Happy New Commercial Year 2006 – Armenians visiting Buenos Aires

Yesterday I was exchanging e-mails with Raffí M. and he asked me “Where are you?”, so then I realized how important it is for me to share some of the experiences of the Armenian life in Argentina with you all.

2005 was a great year. Let me tell you that for zodiac students the Real New Year starts on 21st March (Zoroastrian Newroz), meanwhile for the pagan Armenians the New Year starts in August, where the Navasartyan Olympic Games used to took place thousands of years before…


December is a busy month in Buenos aires, which is just the opposite of January. In December I finished one session more of my law studies (I hope to finish them on June) and on the other hand, I started a new page working on one of the hobbies I like the most: Music! Since August, I have been working with Gabriel Giogourtzian and Mariela Moumdjian on a new Armenian band. Months later Pablo Kaloustian came to fill the drums and Marcelo Kevorkian added his knowledge with Doudoug and Shví…We decided to call the band LOS ARMENIOS. Bravely we got the courage to present the band performing twice on a well known theatre of Buenos Aires called The Moliere. The acceptance of the crowd was amazing. Is not the Armenian typical band with organ and electric drums, playing covers…Gabriel has done many songs and the sound is really fresh, similar as a pop-rock-progressive style.

Gabriel Giougourtzian (Bass), Pablo Kaloustian (Drums), Mariela Moumdjian (Lead Singer), Marcelo Kevorkian (Shví/Doudoug) and Juan Abadjian (Guitars)

On Christmas Eve, I had the pleasure to receive in Buenos Aires one of my beloved friends from Chicago that I met in the Armenian course in Venice (Italy). David Tamuzian is American-Armenian and Spanish Professor at High School in Chicago. We enjoyed together of Buenos Aires, and also the Armenian places to visit here. Was very comic he made me play tennis after decades!!! It was really useful for my non-stop growing Armenian belly…

David, My Armenian Belly and I at a Tennis playground in Martinez, Buenos Aires

31st December after eighteen hours of work near the oven of the shop, I really SCAPED to Mar del Plata to have a drink of cool Champagne with my brother Kevork. You can’t imagine the activity of the cities of the Atlantic Argentinean Coast on Janury…Like a Temple of Ants!!!

After celebrating another friend came from Montreal, Canada. His name is Henri Arslanian and he is really involved in the Armenian Community there. So this time I took advantage of this situation and we did a non-stop Armenian tour in Buenos Aires in one day, before his departure to southern provinces of the country as Calafate, Bariloche or Villa La Angostura…What’s more, he found out a hidden branch of his family…Scattered souls…

Henri Arslanian at the TADRON CULTURAL CENTER, located in Palermo, Buenos Aires.

Aram H. and Raffí K., I miss you. Kevork does as well.

Viva Argentina y Viva Armenia…

That’s all Folks, Gimme a carrot Bugs!!!

PS: thanks Menesh for your emails!!! They encouraged me a lot!