The Birth of the Armenian Printed Press

Vahe H. Apelian

 

According to Wikipedia, October 16, 1794, but according to other sources, it was on October 28, 1794, that the first Armenian printed press was published in the Indian City of Madras (now Chennai). The publisher was Father Harutyun Shmanovian. The name of the newspaper was Ազդարար, (Azdarar in Eastern Armenian or Aztarar in Western Armenian). It is a complex word. Its root word is Ազդ / Azd / Azt, which means notice, warning, announcement. Nayiri dictionary translates the word aztarar meaning monitor, a fitting word for a newspaper. 

Armenians at one time had a rich presence in that port city that was once known as Madras. In fact, it was my Indian colleague who first brought to my attention that one of the main streets of the city is called Armenia Street, a reminder of the Armenian merchants who dominated the trade over the seas.It is reported that an the same street the Armenian Church of Saint Mary Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի, constructed in 1712, is located. It is considered as one of the oldest churches of the Indian subcontinent. A bust of father Harutyun Shmanovian is reported to be housed in the church. 

A bust of father Harutyun Shmanovian 

Azdarar continued for a year and a half until March 1796. During that period, Father Shmavonian published 18 issues, 965 pages in total.

It is fair to note that the late Ardashes Khatchadourian, who was one of my Armenian language teachers had the largest collection of Armenian newspapers, along having the largest private collection of Armenian books.  Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan, noted the following about him. “He was equally, if not more, an expert on Armenian newspaper publishing starting from "Aztarar" by Father Harutyun Shmavonyan. He knew all about the Armenian newspapers published in the four corners of the world. He maintained a close ties with the director of the Armenian National Library in Yerevan. It would happen that at times, it was the latter who would appeal him to have a copy of such a such newspaper and he would readily and eagerly oblige to their request. It can safely be said that he had the largest private collection of Armenian books and Armenian newspapers. I became a witness to his collection when we paid them a family visit.”

Nowadays Armenian Diaspora boasts a large network of Armenian newspapers, periodicals, journals across the world.  “Hairenik”, founded in 1899, is the longest-running Armenian-language printed newspaper in the world.

Adiss and Levon: Their Competition Elevated Diaspora Pop Music

An expert from Boghos Shahmelikian's book "Dawn of Armenian Pop Music" I translated. Vahe H. Apelian

"Shortly after Adiss Harmandarian’s phenomenal rise, Levon Katerjian produced a number of records that also became very popular but with older audiences. Levon Katerjian formerly sang as soloist in choirs. If remnants of Turkish music had remained in the community, Levon Katerjian helped to eradicate them. The ensuing onslaught of Armenian songs by Adiss and Levon completely changed the landscape of Armenian pop music and ushered it away from its Ottoman influences.

Adiss interpreted mostly estradayin (pop) songs  instead of ashoughayin (folk) songs. Levon, on the other hand, interpreted more of the latter than the former. In spite of their different and distinct singing styles, the emergence of these two talented popular singers around the same time gave way to an Adiss and Levon competition. 

The beneficiary of their artistic competition became the Armenian pop music and the public, although at times it became amusing. Both brought their services to the community by singing at community fund raising events free of charge. Among such fundraising events I note the one that the Sardarabad Gomideh of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) had organized in Bourj Hammoud, in the Kermanig Hall (1) that can accommodate up to 2000 persons. 

The hall was filled to capacity to hear the two prominent singers. The concert was held mid-week at 9 p.m. It was scheduled to end by 11 p.m. Each singer was to perform for one hour.

After much debate Levon relented and agreed to appear on stage first. It was commonly understood that a concert ended with the more popular musician performing last. The implied message of the order of their appearances was obvious, if not to the audience, but to the performing artists.  

Levon, instead of ending his songs in one hour, continued to sing past the 11th hour time slot, well into past midnight. By the time Adiss came on stage most of the audience had already left the hall to get to sleep for their next day’s routine. Adiss thus ended up singing a few songs to an almost empty hall!

