On May 24 at 5:00 PM, the Armenian alternative folk rock band Lav Eli, invited from Armenia, performed at Budapest’s Erzsébet Square. The performance took place as part of the “Armenian-Korean Days”, on the final day of the festival. The multicultural audience warmly welcomed the band, who in turn dedicated each song to different nationalities present at the concert.

A few days before the performance, Lav Eli met with Armenian youth in Budapest at the Armenian Cultural Center. The evening featured a Q&A session, discussions about song lyrics, and a short acoustic performance.

Lav Eli is an Armenian alternative folk rock band and one of the most renowned rock groups in the country. It was founded in 1996 in Vanadzor. With nearly 30 years of rich history, Lav Eli combines Western rock with a distinctive Armenian sound. The band’s albums have become an essential part of the Armenian underground music scene. Lav Eli has released several classic hits such as “Your Eyes,” “I Found You in Heaven,” and “The Beginning,” along with newer fan favorites like “Anzrevashun” (Rainy Autumn), “Arevin, Arevin” (To the Sun, To the Sun), and “The Day We Met”. Many of the band’s songs have been featured in films and TV series.

The founders of Lav Eli are Mher Manukyan and Gor Mkhitaryan, former members of the Vanadzor-based band “SNEQ” (Neo-Existentialist Chrestomathy of Love). They invited Davit Grigoryan (drums) and Alex Avetisyan (bass/vocals) from the local band “ALK,” with the latter later replaced by Vahe Terteryan, also from “ALK.”

In 1997, Lav Eli released its “First GOOD Album,” which featured 21 tracks—10 in English and 11 in Armenian. The following year, they released “Essays”, their next album. Both records were successful, received radio airplay across Armenia, and had several songs charting for extended periods. The band’s popularity grew through live performances and television appearances. However, the band went on hiatus in 1999, as members pursued individual projects.

Lav Eli reunited in 2004 and recorded Notes from Vanadzor: Urban Armenian Rock with American label Pomegranate Music. The album was highly acclaimed internationally and became a fan favorite.

In 2011, the band returned with a new lineup: Mher Manukyan, Bagrat Aznauryan (guitar, backing vocals), Tigran Voskanian (bass), and Shogher Manukyan (cello). Lav Eli returned to the studio in 2018 to record the album Anzrevashun, released digitally and widely praised in Armenia. Following this, they released the single “Arevin, Arevin” with an animated music video featuring Armine Hayrapetyan.

In 2019, Lav Eli and Bambir performed a joint concert at the “Ayrarat” Cinema in Yerevan, which local media called the “rock concert of the year.” In 2022, the two bands joined forces once again and filled the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex—the first time in Armenian rock history that such a feat had been accomplished.

Lav Eli continues to actively perform and is currently working on their long-awaited next album.

Current members: Mher Manukyan (guitar/vocals), Gor Mkhitaryan (guitar/vocals), Gor Tadevosyan (electric guitar, backing vocals), Tigran Voskanian (bass), Narek Tovmasyan (drums) and Shogher Manukyan (cello).

“Twenty-five years after their first performance, Lav Eli continues to enrich Armenian folk rock, delighting three generations of listeners.”
— Raffi Meneshian, founder of Pomegranate Music, official GRAMMY voter from The Recording Academy, contributor to Global Rhythm magazine.

“For 25 years, through ups and downs, long silences and wild concerts, old classics and new beloved songs, Lav Eli remains one of the pioneers of local rock. Their only secret is that they are loved.”
— Lusine Jalalyan, VNEWS Culture

Article written by: Shogher Manukyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879

Photos by: Shogher Manukyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879

On April 15, a coffee evening was organized by Artin Dirameryan at the Armenian Self-Government Office located on Bicskei Street. During the event, medieval Armenian writers’ works were presented. A  speech was delivered by Alex Avanesyan. Members of the Urartu theater group (Olga Kovács, András Tóth, Artin Dirameryan, Viktória Hayk) performed hayrens by Nahapet Kuchak, translated into Hungarian. Works by Nahapet Kuchak and Sayat-Nova were also presented in Armenian  by Flora Hambardzumyan, and 2 songs of Sayat Nova by Anzhela Matevosyan (vocal), Shogher Manukyan (cello), and Movses Ayarian (guitar). Nelson Sahakyan also performed songs in the beginning and during the program. At the end of the event,  LadaNiva’s version of the famous song “Here’s to you Ararat”  was performed in Hungarian for the first time, by Olga Kovács and Viktória Hayk.

Article written by Flora Hambardzumyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879

Photos by Flora Hambardzumyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879

Between May 11 and 15, eight of Hungary’s thirteen national minority advocates — representing the Greek, Serbian, Slovak, Polish, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Armenian communities — traveled to Yerevan. This was the first delegation of its kind, specifically composed of national minority representatives, to visit Armenia following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During the official meetings, the delegation met with Hakob Arshakyan, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly. He expressed his pleasure at the meeting and shared his hope that the progressing relationship would expand across various fields, including culture, society, and the economy. Nikogosz Akopjan, the Armenian National Minority Spokersperson in the Hungarian Parliament, along with his host, urged that, following the appointment of the Hungarian head of the Armenian-Hungarian Joint Economic Committee, the appointment of the Armenian head of the committee should also take place as soon as possible, so that relations could develop further.

The delegation also met with members of the Armenia-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group, as well as representatives of Armenia’s two largest national minorities — the Russian and Yazidi communities. These meetings provided an opportunity to learn about the legal situation of minority communities in both countries, discuss the enhancement of minority rights, and explore possibilities for interethnic cooperation. Representatives of Armenia’s national minorities expressed hope that a genuine, active relationship could be established between the minority communities of the two nations.

As part of the visit, the delegation laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, paying tribute to the innocent victims of this tragic historical event.

A key planned stop on the short visit was Echmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. As Christianity has been a vital force in the historical development of all national communities, the visit to this site held great significance. In Echmiadzin, the delegation was received by Archbishop Nathan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See. While exploring Armenia’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage, the delegation also had the opportunity to visit some of the country’s oldest and most significant monasteries.

This visit marks an important step in strengthening bilateral cooperation, building inter-parliamentary relations, and promoting intercultural dialogue.

Article written by: Shogher Manukyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879

Photos by: Shogher Manukyan, Project code: 2024-1-HU01-ESC51-VTJ-000207879