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Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti

Hugo Zemp, Nona Lomidze

Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti

Preview

While lullabies – with their intimate relationship between a mother and her child – are a universal musical genre, the polyphonic singing of lullabies by choirs is very rare. In Georgia (South Caucasus), men’s choirs have been singing lullabies on stage since at least the end of the 19th century, as the movement of national liberation from the Russian empire favored the affirmation of the Georgian cultural uniqueness. Polyphonic cradlesongs performed by men’s, women’s or mixed choirs in the different regional styles have become a new musical genre added to the repertoire of traditional national folklore. Individual as well as choral lullabies are called Nana.

The practice of related polyphonic Nana songs, also called Iav-Nana (name derived from the refrain “Violet-Nana”), is much older and rooted in pre-Christian beliefs. Some of these songs were performed at family rituals when a child had an infectious disease such as measles, which were believed to be brought by celestial spirits. Women performed other ritual Nana songs at sacred places such as a particular village church, or “pagan” mountain sanctuaries, to request from deities health and prosperity for their folk. This film shows for the first time these different kinds of Nana songs in their traditional context and at rehearsals of local choirs of the Kakheti province.

SELECTED SCREENINGS

Special Mention, Best Music Documentary, The XXXIII Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival (Estonia), 2019

Film Details

Duration:: 60 min
Release year:: 2019
Languages:: Georgian, English
Subtitles:: English
Filming Location:: Georgia

Reviews

"It is my pleasure to let you know that your new film was demonstrated with great success in Tbilisi at the 9th Symposium of the International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony! The Recital Hall of Tbilisi's Conservatoire was crowded and enthusiastic, there was applause and congratulations. The Georgians were impressed, they underlined the richness of the materials and information and your approach to them. As my personal opinion, I always appreciate in your films a subtle sense of the music as well as the time and context in which this music exists." – Rusudan Tsurtsumia, International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2018

"Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti is a film on a universal song genre and its unusual polyphonic realization. But it is not only about a genre. It is about human creativity and social cohesion, about powerful individuals and the beauty of traditional expressive culture. The film is the most impressive audio-visual document on traditional music of Georgia I have ever seen." – Ulrich Morgenstern, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, 2019
"From the very beginning this fascinating film leads you into the depth of Georgian singing traditions, fills you with sincere emotions and furnishes significant information. You feel as if you were a participant in centuries-old rituals and at the same time, viewing them from the present-day position." – Gia Bagashvili, Caucasus University, Tbilisi, 2019

Film Links

Subjects:

Regions:

Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti

Image and Sound

Hugo Zemp

Research Organization and Field Translations

Nona Lomidze

Driver

Nugzar Kozmanashvili

Consultant

Ketevan Baiashvili

Editing

Hugo Zemp

Editing Advice

Jean-Christian Nicaise

Georgian Language Transcriptions

Nona Lomidze

English Translation of Subtitles

Nino Tsitsishvili

English Corrections

Elizabeth Workman

Subtitling

Hugo Zemp

Sound Mix

Steven Taylor

Color Correction

Vladimir Nassyrkine

Performers and songs in order of appearance

“Nana” and “Mze shina da Mze Gareta”

Tea Zukakishvili, with Davit

Concert of the Ensemble “Gurjaani”, Gurjaani

“Kakhuri Nana”

Ilia Datuashvili, choirmaster Ensemble of the Gremi Theological Seminar

Zaza Natsarashvili (priest)

Guja Arevadze

Avtandil Kakunashvili

Aleksandre Ushikishvili

Ensemble “Megobrebi”, Telavi

“Kakhuri Nana”and “Nana” (last song of the film)

Leila Legashvili, Choirmaster

Maia Akhmeteli

Nino Bakradze

Zhanna Khanjaliashivili

Ana Maisuradze

Veriko Sakhiashvili

Ensemble “Shavnabada”, Tbilisi “Kakhuri Nana”

Dato Tsintzadze, choirmaster

Tengo Alkhazishvili

Mikheil Javakhishvili

David Maziashvi

Tornike Papidze

Giorgi Svanidze Ensemble “Ilioni”, Kvareli2 “Nana”

Natela Ghelaghutashvili, choirmaster

Eteri Chakhvashvili

Marina Khvedelidze

Mediko Khukhiashvili

Suliko Kokiashvili

Tsiuri Laliashvili

Nargizi Sazanishvili

Tamari Sepashvili

Natela Ghelaghutashvili

Banquet in Ikalto, 2014 “Nana”

Leila Legashvili, choirmaster

Maia Akhmeteli

Nino Bakradze

Zhanna Khanjaliashivili

Ana Maisuradze

Andro Simashvili (“Andro Papa”)

Ensemble “Nelkarisi“, Shilda “Mze shina da Mze Gareta”, and ”God’s Gate Iavnana”

Ketevan Rukhadze, choirmaster

Irma Kandelaki

Tamar Kezherashvili

Lali Kunelashvili-Aghniashvili

Nani Mirinashvili

External Videos

Ensemble “Rustavi”, Tbilisi “Kakhuri Nana”.

