Armenian artists to join Global Soul 2009

Published: Wednesday February 04, 2009

Los Angeles - Storyteller Alidz Agbabian and musician Arto Tuncboyaciyan will join artists from around the world on February 26, when Jewish World Watch (JWW) will host Global Soul, an evening of music, culture, and genocide awareness at the Skirball Cultural Center. The event will honor Rabbi M. Schulweis, co-founder of JWW, for his lifetime of activism and innovation, and will celebrate the accomplishments of JWW during its first five years.

"I am very happy to be presenting stories and songs from the Armenian oral tradition at Global Soul 2009," said Ms. Agbabian. "Listening to the messages of the other performers is very important for me. . . . What a great opportunity to experience our mutual humanity through art."

Since its inception, JWW has made great strides in mobilizing the Jewish community in Los Angeles as well as the public at large to crusade against genocide and human-rights violations throughout the world.

In addition, JWW has engaged in significant outreach to interfaith and ethnic communities in Los Angeles, including the Armenian and Cambodian communities. In partnership with the Armenian community of Los Angeles, JWW led the Jewish community to recognize the Armenian Genocide by hosting a Jewish-Armenian Shabbat Dinner and Service to observe the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, in 2007.

Also that year, JWW gave its first "I Witness" Award to two Armenians scholars, filmmaker J. Michael Hagopian and historian Richard G. Hovannisian, who have dedicated their professional lives to chronicling the history of the Armenian people and commemorating victims of the Armenian Genocide. 

A mosaic of cultures in solidarity

With an abiding commitment to honor communities that have endured genocide, Global Soul will highlight a multicultural gathering of musicians, storytellers, and artists. Underscoring the message of "global conscience," the participating artists will bring to the audience their unique sounds and stories, infused with both traditional and modern-day rhythms.

The performers will include Hmong hip-hop/tropical artists Delicious Venom; reggae/Afro-beat singer Dynamq, "the Sudanese Child"; Afro-beat vocal and percussion ensemble Adaawe; African storyteller Masanhko Kamsisi Banda; gospel singer Paula Bellamy; Goodness, an a cappella ensemble from Pepperdine University; and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

"I am participating in Global Soul to honor the people who lost their lives because of their identity and their religious beliefs," said Mr. Tuncboyaciyan. "Global Soul will bring us together for a greater understanding of one another."

Global Soul will be an intergenerational event, with interactive activities specifically designed for teen engagement. Individuals will be able to make a video postcard asking President Obama to make the ongoing genocide in Darfur a priority of his administration; send email to elected officials; or design their own advocacy postcards.

"With Global Soul, we want guests to be inspired and energized by the wonderful performances while gaining a better understanding of the cultures that are being or have been destroyed by the cruelty of genocide," said Tzivia Schwartz-Getzug, executive director of JWW. "We hope this event will inspire and motivate our guests to become more active in the fight to combat genocide around the world. In the five years since its founding, Jewish World Watch has achieved significant success within its three mission goals: education, advocacy, and refugee relief. As we continue to grow, we look forward to working with the community to expand both the depth and reach of our programs."

In response to the murder of 400,000 civilians and the displacement of nearly 2.5 million people in the Sudan, JWW chose Darfur as its first advocacy-campaign cause. Since its inception, JWW has mobilized grassroots support through synagogues and the community at large, and allocated more than $2 million in direct assistance to the people of Darfur.

connect:
GlobalSoul.org