The concert will take place on 12 September 2024 (Thursday) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bolesławiec Marian Basilica, 3 Kościelna Street, in Bolesławiec. Admission is free. The concert lasts 70 minutes.
We will take you on an extraordinary journey through time and cultures in the company of Ensemble Basiani, masters of traditional Georgian music. The concert’s title – Journey to the Sources – refers to distant times when music was an integral part of community life, carrying its history, beliefs and emotions. We will travel through the beauty and diversity of Georgia’s musical heritage.
Georgia’s complex history has made the country’s culture exceptionally multidimensional. This is why Georgian musical tradition is imbued with influences – so numerous and diverse. During the concert, we will have the opportunity to discover this richness. We will move through different regions of the Georgian landscape. Songs such as Kakhuri Mravalzhamieri and Chakrulo will take us to Kakheti in eastern Georgia, where the joy of life and community was expressed in banquet and dance songs. The latter song requires exceptional vocal skills from the singers. The importance of traditional Georgian polyphony for the world’s cultural heritage is illustrated by the fact that in 1977 its recording was sent into outer space by NASA, and in 2001 it was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of intangible world heritage as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
In Guruli Perkhuli and Khasanbegura, we will hear the sounds of traditional yodeling and epic ballads from the Guria region, which enriches Georgia’s musical landscape. Namgluri and Odoia, meanwhile, will take us to the cornfields of Kakheti and Upper Svaneti, where folk songs accompanied hard work.
Ensemble Basiani is an ensemble of talented artists whose passion for music has been passed down from generation to generation. The musicians will lead us into the world of ancient traditions, presenting folk rituals and the unique sound of Georgian polyphony. Ensemble Basiani’s outstanding musical achievements consistently attract media attention worldwide – from the European press to the “Wall Street Journal” – while the ensemble’s distinctive style of polyphonic singing has been described as “a sound straight from heaven,” underscoring the stature and uniqueness of their performances.
Performers: Ensemble Basiani, Giorgi Donadze – artistic direction.
Programme:
Traditional Georgian songs
Kakhuri Mravalzhamieri (a song from the Kakheti region; soloists: Tornike Merabishvili, Giorgi Khunashvili)
Guruli Perkhuli (a song from the Guria region; soloists: George Gabunia, Elizbar Khachidze)
Anzor Erkomaishvili Saidan Mokhval Shen Kalo (soloist: Zviad Michilashvili)
Namgluri (a song from the Kakheti region)
Supris Khelkhvavi (a song from the Guria region; performed by Sergo Urushadze, George Donadze, Zurab Tskrialshvili)
Odoia (a song from the Samegrelo region)
Motsikuli Kristesagan Gamorcheuli (a kontakion of St Nina from the West Georgian tradition)
Tsmidao Ghmerto (a liturgical song from the East Georgian tradition)
Sashot Mtiebisa (an introit from the Christmas liturgy in the West Georgian tradition)
Khasanbegura (a song from the Guria region; performed by Sergo Urushadze, George Gabunia, Batu Lominadze)
Gandagana (a song from the Adjara region with instrumental accompaniment; soloists: Gela Donadze, Giorgi Khunashvili, chiboni: Elizbar Khachidze, panduri: Sergo Urushadze)
Chela (a song from the Samegrelo region with chonguri accompaniment (soloists: Irakli Tkvatsiria, Sergo Urushadze)
Chakrulo (a song from the Kakheti region; soloists: Giorgi Khunashvili, Tornike Papidze)
Tamar Dedpal (a song from the Svaneti region)
Chochkhatura (a song from the Guria region)
Joseph Kechakmadze Kutaisuri Serenada (soloist: Irakli Tkvatsiria).
