts it on the spotlight.
This is how Eurovision use to be in general. Eastern Europeans used
to vote for each other, Scandinavians for their neighbors and so on.
However, few years ago the organizers, finally realizing this
situation, changed it. Now the 50 percent of the vote comes from
the international jury. Thus, the potential winner should have both,
neighboring countries in the final and a great song performance to
get the votes of the jury.
Eva Rivas seems to have both and this is why apparently bookmakers
have lowered her bets anticipating her to become the possible winner.
This young girl, who many say, looks like Angelina Jolie (see the
image comparison where Eva is on the right), has a great song and
the and the favor of the neighboring countries.
Her song Apricot Stone has every winning component. It starts
moderately, then grows in the rhythm. World renowned duduk player
Jivan Gasparyan, who participated in the creation of so many Hollywood
movies, will accompany Rivas in her Eurovision performance. Watch
Eva Rivas singing Apricot Stone here.
When it comes to the countries giving her the vote political reasons,
many of those countries that historically have given Armenia a high
vote are already in the Final. Six of these countries are in the
Semi-final and at least some of the will go to the final. There is
also another dimension to this aspect. Eva Rivas is half Armenian and
half Greek. She has spent most of her life in Russia and it expected
that she may get more votes because of her half being Greek. Countries
supporting Greece and Russia may also give Eva substantial number of
votes because of that very reason.
However, we wish that the best singer becomes and the best song
become the winner of the 2010 Eurovision. Rivas will make her first
performance on May 27th. The final will be held in Oslo on May 29th.
* The Most Beautiful Woman in Eurovision 2010 * The 2010 Eurovision
Shines The Spotlight on Norway.
ARMENIA WILL ORGANIZE ROCK AGAINST GENOCIDE FESTIVAL
Tert.am
27.05.10
By a May 27 ruling the Government of Armenia decided to offer a 10
million AMD subvention to the Municipality of Shirak marz (province).
The money will be used for the construction of Gyumri's #6 Musical
School after Azat Shirinyan.
The program Rock Aid Armenia/Armenia Grateful 2 Rock envisages
reconstructing the above-mentioned music school. The 18,327,000 m AMD
raised by a recent benefit concert by the famous British group Deep
Purple (Ian Gilan) will be transferred to a bank account specially
opened by the Fund for Armenian Relief and will be used for the
purpose.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan also said that the Government
intends organizing a festival called Rock Against Genocide.
Several musicians across the world have already agreed participating
in it.
LINSI FOUNDATION WILL ALLOCATE 12 MLN FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
Lragir.am
27/05/10
The press service of the government reports that the executive body
agreed to sign a memorandum between the Armenian government and the
Linsi foundation. This means that the foundation will continue its
project of school construction in the disaster zone allocating 12
million dollars. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan thanked the partners
from the Linsi foundation.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT
Lragir.am
27/05/10
Amnesty International Report 2010: the State of Human Rights
On May 27, the annual report of the Amnesty International was
released. The part dedicated to the state of human rights in Armenia
runs:
Impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations persisted.
Freedom of expression was restricted and journalists were attacked.
The ban on holding demonstrations in the centre of the capital,
Yerevan, which had been introduced in March 2008 during the state of
emergency, remained in place. Protection of women and girls against
violence fell short of international standards. The government failed
to provide a genuine alternative to military service.
Background On 19 June, the National Assembly granted an amnesty for
opposition activists imprisoned in relation to the events in Yerevan,
in March 2008. The amnesty covered those who had not been charged
with violent crimes and had been sentenced to prison terms of less
than five years.
Those who did not fall under the amnesty had their sentences halved.
On 1 and 2 March 2008, violent demonstrations had taken place in
Yerevan to protest against the presidential election results of
19 February, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian
lost to incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan. Some progress was
made in Azerbaijan-Armenian talks over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan that broke away following the 1990 war. On 2 November,
following talks in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint
agreement aimed at resolving the dispute on the basis of international
law.
Violence against women and girls In its concluding observations
published in February, the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women expressed concern about the lack of
legislation referring to domestic violence and the absence of a
responsible state institution. The Committee called on the authorities
"to enact, without delay, legislation specifically addressing domestic
violence against women", and to provide sufficient shelters. A draft
law on domestic violence was under discussion by the authorities, but
had not been presented to parliament by the end of the year. During
2009, only one shelter for victims of domestic violence, run by the
Women's Rights Centre, was operational.
Impunity In October, four police officers were charged with using
force against members of the public during the demonstrations on
1 March 2008. By the end of the year, no independent inquiry had
been conducted into allegations of use of force by police during the
March 2008 events. In June 2008, an ad hoc parliamentary commission
had been established to investigate the events, but did not function
because the opposition refused to participate. A separate factfinding
group made up of representatives from diverse political factions and
the Ombudsperson was disbanded by presidential decree in June 2009,
before it became operational.
Freedom of expression On 30 April, Argishti Kiviryan, a lawyer and
journalist, was severely beaten by a group of unidentified men outside
his home in Yerevan. The attackers reportedly beat him with sticks
and attempted to shoot him.
The OSCE Representative for Media Freedom called on the authorities
to investigate the attack and expressed concern about the lack of
investigations into violent attacks against journalists, contributing
to a climate of impunity. In July, two suspects were detained. The
investigation was ongoing at the end of the year.
