Survival Songs: From West to East

Survival Songs: From West to East is an ethnographic collage composed of stories and songs of people from various Armenian communities formed after the emigration from Western to Eastern Armenia. From the end of 18th century until the mid-20th century, Armenians, who faced wars, repressions, which finally culminated in the 1915 Armenian Genocide, were fleeing from Western Armenia (the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire) to various parts of the world, including the current territory of the Republic of Armenia. One of the relics left from their homeland in Western Armenia is their culture: songs, dances, stories, and memories. The 2nd and 3rd generations of Genocide survivors preserve the folk songs with the hope of passing them on to future generations. Many of the songs were lost during all these year. But still some are preserved by young musicians, who redefine and present these songs in new and different musical arrangements.