Levon is a Syrian national. He faced difficulty in obtaining visa to travel abroad because of some travel restrictions. He felt imprisoned and remained restless.  While in Beirut, he sang in the Sayat Nova Restaurant and during summers mostly in the Samaha Restauratn in Bois De Bologne (2). Eventually he secured permission to travel abroad.  He also received offers from the Armenian communities world wid. Traditional Armenian musical instruments accompanied Levon. The director of his band was the noted Kanoon player Michael Sakayan, Hampig Jabourian played clarinet. Levon’s brother who played Armenian drum (dhol) had difficulty travelling abroad and thus could not accompany Levon.  Instead of him Joseph Gemayel, whose mother was Armenian played the drum.

Catholicos Aram I also recognized the contribution of Levon Katerjian fo reviving the Armenian ashoughayin (folk) songs and popularizing Armenian music and bestowed upon him as well the order of Saint Mesrob Mashdots in 2005, in Los Angeles.

Adiss and Levon changed the prevailing psychology of the Armenian singers who short while earlier had not wanted to sing in Armenian and had adopted for themselves western artistic names. These singers made a complete reversal. Harout Hoppourian who had adopted King Arthur for his stage name became Haro Pourian. Koko  Baghdadlian  had adopted Paul the Prince as his stage name became Paul Baghdadlian. Harout Panossian had adopted Maxim as his stage name, became Maxim Panossian. Adiss Harmandian who had adopted Adiss Harmand as his artistic name became Adiss Harmandian. Along with helping cleanse Armenian popular music of Turkish influences, they reverted to their roots as well. "

Levon Katerjian passed away on July 1, 2022."

 

1.     Kermanig Hall is named after the one-time city Marash in the Ottoman Empire that was largely inhabited by Armenians.

2.         A summer resort on Mount Lebanon. 

There still are people who look for saints in the Bible

 “They Were, (and) are no more” (Կային, Չկան) is the title of the last chapter of Antranig Zarougian’s “The Greats and the Others” (Մեծերը եւ Միւսները) book where he casts a glimpse of the way Diaspora writers related to each other, as poets, novelists, journalists, and editors and in doing so propelled the post genocide Western Armenian literature to new heights that subsided with their passing away. The attached is my abridged translated segment from that chapter. Vahe H. Apelian

Aramazd

“After Paris I went to Marseille just and only just to visit Avedis Aharonian¹, whom Zabel Yessaian had likened to the Armenian pagan mythical god Aramazd².  He was bedridden for over a decade, due to a stroke, lying in bed immobile and unspeaking. All those who had heard him speak, vouched that he was regarded the most eloquent orator. But the wizard of the words could no more utter a single sentence. It was a gross tragedy.

It was a bright and a sunny day, in an upscale neighborhood, Hagop Babigian and I were heading to visit him. A considerate Armenian family, a husband and a wife, had vacated the upper floor of their beautiful villa and made room for the care of Aharonian, as they moved downstairs.

Right after receiving us, Mrs. Aharonian advised us not to enter his room to see him. Had I been by myself I would have most likely heeded to her advice and not entered his room. But Hagop Babigian was with me as his guardian. He insisted visiting him and thus we entered in.

A big bald head was resting over a white pillow, and on it two sparkling eyes, that is all to it, much like a dry clay jar the middle of which were two shiny lights. Mrs. Aharonian approached him shouting loud to his ear said:

- “Dear Avo, he is one of our ungers (comrades) from Syria, the poet….”

Suddenly the lights extinguished from his eyes, and I heard a voice as if coming from a deep grave:

 - “No, no, no…..”

Three times “no”. It is the only word he can utter and that one word is the whole lexicon for someone who was the king of the spoken words, the mythical god Aramazd of the Armenian literature. Do you have pain? No! Do you need anything? No!, and nothing else. A ravished body, but a sharp mind, and a single word, “no”, that is all to it. My God, I thought, what a miserable luck had been in store for him,  what a disaster!

