It is difficult to imagine that among Armenians spread all over the world there are numerous of those who have been able to preserve the Armenian soul in foreign countries, create, found their own world and make it flourish. Today those Armenians are well-known businessmen whom people know, like and appreciate. Such an Armenian is Avo Ouvezyan, one of the businessmen of influence, after whose name the famous Dominican cigars are called “Avo”. Avo’s entrance to the world of cigars was heralded by music sounds. When the further businessman did not even have the intention to run a business and found a powerful cigar empire, he was writing and performing songs in restaurants.
Avo was listening especially to one of the greatest singers of that time – Frank Sinatra – with great love and admiration. And he wrote a song called “The broken guitar” and dedicated it to the singer. Few people know that it has become the best and worldwide famous song of Frank Sinatra – “Strangers in the night” – which doubled Sinatra’s fame and became one of the well-known songs of the 20th century and is performed till today.
Avo Ouvezyan was born in music, as both his father and mother and sister were musicians. After his father’s death Avo left Lebanon and went to Tehran, where he started to sing in restaurants. Music was in Avo’s blood and soul, and his each touch to piano keys filled surroundings with magic sounds. I Owing to his art Avo presented himself in the palace of Persian shah, then with the latter’s patronage he left for USA and entered the famous Juliard music school of New York.
After military service Avo went to Puerta Rica and founded his jazz club. He was singing in restaurants and at one of those performances, when Avo met Jack Melqonyan – one of great masters of cigar business today, was crucial for the musician and further businessman. The two friends decided to enjoy the best cigar of the restaurant paying 22 dollars for each. Jack’s offer to create sowing areas of cigar near Avo’s house in the Caribian isles changed Avo’s life and wrapped him with the desire to have his own business. Avo began to work seriously studying the procedure of cigar production in the Dominican Republic and founded his small production. Investing the latest money Avo enlarged his production and established himself in the big world of business at the age of 60. Today “Avo” cigars are spread all over the wold. The right of their sale has been acquired by the company “Davidov”, which each year sells about 2 million “Avo” cigars. Those cigars are unique and incomparable. As in the world of music Avo was eager to find his own place, in the world of cigars he has created his own world full of exceptional fragrance and peculiar taste, which warm and give double pleasure under the fascinating sounds of Avo Ouvezyan’s jazz.
