My last day in Armenia happened to fall on the ancient water festival of Vartavar. “Vart” means “rose” in Armenian, and the day is dedicated to the goddess Astghig, the goddess of fertility. Armenians have been celebrating this holiday for thousands of years by throwing one another in rivers or, in the modern urban version,… Read more

When I was young, every Sunday I listened to the theme song of the WCRB-Boston Armenian classical music radio hour. This song was played on clarinet, but decades later I heard it on duduk. Then I found that it has words, and I learned to sing it. More than anything, I wanted to sing that… Read more