I’m sure you’ve all noticed how the Forum de Beyrouth was beautifully lit up and transformed in the past few weeks to accommodate KOHAR’s performances. KOHAR originally started as an independent musical and cultural institution by Lebanese-Armenian, Harout Khatchadourian, also known as The Armenian culture patron, and grew to become “an important cornerstone in the unique musical rendition of Armenian alphabet and culture”. KOHAR is famous for its recordings of All Time Armenian Favorites and for their visually and acoustically appealing concerts.
I’m not very familiar with Armenian culture to be honest (except for the food part), and I wasn’t really sure that I would enjoy listening to Armenian songs for 2 hours especially that I don’t understand the language, but a friend of mine got me tickets and insisted that I should attend and that I would love the show and she was absolutely right!
To begin with, I don’t remember the last time I attended an event as organized as this one. I left home early expecting traffic before the Forum De Beyrouth but there were none and we easily went in and parked. Everyone was seated on time, doors were closed at 8:30 as stated on the tickets and the show kicked off right on time. Moreover, the 15-min intermission didn’t last an hour like most concerts in Lebanon and people went back to their seats on time.
Moving on to the concert, the setup was magical, the performances were outstanding, songs were presented with an amazing choreography and visual effects (3D Projections) and there was a great attention to details! Throughout two hours, 165 musicians, 16 solo performers and 15 dancers entertained an enchanted crowd and kept us asking for more. The whole experience was truly one of a kind and is highly recommended for any music lover and you definitely don’t need to understand Armenian to enjoy the show.
The only part where I felt a bit weird was when we were all handed flags of The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and everyone stood and started singing and waving. I obviously couldn’t relate to the song or that part of Armenia’s history, but I did stand up and waved as well 🙂
All in all, the story behind KOHAR is beautiful and inspiring and the concerts perfectly reflect the devotion and passion of the people behind it. The performances are over this year but I will make sure to spread the word and encourage everyone to go watch KOHAR next year.
KOHAR was founded in 1997 as an independent musical and cultural institution by the Armenian culture patron, Harout Khatchadourian of Lebanon, who along with his brothers, Shahe and Nar Khatchadourian, entirely sustain the activities of KOHAR and all its concerts in tribute to their parents; in memory of their late father Aram and in Honor of their mother KOHAR.
Here are few pictures and a couple of short videos from the show:
Ill make sure to attend it next year…. you intrigued me!
Great review and thanks for the beautiful cover.
Allow me to add a little more info below, from my point of view 🙂
One of the most fascinating concerts in the Lebanese history.
From the attractive outdoor sky spotlights/lighting around the “Forum de Beyrouth”, impressive concept & decoration, the stunning indoor lighting, extraordinary harmonious orchestra, marvellous quartet choir & performers, never-seen-before 3D screens/visuals/stage, breathtaking dancers, choreography & dresses…… to the phenomenal production, crew & hospitality. The list can go on and on…
Concert organisers can learn a lot from this. Specially that, unlike many other events, the show started exactly at its announced time while closing its door for the late-comers… without a minute of delay.
By the way, the parking was free, something you will rarely see in Lebanon.
On the other hand, it was wise how the stage & sits were designed to please everyone, from the cheapest ticket priced around 6.5$, to 100$ front row seats. Besides, at the end, you all got the flags & the must-have songbook which costs more than some of the tickets price, right? wink emoticon
Thank you KOHAR Symphony Orchestra & Choir & every single person behind the curtains.
You are the JEWEL & PRIDE of the Armenians around the world.
Finally, hats off to the humble Khatchadourian family.
Not only spending a fortune to keep the culture alive at its best, but also donating the entire ticket sales (you got it, not the profit, the sales) to the needy.
Thank u for this great comment 🙂
It was the most magical thing i have ever attended, perfection at its best! 🙂 Hearing about non-Armenians attending this event makes me even happier.I missed their show back in 2010 but I’m glad i witnessed this one. Thank you to the Khatchadourian family for showing the beauty and richness of the Armenian culture in its best form.