Avasi

Armenak Markosyan was born in 1896 in a poor peasant family in the village of Ayazma, Tsalka region of Georgia. From an early age he was completely blind. After his father noticed that young Armenak has vocal abilities, he sent him to teach in a neighboring village, where he learned to play the saz.

From the age of 12 he begins to travel with local ashugs in the villages of the district. After some time, Armenak’s father, taking care of his son’s further musical education, sends the latter to the famous ashug of the neighboring village of Tifili (His Manukyan) ^[1] . Two years later, Armenak Markosyan returns to his ancestral village by the already famous ashug under the name Avasi (“Avas” - “desire”, “mood”, “love”)

In 1929, Avashi moved to the city of Akhalkalaki on Klara Zetkin Street, where he met famous musicians: violinist Asho Grigoryan and duduk player Arut Davtyan who played an important role in his life. It was here in Akhalkalaki that Avashi finally formed as a musician, his name spread throughout the district, from the side of people he was surrounded by respect and love. Avashi's songs were sung everywhere; his performances were broadcast by local radio stations. For the first time, Avashi's works were published in the regional newspaper Akhalkalaki , then in the republican newspaper Sovetskaya Georgia. The songs of Avashi glorify the beauty of nature, women, the hard work of a working man, for example, he sings about this in the song "Javakhktsi, Janid Mernem" ^[2] .

In 1944, a new stage began in Avashi's life, he moved to Yerevan , to which the song “Let's Go to Yerevan” (“Hnank Yerevan”) devotes. After moving, he immediately begins to give concerts in different regions and villages of Armenia . A number of his works (“Songs Inscribed with Notes” ( 1947 ), “Fragrance” ( 1950 ), “My Lyre” (1961), etc.) are printed. In 1961, a collection of his songs was published in Yerevan under the name “Mazmiry”, which included such famous songs as “Song of the World”, “Beautiful Mountains of Armenia”, “Collective Farm Shepherd”, “Don't Go In Vain” and a number of others no less famous works

A number of his works were known such as “Songbook”, “Gusan Avasi”, “Northern Sun”, “Young Armenia”, “Soviet Half Century”, “Homeland”, etc. Many researchers of the Avasi praised it creativity, for his services in the musical field he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR .

After living the rest of his life in Yerevan , Avasi died on February 22, 1978 .

In Georgia, in the center of Ayazma village, where Husan Avashi was born, a bust of Husan Avashi was installed and a square named after him. The initiator and sponsor is a native of the village of Kzlkilis, now living in Moscow, Edgar Aramyan ^[3] .

Throughout his life, the musician wrote about 2000 songs, 1500 quatrains and composed more than 130 tunes. He owns satirical songs and love poems. A number of his songs were dedicated to the time in which he lived, the army, World War II and Javakhk from which he came ^[2] .

Best Songs are

• "What to say to my beloved"
• “In vain you leave”
• "Like a doe"
• “Why I fell in love” ^[4]

• Ashugi