April and Everything After

Aram Kouyoumdjian

 

Armenians in Los Angeles commemorated the centennial of the Genocide last month with a march so mammoth that it resembled a human flood flowing through three of the city’s major thoroughfares.

The march was a watershed that eclipsed all other commemorative activities, including a number of cultural ones worth remembering.

In the realm of film, there was “1915.” In the realm of music, the Lark Musical Society joined with UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music to present the world premiere of Ian Krouse’s “Armenian Requiem.” And in the realm of art, the “Life 100” exhibit was a showcase of practically every major Armenian artist, while “iWitness,” an open-air installation of larger-than-life photos of Genocide survivors on three-dimensional metal frames, was both a soaring and searing experience.

Vahé Berberian Up Close

Lori Cinar

The name Vahé Berberian immediately brings to mind the image of an Armenian man with long silver hair wound up in braids. But his signature look isn’t the only thing Berberian is famous for; his stand-up comedy performed almost entirely in Armenian are what have made his a household name. For the past 13 years, Berberian has brought captivating, relatable comedy to Armenian communities through his shows. With the premiere of his 5th tour, Yeté [Եթէ], the comedian taps into a new comedic theme while still maintaining his cultural backdrop.

With the majority of shows already under his belt, Berberian plans on performing Yeté a few more times before he begins his world tour in September. The overall success of the show, which has sold out at almost every venue, reveals the possibility of a few more performance dates being squeezed in before he leaves. Those who have already been to one of the recent performances of Yeté can attest to the excitement and hard-hitting nature of it.