YEREVAN. – Armenia’s renowned recording artist Nune Yesayan’s May 11 concert in Istanbul was marvelous; furthermore, she had not had such concert in recent years. Yesayan herself informed this during a press conference on Friday.

The singer gave a 2,000-capacity concert whose tickets were sold out two weeks before the actual event. “I went with my repertoire; it was a bold step. I sang about Lake Van, Kars, Mush, Sassoon,” Yesayan said.    

She noted that years ago she had met with Hrant Dink—the founder and former chief editor of Istanbul’s Agos Armenian bilingual weekly, who was gunned down in 2007 in front of his office building—in Armenia, and that Agos was planning on organizing a stadium concert for her in Istanbul, but, unfortunately, this was not brought to fruition, 

“I received another invitation recently; it was the Sahakyan Alumni Union who had invited. I gladly agreed. We went there with my orchestra. They welcomed us marvelously; marvelous hospitality; marvelous concert,” the singer said.    

While in Istanbul, Nune Yesayan also visited Armenian churches, schools and colleges, and Hrant Dink’s grave. She also met with Dink’s widow Rakel Dink.  

“The meeting was very emotional. She was happy that her husband’s dream had come true, but she was sad, too,” Yesayan said.

The singer added that she was surprised that there was a wonderful Armenian community in Istanbul, with over thirty functioning churches and schools. 

“Everyone must go, visit, [and] see. They long for the Armenian song, art there. The people must constantly visit so that this link exists among us,” Nune Yesayan said, and noted that if she were to receive another invitation tomorrow, she would go without hesitation.      

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Nune Yesayan will head to Turkey to take part in a May 11 benefit concert organized by the Istanbul Armenian community. The singer herself told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. She noted that it will be her solo concert and the Armenian community had invited her with the objective of helping out a local Armenian school.   

To the question as to why she agreed to go to Turkey and whether she has any fears, she responded: “Why should I not have agreed? The Armenian community invited me and I am going for them. I have no fears. The Armenians will meet me; we will be with the Armenians. They are not savages; what are they supposed to do?”