- “Did I not tell you not to enter?” Gently reprimanded me Mrs. Aharonian at the same time caringly caressing my shoulder. 

I almost fled the scene feeling guilty. The whole visit had hardly lasted ten minutes. I was in a shock. Babigian who was more familiar with the situation was not affected. When we were in the street, he said:

- “ I think you need a strong drink to get you out of this state.” We entered a pub.

No less memorable was Avedis Aharonian’s wife. She was tall, graceful much like a palm tree, but emaciated and worn out, but beautiful in spite of her septuagenarian age. She was the sister of Mikayel Varandian³. In her youth, there wasn’t a young man who did not pursue her, like bees buzzing around her. Among them were two Avos – Avedis Aharonian and Avedik Isahagian³. Hagop Babigian, who had been close to Mikael Varantian, remembered her brother telling him that it’s only one of the two who could hold the rein of our  stallion.

The “Black Stallion” of the past had been transformed into a care giver for the past fifteen years. Not a single day had she left her critically wounded Aramazd. Every day, twice a day, she would change his body posture in the bed with the help of a care giver or on her own, and take care of him, change the linens, wash them and then wait on him. She had been doing this daily for the past fifteen years. There still are people who look for saints in the Bible.

They were, are no more.

 

Notes:

1.   Avetis Aharonian (Աւետիս ԱհարոնեանՕ, January 9, 1866, Iğdır, Turkey - March 20, 1948, Paris, France. He was an Armenian politician, writer, public figure and revolutionary, also part of the Armenian national movement. In 1919, he was the head the Armenian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference with Boghos Nubar, where he signed the Treaty of Sèvres formulating the "Wilsonian Armenia" in direct collaboration with the Armenian Diaspora. (Wikipedia)

2.   Aramazd was the chief and creator god in pre-Christian Armenian mythology. The deity and his name were derived from the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda after the Median conquest of Armenia in the 6th century BCE. (Wikipedia)

3.   Mikayel Varandian (Միքայել Վարանդյան). 1870 Shushi – April 27, 1934, Marseille, France. He was an Armenian historian and the main theoretician of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Varandian was born Mikayel Hovhannisian in the village of Kyatuk in the Varanda canton of the region of Karabakh. He took the penname Varandian in honor of his home province. (Wikipedia)

4.   Avetik Isahakyan (Armenian: Ավետիք Իսահակյան; October 30, 1875 – Gyumri, Armenia - October 17, 1957, Yerevan, Armenia. He was a prominent Armenian lyric poet, writer and public activist.

  

Դիտումներ եւ Դատումներ Արմենակ Եղիայեան-էն

Ներփակ մէջբերումները Արմենակ Եղիայեան-ին շաբաթական «Հայերէնը կը զուարճանայ»՝ Թիւ 96 եւ Թիւ 95  յղումներէն են։ Վահէ Յ. Աբէլեան

“Ասոր համար քիչ մը խելք եւ քիչ մըն ալ ճաշակ պէտք է գործադրէ գրողը: Փառք Աստուծոյ, երկուքն ալ լիաբուռն տրուած է մեր լրագրողներուն, ա՛լ ինչու խնայել, ո՞ր օրուան ի պահ կը դրուի ան: Գործածեցէ՛ք, եղբա՛յր, գործածեցէ՛ք, բարեխնամ Աստուած կը շարունակէ փոխարէնը ղրկել, անտես չի ձգեր:” (Թիւ 96)

«Հայոց լեզուն աղաւաղելու առաքելութեան հաւատարիմ՝ մեր արդի լրագրողները խոր կառչածութիւն կը ցուցաբերեն այս զազրելի ռուսաբանութեան եւ անոր երկուորեակին՝ իբրեւ հետեւանքին,− որոնք ամէնօրեայ ներկայութիւն են այլեւս,−  ընդմիշտ մոռցած ըլլալով հայերէն միւռոնաբոյր շնորհիւ, հետեւանքով, պատճառով, բերումով յետադրութիւնները հոն, ուր ո՛չ ազերիին, ո՛չ ալ թուրքին ճնշումը կը գործէ: Հայը իր սեփական կամքով կ’ընէ այս բոլորը:» (Թիւ 96)

