Ruben Hakhverdyan Evokes Nostalgia for Homeland at LA Performance

Ruben Hakhverdyan Evokes Nostalgia for Homeland at LA Performance

LOS ANGELES—Legendary poet, Ruben Hakhverdyan, returned to Los Angeles after seven years on Sunday to perform in one of the oldest theaters in Downtown for an audience of nearly 2,000.

The United State’s largest Armenian community crowded into the Orpheum Theatre’s majestic halls on Valentine’s Eve to pay homage to the bard of Armenia’s Independence movement, whose passionate prose inspired a generation to question injustice and demand freedom. The event was organized by the Armenian Youth Federation, which rallied its resources to help make the one-time performance a truly unforgettable one.

“The AYF is very honored to have presented the music of our beloved troubadour, Ruben Hakhverdyan, and his wonderful band to our community in Southern California,” said David Arakelyan, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive body. “Armenian-Americans of all generations admire Ruben Hakhverdyan’s talent and have been looking forward to this event for a very long time.”

In addition to being a performer, Ruben Hakhverdyan is a storyteller, making him all the more unique. On Sunday, he captivated his audience not only with his beautiful music but also with the memories and stories that lie beneath his lyrics.

Performing both old and new songs, Hakhverdyan’s verses dealt with everything from fatherhood to societal ills, all the while awakening a yearning for Armenia for all those in attendance.

Just as he explained to his fans when he began his show with “This is Yerevan,” Hakhverdyan described any place inhabited by Armenians as Yerevan, giving the feel that one could walk out of the Orpheum theatre onto the streets of Armenia at any second. “I have given concerts for Czech, Serbian, and French audiences, and those performances are not very different from one another. The reception everywhere has been very warm,” Hakhverdyan said after the concert.

Given his much anticipated return to Los Angeles, the diverse audience that filled the nearly sold out theatre was composed of both old fans and new fans of Hakhverdyan, eager to experience his timeless music first-hand.

Accompanied by his four-member band, the performance took the crowd through an emotional musical journey that reverberated in the hearts and minds of everyone who packed the halls. On the heels of his 60th birthday, Hakhverdyan’s concert was not only a celebration of his contributions to Armenian music, but of the modern day Armenian experience itself.

“Promoting Armenian culture within the Diaspora is a responsibility of the Armenian Youth Federation and we hope that we were able to achieve that through this concert,” remarked AYF Central Executive member Caspar Jivalagian. “Ruben is a truly amazing artist as evidenced by his exquisite performance on Sunday and we hope to keep working with him to organize future events.”

The legendary singer, composer, and poet promised another concert to his fans in September of this year, which will feature his repertoire of new songs.

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