Mentioning my name on H1 is so strictly forbidden that when one of my friends did so, it was edited out.
In addition to Yerevan, the festive events spanned four regional centers: Vanadzor, Kapan, Gyumri, and Ijevan. It is also worth noting that the singers performing on Independence Day received very high fees; for instance, Tata Simonyan was paid 20 million drams to sing three songs, Arman Hovhannisyan received over 17 million, the "Karen-Sevak Band" and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra each received over 13 million, Roland Gasparyan over 9 million, Saro Tovmasyan 8 million, Iveta Mukuchyan and Aram MP3 each over 5 million, the Hovhannes Chekijian National Academic Choir 4 million, and Liparit Avetisyan, Gevorg Hakobyan, and Hasmik Torosyan each received 2.7 million drams. Host Khoren Levonyan received 3,600,000 drams, while Lusine Tovmasyan received 1,320,000 drams.
Perhaps people wouldn't have talked so much about these enormous sums—or criticized the concert—had it been executed with a bit more taste. The Independence Day concert in Armenia was dominated by *rabiz* music, low-quality songs, and crude, upbeat performances. In the past, concerts dedicated to Independence Day featured high-quality songs—songs that carried meaning and a message. For instance, Shushan Petrosyan was one of the singers who performed at Independence Day events prior to 2018.
*Hraparak* asked the singer which songs she had performed for Independence Day and whether she had ever received 20 million, 17 million, or even 13 million drams from the state budget. Addressing the topic in her conversation with us, Petrosyan remarked: Honestly, I don’t remember what figures I received, but I certainly didn’t get sums that large. Have I ever received a 20-million fee in Armenia? No. To be honest, I didn’t even follow that concert, but I believe that on Independence Day, the songs performed should be about victories and honoring those victories—songs that pay tribute to our guys, the ones who have guarded and continue to guard our borders and our independence; songs that are spiritually uplifting and soulful. Independence Day concerts should begin with spiritual music, followed by folk songs and beautiful melodies. The theme and concept need to be properly developed, and the right songs selected. For instance, I have often performed songs like "Im Anush Hayrenik" (My Sweet Homeland) and "Kyanks Hayrenikis" (My Life for My Homeland), and I’ve sung "Yerevany Menq Enq" (We Are Yerevan) with Forsh, among others. I swear, I don’t know what to say—I neither watch their concerts nor read about them. I am on their blacklist; I don’t sing at their concerts, nor do they invite me to H1. However, I must say that appearing on their H1 today would be beneath my dignity. Singing at their concerts is a dreadful prospect. Mentioning my name on H1 is so strictly forbidden that, during a program where a friend of mine was discussing the "Two Stars" show—which I used to host—they actually edited out the part where my name was mentioned. Can you imagine the kind of people we are dealing with here?
The singer also commented on the greeting Tata Simonyan addressed to Nikol Pashinyan: "Why are you surprised? Who was singing the song 'I Had Never Seen My Parents So Happy' eight years ago? While I didn't care for his style, I really loved his songs; however, maintaining my dignity is far more important to me."
