On September 13, 2015, 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 Georgia and Armenia visit this festival, which has been traditionally celebrated every September since 1991, dedicated to the National Artist of Armenia, Gusan Havasi.

Razmik Hanesyan opened the “Havasi-2015” festival and 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.

State Representative - Governor of Kvemo Kartli, Paata Khizanishvili welcomed the people present and thanked them for presenting the talented Gusan Havasi to the world, honoring his memory and transferring his art of singing to younger generations. Tsalka’s Gamgebeli, Ilia Sabadze noted the importance of this traditional festival in terms of strengthening the friendship between two nations and contributing to the rapprochement of two different cultures.

The “Vrastan” Newspaper (“Georgia”) editor, Van Baiburtyan and the President of the “Vernatun” Union of Armenian Writers of Georgia, Zhora Snkhchyan delivered speeches and recalled the development of ashik song art in Javakheti and the role of Gusan Havasi as a representative of ashik song art, the diversity of the song topics and his high artistic merit.

The Director of the “Hayartun” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan, highlighted the importance of involving the inhabitants of Tsalka as participants into the celebration and suggested to celebrate the festival honoring Gusan Havasi on the last Sunday of June from now on.

The joyful songs and dances began to play in the Ayazma village. The Song and Dance Ensemble of the Tsalka region’s Cultural Center opened the festival performing Georgian polyphonic songs. Then the sweet songs by Gusan Havasi sounded, performed by Hayastan Ispiryan and Varazdat Nunyan from Ninotsminda, solo performers of the “Hayartun” Center - Nina Karapetyan, Ani Hovhannisyan and Henrikh Petrosyan. The Dance Ensembles of Susanna Babayan and Gayane Nazloyan, the dhol and duduk classes of the “Hayartun” Center under the direction of the teachers Robert Kashavanidze and Ivane Mkrtchyan also performed at the concert.