Georgian Harmony Association

I regret that Peter Nasmyth's Georgian Calendar for 2020 with the theme "THE ART IN ITS LANDSCAPE" is no longer available. The 2021 Calendar should be available in November 2020.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

*** NEW DATES FOR JULY 2020 ADDED ***
During the coronavirus period the Georgian singing teacher and choir leader Nino Naneishvili is leading a series of online themed Georgian singing workshops using ZOOM on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3 pm Georgian time which is 12 NOON BST. Each workshop lasts 2 hours and costs $10. Dates are:
Georgian Wedding rituals, traditions and songs : 16-17 May.
Weather setting up rituals and songs in Georgia: 23-24 May.
Sun rituals, dances. Symbol and chants: 30-31 May.
Work songs: 6-7 June.
Church songs/chants: 13-14 June.
City/urban songs: 20-21 June.
Christmas tradition. Religious and folk songs: 27-28 June.
Tushetian Folk Songs and Traditions: 4-5 July.
Megrelian Folk Songs, Features and Rituals: 11-12 July.
Svanetian Rituals and Round Dances: 18-19 July.
Eastern Mountain Traditions, Poetry and Musical Genres (Pshavi, Khevsureti, Gudamakari): 25-26 July.
Nino is also offering small group meetings for more experienced participants or ensemble members who want to try more improvised songs or just learn faster in a trio (3 participants). These meetings will be on Friday evenings at 5 and at 6 pm Georgian time (2 and 3 pm BST). The duration of each trio meeting will be 45 minutes and the price is $15.
For sending money Nino asks you to use transferwise. com. Please contact Nino for further information and her bank account details. When you have sent her the fee she will send the ZOOM link address. Her email is : ninonaneishvili[at]gmail.com. Here is Nino's poster for her workshops:

Nino has been to the UK several times for workshop tours and has brought her choir IALONI over for a concert tour. For further details and to hear performance examples please go to : http://ialoni.com/en/home/
I hope you enjoy these workshops which will keep Georgian singing going at this difficult time as well as providing support for Nino and her choir.

SINGING HOLIDAYS IN GEORGIA 2020
I have been informed of the following singing holidays in Georgia in 2020.
Due to coronavirus they may well not take place
but please contact the organisers below if you are interested.

13th to 27th July - Joyous Host Tour in Mestia, Salkhino, Merisi & Bukistsikhe - $1500.
https://www.joyoushosttours.com/product-page/2020-july-folk-music-tour
Contact: joyoushosttours[at]gmail.com
18th to 29 July - The Call of the Singing Village - in Lakhushdi - 1100 euro.
Contact: contacttekla[at]gmail.com

30th July to 14th August - Joyous Host Tour in Aspindza, Merisi & Bukitsikhe - $1600.
https://www.joyoushosttours.com/product-page/2020-august-folk-music-tour
Contact: joyoushosttours[at]gmail.com
2nd to 10th August - in Oni, with Tornike Skhiereli - 960 euro.
Contact: info[at]folkhouse.ge or tornikeskhiereli[at]gmail.com

15th to 30th August - Village Harmony - with Ketevan Mindorashvili, Zedashe & Patty Cuyler - $1700. https://villageharmony.org/camps/georgia-2020/

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It is my sad duty to inform you that David Tugwell, musical director of the Torola and Skotebi Georgian choirs in Edinburgh, died on April 11th 2017. David was an immensely talented musician as well as a warm friend to all who knew him. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends, members of his choirs and all those who love Georgian singing.

However I am pleased to be able to inform you that, following the sad death of Gigi Garakanidze in 2012 at the tragically early age of 30, his choir MTIEBI and youth choir AMER-IMERI are still going strong and developing new material, led by his wife Magda (Kevlishvili) and other choir members. His father Edisher was one of the first teachers to bring Georgian singing to this country, and it was he who introduced many of the songs we now sing. Tragically, Edisher died in a road accident in Georgia in 1998 together with his wife Nino and daughter Marika. Gigi was the only survivor but was badly injured, and this may well have contributed to his early death. After recovering in 1999 he re-formed Mtiebi with members of Edisher's youth choir Amer-Imeri as well as some of the older members of the original choir, and put into effect Edisher's vision of a folk theatre with songs sung in the context of the scenarios in which they are used in Georgia. Gigi came to the UK several times, both with Mtiebi and alone, and some of you may have seen their excellent performances or attended one of his workshops. Gigi and Magda's son Ilia was born on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2011. He is doing well and already seems to have inherited the family's musical talent.

Gigi had not only a deep knowledge of Georgian song but a gentle and open spirit. He will be greatly missed both personally and for his great contribution to Georgian singing in Georgia and abroad. Here is a picture of Gigi and Magda taken when my wife Eliso and I visited them in September 2011, shortly before Ilia was born.

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(The GEORGIAN HARMONY ASSOCIATION was started by Michael Bloom in 1998, following Edisher Garakanidze's tragic death. This website is dedicated to Edisher's memory.)

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