Epress.am News from Armenia
The artist is not to blame if he’s given a gift, said well-known Armenian duduk player Djivan Gasparyan, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today and commenting on the extravagant gifts awarded to Armenian “stars” during the annual Tashir 2011 Music Awards ceremony.
“Today we have good boys, wealthy, who live in Russia and in Yerevan; these people, if they want to do good things for the country, why are we dissatisfied and turn the way [they wish to do so] upside down? Talk has to be honest; that is, who’s worthy, who’s unworthy — this is a completely different matter. But if, say, Gagik Tsarukyan, a wonderful guy, does everything, helps athletes so much, does so many good things, they all respect him, I say this honestly — what bad thing does this man do? They say, he has so much money: it’s no one’s business, who has how much,” said Gasparyan, defending notorious businessman, president of Armenia’s National Olympic Committee and head of the Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan.
Speaking specifically about Armenia’s 2008 Eurovision contestant Sirusho, who was also awarded an apartment on the show, Gasparyan suggested the public not view her as the daughter-in-law of second president of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian (which she is).
“See her as Sirusho, a [darling] young girl, she sings beautifully: who sings better than her? We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. They gave the child a gift, let’s be happy, what’s the deal,” he said.
Asked aren’t such extravagant gifts in Armenia’s situation today a grandiose luxury and shouldn’t those receiving gifts refused the apartments, giving them instead to the homeless, Gasparyan said:
“They would’ve been offended by that; the boys would’ve been crestfallen. It would’ve been very insulting — that man gave me a gift and then I give it to someone else? Wouldn’t that man say, dear Gasparyan, you, with my money, are giving a gift to another? It’s a great insult. This is ignorance,” he said.