Alexandro Safina's news conference in Yerevan marred by incident (video)

The meeting of the famous Italian tenor Alexandro Safina with Armenian reporters, prior to his concert in Yerevan, was marred by an incident, lasting only about eight minutes.

Safina said at the news conference that he has always been and continues to be an opera singer. He also said that like other opera singers he has recently been singing also in "light genres," adding that by that he does not intend to increase his incomes.

"It just happened. There was no special decision," said the prominent opera singer.

Asked whether he feels bad that he will be giving a concert instead of Cesaria Evora, who cancelled hers over health problems, Sona Hovhannisyan, the general manager of the Yerevan Perspective festival, did not translate the question.

Hovhannisyan responded instead of the singer, saying: "He is not singing instead of Cesaria. This is Safina's concert."

Asked what he knows about Armenia, Safina said not much, adding that he knows well the French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavur.

When asked about his knowledge of the Armenian Genocide, the singer responded with a question: "Have I committed a sin by coming to Armenia."

Further, the reporters asked what he knows about the Armenia Philharmonic Orchestra, after which the singer left the room, with the press conference lasting only about eight minutes.