Armenia's 2010 Eurovision Performance

Armenia’s 2010 Eurovision Performance

The Eurovision Song Contest is known to give entertaining performances and represent their countries in distinctive ways. Armenia presents their national identity in the song contest with singing about their historical past that shaped them into who they are today. The country has faced and overcome hardships within the past 100 years, in which the song “Apricot Stone”, sung by Eva Rivas, portrays that with the message that they can conquer any difficulties that approach them if they have the love from the motherland, Armenia, given to them through apricots.

“Apricot Stone” was performed at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Oslo, Norway. Finishing 7th in the grand final, the performers included singer Eva Rivas, Flute musician Djivan Gasparyan, a dancer, and three background singers who all contributed to such a symbolistic performance. Eva Rivas spent her life singing in Armenia, where as a soloist, won several awards in her career. Singing such a variety of songs, “Eva was repeatedly a laureate in different contests and compositions. In 2000 the ensemble ‘Arevik’ was awarded the title ‘Ensemble of the Year’” (Armenia Zone). Her career blossomed as she continued to make music, including recording full CD, as well as being a model that led to her gaining the title of “Little Beauty of Rostov”. She became further known as “In 2009, Eva was a guest of a great number of Armenian TV shows and different performances” (Armenia Zone). Going into the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with her reputation caused no disputes to represent herself and the country. Another performer was Djivan Gasparyan. He is known to be one of Armenia’s greatest musicians. Performing at Eurovision at 83 years old, he is the oldest performer ever on the Eurovision stage. His respect to his infamous duduk playing brought an honorable representation for Armenia. Also, although he has traveled across the world, collaborating with other famous artists, “Gasparyan’s duduk repertoire consists primarily of traditional Armenian folk songs” (Real World Records). His widely known instrument playing is from the duduk, which is an apricot wood string instrument. The duduk offers a romantic, beautiful, and sorrowful sound. Greatly representing Armenian traditional music. Referring back to the song, his flute playing, represented how apricots have an important purpose in Armenia, another addition to the main message of the song. The duduk is the national instrument of Armenia, representing how all purposes of the apricot, from its seed to growing on its tree, have an importance to Armenia. Other performers included the three background singers, and the dancer. With a modern dance interpretation, the dancer performs the story of the apricot stone. The choreography was incorporated with the staging/props for the performance. Although other staging aspects such as the smoke bring a soft yet mystic effect, the eye catching prop on was the gigantic apricot seed. Throughout the whole song, there is a gigantic apricot seed behind all the performers. To incorporate the choreography with this prop, the dancer begins with carrying a vase, in which he is handed an apricot stone (seed) from Eva Rivas. He is then seen pouring the contents of the vase at the gigantic apricot seed roots, and as the song continues on, an apricot tree grows until it has fully sprouted by the end of the song.

Looking at the lyrics, the message the song is trying to convey demonstrates Armenia’s struggle and how they have overcome them. Taking a deeper look into the lyrics, “Our world is cruel and wild / But to make your way through cold and heat / Love is all that you need” portrays the idea that love will allow one to surpass all the cruelty in the world. In the song, the apricot symbolizes love, which guides one out of harm. The song also states “Given back to me / From the motherland”, which she is referring to how the apricot is the love from the motherland, Armenia. Continuing in the song are the lyrics “Now I'm not afraid of violent winds / They may blow - they can't win”, which raises the idea that violence and deathly matters cannot overpower one’s self, and that is because of the strength the apricot has given them. It is evident that the apricot is an important symbol not only in the song, but to Armenia. Being a national symbol to the country, it represents nationality and victory. The apricot is truly acknowledged to the people that even “The apricot is praised and celebrated during the harvest of apricots with an apricot festival” (Hovhannisyan, 2006). Not only so, but it is a “legend that the color of the lower stripe of the flag was from the apricot” (Eurovision, 2010). The color of the apricot is also lit across the entirety of the performance. It is therefore known how the apricot plays a major importance to the country, recalling that their national identity of their hardships can be brought to light with the power of the apricot.

Certain historical events can cause Armenians to view this song with a sense of dignity because of how their country has persevered. The event such as the Armenian Genocide, plays a major role in the national identity of Armenia. In April 1915, Armenians were forced out of their homes, were sent on death marches, where they would drop dead due to heat, hunger, or by being shot (Armenian Genocide, 2010). One can interpret the cruelty that Eva refers to in the song as such tragic events like the Armenian Genocide. A month before the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest was the 95th anniversary of the Genocide (Barsoumian, 2010), in which shows how many Armenians could have gone about the song with the annivesary in mind. ‘Others’ yet interpreted the song in a negative way, as a “Turkish composer accuses 'Apricot Stone' of being political” (Barsoumian, 2010). The Ottoman Empire/Turkey caused the murders of the genocide, and altough the country of Turkey continues to not acknowledge it, they still brought backlash for Armenia as they intepreted the song to have the underlying message of the violence Turkey brought them. Armenia responded in such a manner to state that “The song simply presents the Armenian culture, the Armenian traditions, the apricot..” (Barsoumian, 2010). Standing up for their national identity, Armenia stays strong on how the apricot provides the courage on how to overcome such tragedies.

Overall, the pop-like performance “Apricot Stone” gives is incorporated with traditional aspects as well as a respectable message for Armenia. The song demonstrates that one can conquer all the obstacles they face if they remember and honor their roots, which in Armenia’s case is how the apricot stone will always remind them of this message.

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