Browse Our Collection

DER Documentary

Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti

Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti MAIN

Polyphonic Lullabies of Kakheti

Price: $320.00
Quantity:
Filmmaker Name: Hugo Zemp, Nona Lomidze
Film Length: 60 min
Film Year: 2019
Duration: 46-75 min
Decade: 2010s
Language: in Georgian, English
Subtitle Language: with English subtitles
Color: color
Region: Europe
Subject: Music, Dance & Theater
Sharing Discount has been applied

ABOUT

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.

"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

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


CREDITS & INFO

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.

RESOURCES & LINKS

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.




Returning Customer? Log In | My Account
(617) 926 0491 | orders@der.org
Back Check Out
Enter Coupon Calculate Shipping
Back

In Stock Notification


Back

In Stock Notification