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Azerbaijani community in Houston celebrates Novruz Bayram

On Friday, March 21, the Azerbaijani community in the Houston metropolitan area celebrated Novruz Bayram in an elegant banquet hall in the city of Houston. In cooperation with two other Houston based Azerbaijani organizations, the Houston Azerbaijanis and the Azerbaijani American Council, Houston, HBSCA organized a full entertainment program including a traditional banquet, Azerbaijani music, song and folk dance performances. About 150 guests who attended the very lively evening had an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and experience the rich cultural tradition of Novruz Bayram which is a celebration of the Spring Equinox. For about 5,000 years Novruz Bayram has been celebrated in Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and in Central Asia. The celebration which pre-dates Islam, is deeply rooted in the Zoroastrian religion and has, despite many attempts by outsiders to destroy the tradition, survived until today. To officially recognize March 20 as Novruz Celebration Day in Houston, HBSCA obtained a proclamation from the office of the Mayor of Houston.

Ceramics show of Saida Fagala

Azerbaijan ceramist, Saida Fagala and American potter, Judy Adams join together for this two-person show Thank you/Спасибо.
Ms. Fagala works with porcelain and other fine clays to create strong, figurative sculptures. Her surface design is reminiscent of European/Russian faïence brushwork to which she incorporates her own individual style.
Judy Adams is pushing the limits of pottery and the idea of a “vessel” by deconstructing and reassembling “pots” to create unique, contemporary forms.

Joint HBSCA activities with Raindrop Turkevi

HBSCA President Irada Akhoundova and Board members Maud Bech and Saida Fagala met Ms. Andrea White, wife of Houston Mayor Bill White, and Mayor's Protocol Allience personnel at a luncheon hosted by Raindrop Turkish House. The event was called "Turkish Cultural Day" and featured delicious food, desserts along with the Turkish folk dance and songs.

HBSCA sponsored young artist wins 2nd place in 2008 Sister Cities art competition

Alejandro Morales, a student of HBSCA member Narmin Backus from Clear Lake Christian School, has won the 2^nd place in this year's Sister Cities art competition.

The purpose of this competition was to encourage youth (ages 13 to 18) from all parts of the world to express, through original artwork, their concept of the Sister Cities mission and the 2008 theme A Reflection of Your Community. All art works will be displayed in the Visitors Center inside City Hall.

Baku Alumni Celebration in Houston

FEBRUARY 28, 2008 - The Houston-Baku Sister City Association (HBSCA) held a reunion reception for Azeri and non-Azeri Houstonians who have been closely involved in the Azerbaijan oil industry in the past 10 years.

The event, sponsored by both the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and BP North America was held at the OMNI hotel in Houston, where about 100 so-called Baku Alumni had an opportunity to re-unite with old friends and celebrate their shared experience of participating in the growth of Azerbaijan's oil industry and life in the beautiful city of Baku.

This unique community of Baku Alumni in Houston is expected to grow and HBSCA is planning more events for this group.

HBSCA welcomes Oil Museum delegation from Azerbaijan in Houston

On February 5, 2008, the leadership of the Houston-Baku Sister City Association (HBSCA) welcomed an official delegation from Azerbaijan to Texas as they toured the state's major oil and science museums on an exploratory mission in preparation of a proposal for the development of an oil museum in Baku.
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Team including HBSCA members wins the Intellectual Games Club's Cup

A member of the Houston Club of Intellectual Games "Nizami", the Magnificent Seven team has won the first Cup of the Club. The team included two HBSCA members, Farhad Mamedbekov and Riad Efendi (top photo, first and second from left).
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AAC-TEXAS - Commemoration Event - 20 January

The Azerbaijani American Council (AAC-Texas) will be holding an event dedicated to Black January on Sunday, January 20 at the Turkish Cultural Center, 5905 Winsome Ln, Houston, TX 77057.

Black January is known as one of the darkest periods of Azerbaijani history and is related to brutal occupation of Baku, Azerbaijan by Soviet troops on January 19-20, 1990.

At the event, the attendees could learn about a new organization, the US Azeris Network. The presentation covered the purpose, objectives and resources of the organization.

The event was made possible with the assistance of HBSCA and Raindrop Turkevi.