Azerbaijan Archives - Page 18 of 37 - Onnik James Krikorian - Journalist, Photojournalist, Consultant

Tbilisi: A Regional Hub for Alternative Music in the South Caucasus?

Jun 2, 2017 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Music

Having moved from the UK to Armenia in 1998 to work for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) it was only natural that I started to take an interest in an alternative music scene that, while not really existing, was emerging at the time. From 2001 onwards the situation started to change, and bands such as Gyumri’s The Bambir really grabbed my attention. By the mid-2000s other bands started to emerge and those that had been dormant during the electricity shortages of the 1990s began to re-surface.

Unlikely Neighbours: Ethnic Armenian-Azeri Coexistence in Georgia

Jun 2, 2017 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Minorities, Nagorno Karabakh

With peace still looking elusive, and all signs pointing to the possibility of renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Stratfor recently published my photo story on ethnic Armenian-Azeri coexistence in Georgia.

Unlikely Neighbours: Ethnic Armenian-Azerbaijani Coexistence in Georgia

May 10, 2017 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Minorities, Nagorno Karabakh

Ethnic Armenians in Tsopi, Georgia, one of a few villages co-inhabited with ethnic Azerbaijanis @ Onnik James Krikorian First published by Stratfor. as part of my work on ethnic Armenian-Azerbaijani coexistence in Georgia also published by the BBC and Radio Free...

DiHaj in Tbilisi, A Week Later in Baku Unveils Azerbaijan’s Eurovision Entry

Mar 11, 2017 | Azerbaijan, Georgia, Music

I won’t pretend to be a Eurovision fan as it’s really not my thing. Until I moved to the South Caucasus from the U.K. I never ever watched it and actually thought it something best avoided. True, standards in the international music competition have increased considerably since Eastern Europe and other former Soviet republics have participated, and the often acerbic commentary on on Twitter can be fun, but in the few years that really hasn’t been enough.

reWoven reVisited: Azerbaijani Carpets in Georgia

Oct 19, 2016 | Azerbaijan, Georgia, Minorities

After putting together a short report on reWoven, a sustainable development project to revive and support the tradition of hand weaving carpets among Georgia’s largest ethnic minority, a year ago for BBC Azeri, I returned last week to do another report, but this time in English for Meydan TV.

On Aggregate: Champions Without a Home

Oct 6, 2016 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Sport

After nearly 19 years of communicating online, I finally managed to meet Thomas Goltz, the American writer and journalist best known for his Azerbaijan Diary, Chechnya Diary, and Georgia Diary books. I also managed to interview him for the BBC’s Azerbaijan Service on his latest project, On Aggregate: Champions Without a Home, the story of Azerbaijan’s Qarabagh-Aghdam football team which has been unable to play home games since 1993 when their city was captured by Armenian forces during the conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.

Woodstock Without Borders: One Caucasus Festival

Sep 11, 2016 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Music

I’ve been meaning to attend the annual One Caucasus festival since it started three years ago, but this year’s event, held 25-28 August in the Georgian village of Tserakvi, was the first time that I have. Naturally, I put together two video reports, in Azerbaijani for the BBC’s Azeri Service, embedded further down this page, and in English for Meydan TV, directly below.

DiHaj in Tbilisi

Aug 14, 2016 | Azerbaijan, Georgia, Music

Last month saw a return visit to Tbilisi by Azerbaijani Experimental/Immersive Doom Pop band, DiHaj. Scheduled to play at the annual Tbilisi Open Air Festival, DiHaj also performed at the birthday party of veteran Georgian rocker Lado Burduli and at Vake Park’s Backstage 76. Great band.

DiHaj on BBC Azeri

Apr 17, 2016 | Azerbaijan, Georgia, Music

Last month saw the annual Caucasus Music Awards held in Tbilisi, arguably the cultural centre of the South Caucasus, and featuring bands from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Because of time I couldn’t do as much reporting as I’d like, but did get a chance to interview Azerbaijani Experimental Doom Pop band, DiHaj for the BBC’s Azerbaijan Service.

CATEGORY RESULTS