«Կառավարութեան կազմութեան հոլովոյթը բարձր կրակի վրայ պիտի զետեղուի(անդ, էջ 4): Այս «բարձր կրակի վրայ զետեղումը» ասացուածքը, որ բոլորովին օտար է, հազիւ թէ բան մը ըսէ արդի հայուն: Մանաւանդ որ սխալ ընտրուած է  «բարձր» ածականը: Թերեւս «թէժ կրակի վրայ»-ն (feu artent, scorching fire) բան մը թելադրէր, թէեւ ատոր ալ կը կասկածիմ: Լաւ կ’ըլլայ, որ այսպիսիներուն հայերէն համարժէքը,− թէկուզ մօտաւոր համարժէքը,− տրուի, քանի ազգային դարձուածքները սովորաբար լիովին թարգմանելի չեն: Յիշենք պատմական փորձանք դարձած հետեւեալները՝

 --Դիակը գարեջուրին մէջ դնելը...

 --Պատերուն վրայ մողէզներու երեւումը...

 --Attachons à la confiture-ը:» (Թիւ 96)

«Կարելի է բանալ որեւէ դասագիրք, բայց նաեւ որեւէ բառարան հաստատելու համար մեր բանաձեւումի ճշմարտութիւնը։ Սակայն մեր սուրբ հայրերը կը մերժին թէ՛ մէկը, թէ՛ միւսը եւ կը շարունակեն ամուր կառչիլ իրենց «գիտցած»-ին : (Թիւ 95)

“Անշուշտ քիչ մը դժուար պիտի ըմբռնուի այս բանը հոն, ուր ձրի գլխագրելուունակութիւն մը կայ , եւ կը գլխագրուին աբեղայ ու սարկաւագ բառերնալ...  » (Թիւ 95)

«Միւս կողմէ՝ կարծես դիտումնաւոր ըլլար, «Հասկ» կը գրէ՝ 50 ամեակ, 75 ամեակ, 100 ամեակ՝ անջատ, առանց գծիկի: «Հասկ»-ի խմբագիրները լուսնի մէ՞ջ կ’ապրին՝ չգիտնալու համար, թէ կը գրենք 50-ամեակ՝ գծիկով, 50-օրեայ՝ գծիկով, 50-ժամեայ՝գծիկով:» (Թիւ 95)

«Մօտ-Այս զզուելի արեւելաբանութիւնը անէծքի մը պէս փակաւ մեր  օձիքին եւ թող  չիտար զայն. ամէն տեղ է, ամէն բերնի մէջ՝ ի դերեւ հանելով զայն վանելու մեր բոլոր ճիգերը, նոյնիսկ հոն, ուրկէ քիչ մը տարբեր որակ կ’ակնկալուէր իսկ փոխարէնը հոն կը գտնենք զայն աւելի շեշտուած եւ ուռճացած. »  (Թիւ 95)

«Եղա՞ւ այս, կ’ըլլա՞յ, ըլլալիք բա՞ն է: Եթէ մենք ներենք նման անհետեւողականութիւն մը, Մեսրոպ ինչպէ՞ս ներէ ասանկ թափթփածութիւնը: Մա՛նաւանդ երկրորդը՝ որ... Ր-ով կը սկսի. ուտուելիք ապո՞ւր է այս: » (Թիւ 95)

«Եւ վերջապէս ամէն քայլի կը գտնենք ահաւոր մսխում մը, գոգցես չարաշահումմըներս, գծով, փոխանցել բառերու ծանծաղ, ճապաղ, ձանձրացուցիչ, այլեւ բթացուցիչ կիրարկութեան:» (Թիւ 95)