On the 8^th of September, in the picturesque village of Ayazma in Tsalka region once again the festival of ashik songs was held. A holiday on the field, in the open, which has already become a tradition, was devoted and paid tribute to the native of the village – gusan Havasi (Armenak Parsami Markosyan). Gusan Havasi was born in 1896 , in Ayazma village of Tsalka region, in a family of a landless peasant. His father Parsam was a famous ashik and storyteller in the village, who noticed in Armenak the presence of vocal talent and ability to sing and decided to send him to study under ashik. Already twelve-year-old Armenak along with the local ashiks toured the villages of the region and gained love and acceptance.

Guests from different regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tbilisi and Yerevan, and of course admirers of “gusan” art of singing had arrived at the traditional ashik festival to honor the memory of People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia, gusan Havasi, which has been celebrated every September, since 1991.

Gamgebeli of Tsalka Joni Sabadze, Deputy Chairman of the People's Assembly Gocha Khachaturyan, Advisor to the President of Georgia, the editor of "Vrastan" ("Georgia") Van Baiburtian, the native of Akhalkalaki - Tachat Vardapetyan, a deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, President of the “Vernatun” Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia Zhora Snkhchyan and many others attended the holiday.

Spiritual shepherd of Armenian communities in Tsalka region, Priest Movses Manukyan opened the celebration with the blessing and Our Father Prayer. Everyone, who delivered a speech, recalled the way of development of “gusan” song art in Javakheti, they talked in particular about gusan Havasi, describing him as a talented representative of ashik song art, and spoke of diversity of topics and high artistic merit of his songs.

Levon Chidilyan, the head of the cultural department of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia and the coordinator of the “Hayartun” Center, opened the festive performance, which was organized by the “Hayartun” Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia (artistic director Pavel Oganezov). He encouraged them to create amateur song and dance ensembles in the villages of Tsalka, proposing the support of the “Hayartun” Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia. And joyful songs and dances began to play in Ayazma village. Children-Youth Song and Dance Ensemble “Taoba” of cultural house in Tsalka region opened the festival. And after that the sweet songs by gusan Havasi sounded, they were filled with the majesty of mountainous country nature, grace and beauty of women and girls walking in the field, dedication of the people working hard in the fields and mountains.

Song and dance ensemble “Parvana” of cultural house in Ninotsminda region and newly-created dance ensemble “Kaytser” of Nardevan village in Tsalka region performed one after the other. Dance ensemble “Jeyran” of the “Hayartun” Center and solo artists, Ani Ghushchyan, Anna Poghosova, Genrikh Petrosyan and Hovhannes Shakhnazaryan, performing under the auspices of the center, finished the holiday.

Beautiful songs of gusan Avasi reached the sky of Ayazma, as a guarantee of immortality of
genuine ashik song.