Nikolay Tsaturyan calls on artists to give up titles (video)
People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia, Professor Nikolay Tsaturyan says the decision to grant an Honored Artist’s title to U.S.-based Armenian pop singer Armen Gondrachyan, best known as Armenchik, questions objective standards for evaluating art. Speaking at a press conference on September 23, Mr Tsaturyan advised all art workers who had prestigious titles to give up their state awards. “I am saying these words for our glorious Government to understand that they cannot decide whom to honour or not. They need to develop some strategy because we have become too irresponsible. They need to set up commissions to decide which artist should get the title. Well, this is a title and you are granting it without any criterion. How deep can you roll?” the artist said. Nikolay Tsaturyan added that by honouring singers who spreadTurkish-Arabic melodies the government is discrediting Komtas and his works. “The entire Cabinet, with the exception of a few people, consists of primitive people, therefore the like Armenchik and his art. When a person’s intellect is “below plinth level” the consequences can be predicted,” he said in conclusion.