Lragir.am
27/05/10
Amnesty International Report 2010: the State of Human Rights
On May 27, the annual report of the Amnesty International was
released. The part dedicated to the state of human rights in Armenia
runs:
Impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations persisted.
Freedom of expression was restricted and journalists were attacked.
The ban on holding demonstrations in the centre of the capital,
Yerevan, which had been introduced in March 2008 during the state of
emergency, remained in place. Protection of women and girls against
violence fell short of international standards. The government failed
to provide a genuine alternative to military service.
Background On 19 June, the National Assembly granted an amnesty for
opposition activists imprisoned in relation to the events in Yerevan,
in March 2008. The amnesty covered those who had not been charged
with violent crimes and had been sentenced to prison terms of less
than five years.
Those who did not fall under the amnesty had their sentences halved.
On 1 and 2 March 2008, violent demonstrations had taken place in
Yerevan to protest against the presidential election results of
19 February, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian
lost to incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan. Some progress was
made in Azerbaijan-Armenian talks over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan that broke away following the 1990 war. On 2 November,
following talks in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint
agreement aimed at resolving the dispute on the basis of international
law.
Violence against women and girls In its concluding observations
published in February, the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women expressed concern about the lack of
legislation referring to domestic violence and the absence of a
responsible state institution. The Committee called on the authorities
"to enact, without delay, legislation specifically addressing domestic
violence against women", and to provide sufficient shelters. A draft
law on domestic violence was under discussion by the authorities, but
had not been presented to parliament by the end of the year. During
2009, only one shelter for victims of domestic violence, run by the
Women's Rights Centre, was operational.
Impunity In October, four police officers were charged with using
force against members of the public during the demonstrations on
1 March 2008. By the end of the year, no independent inquiry had
been conducted into allegations of use of force by police during the
March 2008 events. In June 2008, an ad hoc parliamentary commission
had been established to investigate the events, but did not function
because the opposition refused to participate. A separate factfinding
group made up of representatives from diverse political factions and
the Ombudsperson was disbanded by presidential decree in June 2009,
before it became operational.
Freedom of expression On 30 April, Argishti Kiviryan, a lawyer and
journalist, was severely beaten by a group of unidentified men outside
his home in Yerevan. The attackers reportedly beat him with sticks
and attempted to shoot him.
The OSCE Representative for Media Freedom called on the authorities
to investigate the attack and expressed concern about the lack of
investigations into violent attacks against journalists, contributing
to a climate of impunity. In July, two suspects were detained. The
investigation was ongoing at the end of the year.
GRAND TOBACCO COMPANY TO BUILD 70 OAST HOUSES IN
TAVUSH REGION, ARMENIA, BY 2011
ArmInfo
2010-05-27 12:51:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian Company Grand Tobacco will build 70 not-large
oast houses in the Tavush region, Armenia, by 2011, Mikael Vardanyan,
Armenian parliamentarian, told ArmInfo.
"We have been working in that area for already 3 years. In 2009 we
had 107 oasts throughout Armenia, including 45 in Tavush. This year we
will increase their number by 40, including 16 were build in Tavush,"
M. Vardanyan said. One oast costs US$50,000. In 2011 the number of
oasts in Tavush will reach 70. The company is expected to continue
the program in case of further favorable conditions, specifically if
there are no amendments to the tobacco legislation unfavorable for the
company. The company has contracts with farmers in Tavush region for
purchase of tobacco from 370ha of lands. The company is constantly
controlling over sowing and harvesting to upgrade the production
quality. "Our specialists are growing plants up to certain level to
control their right growth and than supervise harvesting. All this
allow upgrading harvesting and its quality," M. Vardanyan said.
Farmers receive at least US$1000 per ha (nearly 380,000 AMD up to 1
million AMD). "We are trying to soften climate risks. For instance,
last year we purchased hailed harvest for the usual price," he said.
Grand Tobacco was founded in 1997. As of Jan 1 2010 the company
dominates in the Armenian market of cigarettes. The company's share
in production of cigarettes is 50.8% and in production of non-filter
cigarettes is 92.3%.
ArmInfo
2010-05-27 12:51:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian Company Grand Tobacco will build 70 not-large
oast houses in the Tavush region, Armenia, by 2011, Mikael Vardanyan,
Armenian parliamentarian, told ArmInfo.
"We have been working in that area for already 3 years. In 2009 we
had 107 oasts throughout Armenia, including 45 in Tavush. This year we
will increase their number by 40, including 16 were build in Tavush,"
M. Vardanyan said. One oast costs US$50,000. In 2011 the number of
oasts in Tavush will reach 70. The company is expected to continue
the program in case of further favorable conditions, specifically if
there are no amendments to the tobacco legislation unfavorable for the
company. The company has contracts with farmers in Tavush region for
purchase of tobacco from 370ha of lands. The company is constantly
controlling over sowing and harvesting to upgrade the production
quality. "Our specialists are growing plants up to certain level to
control their right growth and than supervise harvesting. All this
allow upgrading harvesting and its quality," M. Vardanyan said.
Farmers receive at least US$1000 per ha (nearly 380,000 AMD up to 1
million AMD). "We are trying to soften climate risks. For instance,
last year we purchased hailed harvest for the usual price," he said.
Grand Tobacco was founded in 1997. As of Jan 1 2010 the company
dominates in the Armenian market of cigarettes. The company's share
in production of cigarettes is 50.8% and in production of non-filter
cigarettes is 92.3%.
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