Extract of the DVD Hamlet Gonashvili Anzor Erkomaishvili, choirmaster Courtesy of Lamara Tsintsabadze

Informal open-air banquet “Mze Shina da Mze Gareta”

YouTube, all rights reserved

Ensemble “Sathanao”, Tbilisi

Extract of “Healings Songs Iavnana”

Program Etnopori, Achara TV

Courtesy of Mikheil Gabaidze (Achara Television) and Tatiana Megrelidze (Sathanao)

Lasharoba feast in Zemo Arteni, 19912 “Iavnana”

Extracts of “The Feast-Day of Tamar and Lashari” film by Hugo Zemp, Documentary Educational Resources (www.der.org)

Lasharoba feast at Zemo Arteni, 2004 “Iavnana”

Lead singer Lamara Khakhutashvili

Video by Paata Bukhrashvili

Courtesy of Kevin Tuite

“Iavnana at God’s Gate” Shilda, 2010

Lead singer Lamara Khakhutashvili Khakhutashvili

Video by Giga Khaindrava

DVD of the International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi

Courtesy of Magda Kevlishvili

Excerpt of the film "Iavnana" by Nana Janelidze, 1994

Courtesy of Nana Janelidze and Rusudan Tsurtsumia

Ensemble “Sathanao”

Excerpt of “Sathanao healing songs in Kendal” Video by David Burbidge on YouTube, 2012 Courtesy of Tatiana Megrelidze and David Burbidge

External Sound

Female choir of the Music high school, Telavi

“Nana” St. George Cathedral, Alaverdi

Tina Nateladze, Lead Singer

Recording by Minoru Morita, 1983

Victor Company of Japan (records)

Licensed “The Resounding Polyphony of the Caucasus”, MCM 3004

Courtesy of Pavle Demurishvili, Choirmaster

“God’s Gate Iavnana”, Shilda

Salome Agniashvili, soloist, and choir

Recording by Mindia Jordania, 1963

Courtesy Joseph Jordania

Still Photos

“Georgian mother with newborn”

Photographer: D.A. Nikitin, 1887

All Rights Reserved

Aghniashvili Choir (the first choir on traditional Georgian singing, 1985)

National Parliamentary Library of Georgia

All Rights Reserved

Aghniashvilki Choir, Museum of Georgian Folk Songs and Instruments, Tbilisi

Courtesy of Ketevan Baiashvili

Cradle with Woman and Baby

All Rights Reserved

“Love City Sighnaghi” Trekearth Gallery

All Rights Reserved

“View of Clouds”

Wikimedia Commons

Queen Tamar, Vardzia monastery

Wikimedia Commons

King Lasha Giorgi, Betania monastery

Wikipedia

Salome Aghniashvili (2 photos)

Courtesy of Lali Goginashvili

“ArtGene Festival 2008”

Wikimedia Commons

Many thanks to all the performers and to

Achara TV

Anzor Erkomaishvili

Nino Ghambashidze

Lali Goginashvili, Intern

Research Center for Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi

Leila Legashvili

Nino Janelidze

Joseph Jordania

Nino Kalandadze-Makharadze

Magda Kevlishvili

Nana Khvedeliani

Nino Maisuradze

Nunu Mindadze

Andro Simashvili (Andro Papa)

Rusudan Tsurtsumia

Kevin Tuite

Tamar Zuriashvili

Special thanks to Kakha and Tea Zukakishvili for their kind hospitality and their precious support during filming.

Bibliography

General studies on Georgian music

Jordania, Joseph (2000) "Georgia", In Timothy Rice, James Porter and Chris Goertzen (Eds) Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. 8 Europe. 826–849. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000.

Tsitsishvili, Nino

"A man can sing and play better than a woman": Singing and patriarchy at the Georgian Supra feast. Ethnomusicology, 50-3, 452-493, 2006.

Tsitsishvili, Nino

National Ideologies in the Era of Global Fusions: Georgian Polyphonic Song as a UNESCO-sanctioned Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage. Music and Politics, 3-1, 1-17. 2009.

Tsitsishvili, Nino

National Unity and Gender Difference in Georgian Singing. Lambert Academic Publishing. 2010.

Tsurtsumia, Rusudan

Georgian polyphony in a modern socio-cultural context. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2008 (@ 2010 full version). 630-636.

Tsurtsumia, Rusudan and Joseph Jordania (Eds.),

Echoes from Georgia: Seventeen Arguments on Georgian Polyphony. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2010.

Website of the International Research Center for Traditional Polyphonic (IRCTP), State Conservatoire, Tbilisi. http://www.polyphony.ge

References of special interest concerning the film

Ghambashidze, Nino

“Mze Shina da Mze Gareta” (ethnological research), Academia.edu.

Garaqanidze, Giorgi (Gigi)

On One Unknown Example of Ethnomusic Theatre (Zedashe Lullaby), Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2012 (@2014 full version). 305-311.

Kalandadze-Makharadze, Nino

The multipart lyrical cradlesong in Georgia, Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2008 (@2010 full version).183-1997.

Tuite, Kewin

The violet and the rose. A Georgian Lullaby as song of healing and socio-political commentary, in: Nino Tsitsishvili & Sergey Arutiunov (Eds.): Cultural Archetypes and Political Change in the Caucasus, Nova Science Publishers, Saarbrücken: 67-87, 2009.

(version préliminaire, en PDF)

Zemp, Hugo

Study Guide of the film The Feast-Day of Tamar and Lashari, Documentary Educational Resources (DER).

Zumbadze, Natalia

Georgian childbirth (sadzeobo) songs, Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2006 (@2008 full version). 304-313.

Zumbadze, Nato

Georgian Batonebi Songs, Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Tbilisi, 2004 (#2005 full version). 120-128.

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