On September 25, 2016, the Ayazma village of the Tsalka region hosted an ashik song festival dedicated to the master of ashik songs Gusan Havasi (Armenak Parsami Markosyan), who was born in this village.

Local and regional officials, guests from Tbilisi and Yerevan, Georgia and Armenia attended the traditional festival, which has been celebrated already for the 25th time. This year’s festival marked a special occasion. It was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of the National Artist of the Armenian SSR, Gusan Havasi.

In his opening remarks Yuri Khechoyan, Head of Department of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs at Tsalka district administration, praised the talent of Gusan Havasi of singing the greatness of the nature, the beauty of the women and girls and the hardworking character of the people working in the fields in his songs.

The newly-appointed Pastor of Armenians in Tsalka district at Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka's General Prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Ghevond Topashyan transmitted to the attendees the blessings and paternal love from His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The Governor of Kvemo Kartli Paata Khizanishvili greeted the people present. He thanked the local residents and the village for presenting the talented Gusan Havasi to the world, honoring his memory and transferring his art of singing to younger generations. The principal of Ozni Public School, Razmik Hanesyan recalled the development of ashik song art in Javakheti, and spoke about Havasi’s life and work.

The “Vrastan” Newspaper (“Georgia”) editor, Van Baiburtyan, the President of the “Vernatun” Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia, Zhora Snkhchyan, Majoritarian MP candidates, Henzel Mkoyan and Kakhaber Okitashvili noted the importance of this traditional festival in terms of strengthening the friendship between two nations, particularly the centuries-old amity of Armenian and Georgian people, and contributing to the rapprochement of two different cultures.

The Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia organized a concert. The “Havasi” Ensemble of Jivani Ashugh School in Yerevan, led by Artistic Director, the People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Professor Tovmas Poghosyan, specially arrived from Yerevan to participate in the event dedicated to the 120th birthday anniversary of Havasi. Their performance gave the festival a special luster.

The joyful songs and dances began to play in the Ayazma village. At the presence of the Head of the Cultural Department in the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan, the performances of the groups followed one another. The “Lusaghbyur” Dance Group of the Nardevan village opened the festival. The “Karmravanq” Ensemble of the Diliska village, a dance group from Ozni, a Georgian national song ensemble of the Jinisi village and the “Taron” Dance Group of the Hayartun Center performed at the concert. Then the sweet songs by Gusan Havasi sounded, performed by Hayastan Ispiryan from Ninotsminda, solo performers of the “Hayartun” Center - Nina Karapetyan and Genrikh Petrosyan.