Chants in the style of polyphony are performed so harmoniously that it seems as if the singers do not even breathe. In the south, lyrical solo songs performed during plowing or riding are more common.Ĭhurch music is slower, softer and more melodic, compared to folk songs. Some of the richest, most sonorous and seemingly wine-saturated songs are predictably from Kakheti, the wine capital of Georgia. Supra – the Georgian feast – can last for several hours, and will necessarily include long and eloquent toasts, followed by a corresponding song. Different genres of folk songs include such varieties as mushuri (work songs), supruli (feast songs), satrpialo (romances) and sagmiro (epic songs). Singing is an integral component of the legendary Georgian hospitality and is an important part of the Georgian feast. Its scale is based on the fifth, not the octaves, intervals are not tuned to each other, all this gives the music a rich and intense, but slightly unusual to the western ears sound. Georgian vocal music developed independently of the Western European rules of harmony. In Georgia, there are three types of polyphony: complex polyphony, which is common in Svaneti polyphonic dialogue with bass on the background, common in the region of Kakheti in Eastern Georgia contrast polyphony with three partially improvised parts, characteristic of Western Georgia. Polyphonic singing has always had its natural place in Georgian society it used to be performed both at holidays and in everyday life and still continues to be an integral part of Georgian culture. Due to geographical characteristics, namely the isolation of one region from others by high mountains, each region developed its own authentic manner of singing. The tradition of polyphonic singing in Georgia had developed over several hundred years before it appeared in Western Europe. Together with other artifacts of the various cultural heritage of the Earth, it was released into open space on the “Voyager” shuttle in 1977. The song “Chakrulo” is the best example of Georgian polyphony. Georgian multi-voiced singing is an invaluable tradition, inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. By tradition, typical Georgian songs are performed by men, with at least three vocal ranges. Georgian Polyphonic Singing: History and TraditionsĮvery Georgian is proud of the traditional songs and musical culture of his country.
Today we want to introduce you to the history and traditions of Georgian polyphonic singing. A characteristic feature of folk singing was a fascinating vocal polyphony comprised of 3 and more voices. Magnificent and piercing tones of the Georgian polyphony cause aesthetic pleasure and tears come to your eyes. In conditions of isolation for centuries, from antiquity to the modern era, surprisingly rich folk singing traditions developed. Georgians created their complex harmonies from pre-Christian times: they sang at home, in the fields, at festivities and mourning. Surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia’s music is inextricably linked with the geographical isolation of the country. Folk music and polyphonic singing in the culture of Georgia are as important as the fantastic food, excellent wine, and hearty toasts, with which the country is famous.
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