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FARMINGTON HILLS RESIDENT'S HOMAGE TO ARMENIAN MUSIC AIRS MARCH 16
Farmington Voice, MI
March 12 2015
By: Joni Hubred-Golden
Two years ago, Farmington Hills resident Ara Topouzian won a Kresge
Arts in Detroit Fellowship and put together a concert that featured
some of the country's most talented Armenian musicians.
On March 16, a film he produced to showcase the history of the music
he loves will air on Detroit Public Television. "Guardians of Music"
premieres at 9:30 p.m., during an evening of programming that honors
Armenian culture and history. Topouzian will appear during "pledge
breaks," when donors will have an opportunity to receive a DVD that
includes the documentary and bonus features.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when
the Ottoman government exterminated more than one million Armenians.
The atrocities happened during World War I, in what is today the
Republic of Turkey.
"I wanted to show the world that this is something the Turks
didn't take from us," said Topouzian, an Armenian-American musician
whose proficiency at the kanun (Middle Eastern harp) has made him
a nationally-recognized artist. "This is our culture. This is an
art form."
After the 2012 concert, Topouzian applied for an received a $12,000
challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. He
matched the funds with a crowdfunding campaign that easily exceeded
its goal, and acquired several sponsors, to produce the one-hour
showcase of photographs, film archives and newspaper clippings used
to promote Armenian music in the clubs and dance halls of Detroit.
'An important lens'
The film features visits to local metro Detroit area locations where
Armenian music was once prominent, as well as rare interviews with
some of the musicians and nightclub patrons of that era.
"As this is the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I wanted
to pay homage to the first generations of Detroit Armenian musicians
that helped preserve our folk music and say thank you for passing it
on to my generation," said Topouzian. "But, I also wanted to showcase
Detroit's rich and diverse music history."
"Film is an important lens for examining the stories that shape our
communities," said Dennis Scholl, vice president of arts for Knight
Foundation. "We hope that Detroiters will watch this film to celebrate
Armenian culture and learn more about their shared histories."
In addition to Topouzian's film, DPTV's Armenian night will also
feature "The Armenian Genocide", a film by Emmy Award-winner Andrew
Goldberg that airs at 8 p.m. Narrated by Julianna Margulies, Ed
Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney, Orlando Bloom and others, it
includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author (and current
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) Samantha Power, as well as
never-before-seen historical footage.
http://www.farmingtonvoice.com/farmington-hills-residents-homage-to-armenian-music-airs-march-16-001008
Farmington Voice, MI
March 12 2015
By: Joni Hubred-Golden
Two years ago, Farmington Hills resident Ara Topouzian won a Kresge
Arts in Detroit Fellowship and put together a concert that featured
some of the country's most talented Armenian musicians.
On March 16, a film he produced to showcase the history of the music
he loves will air on Detroit Public Television. "Guardians of Music"
premieres at 9:30 p.m., during an evening of programming that honors
Armenian culture and history. Topouzian will appear during "pledge
breaks," when donors will have an opportunity to receive a DVD that
includes the documentary and bonus features.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when
the Ottoman government exterminated more than one million Armenians.
The atrocities happened during World War I, in what is today the
Republic of Turkey.
"I wanted to show the world that this is something the Turks
didn't take from us," said Topouzian, an Armenian-American musician
whose proficiency at the kanun (Middle Eastern harp) has made him
a nationally-recognized artist. "This is our culture. This is an
art form."
After the 2012 concert, Topouzian applied for an received a $12,000
challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. He
matched the funds with a crowdfunding campaign that easily exceeded
its goal, and acquired several sponsors, to produce the one-hour
showcase of photographs, film archives and newspaper clippings used
to promote Armenian music in the clubs and dance halls of Detroit.
'An important lens'
The film features visits to local metro Detroit area locations where
Armenian music was once prominent, as well as rare interviews with
some of the musicians and nightclub patrons of that era.
"As this is the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I wanted
to pay homage to the first generations of Detroit Armenian musicians
that helped preserve our folk music and say thank you for passing it
on to my generation," said Topouzian. "But, I also wanted to showcase
Detroit's rich and diverse music history."
"Film is an important lens for examining the stories that shape our
communities," said Dennis Scholl, vice president of arts for Knight
Foundation. "We hope that Detroiters will watch this film to celebrate
Armenian culture and learn more about their shared histories."
In addition to Topouzian's film, DPTV's Armenian night will also
feature "The Armenian Genocide", a film by Emmy Award-winner Andrew
Goldberg that airs at 8 p.m. Narrated by Julianna Margulies, Ed
Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney, Orlando Bloom and others, it
includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author (and current
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) Samantha Power, as well as
never-before-seen historical footage.
http://www.farmingtonvoice.com/farmington-hills-residents-homage-to-armenian-music-airs-march-16-001008