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.