On Folk Instruments with Nino Razmadze = Series 2 Episode 2 Voices of the Ancestors

Can you tell your changis from your chuniris from your chonguris? You’ll often see one of them in the hands of Trio Mandili. Don’t worry, our guest Nino Razmadze talks us through all the folk instruments of Georgia in this informative episode. Combine listening, with looking at the transcript, and you will become familiar with both the sound and looks of Georgian folk instruments.

Even if you’re familiar with the sound of a chonguri, you won’t have heard the field recording Nino made of the great player Polikarpe Khubulava.

Nino is an ethnomusicologist and deputy director of the International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. She’s about to complete her PhD on Folk instruments. Nino is the founder of Gogora wooden toy company. She is passionate about developing designs from folk themes.

Our chat touches on:-
The spiritual significance of instruments in rituals such as ‘catching the soul’ and Batonebi.
Embroidery designs - Nino says “if somebody wants to make a new socks they can check, maybe 500 socks and understand which kind of colour they can use, which kind of ornaments and have they put together” - Download link -https://voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/voices-of-the-ancestors-all-episodes#Textile_ornaments
Working with the Bate Collection of musical Instruments in Oxford


Are girls more likely to play the chonguri or the bagpipes? What is the professional name for a group of cow bells? How do tuning systems change with instruments between regions? All your burning questions and more are answered in this interview.

Music in this episode
Intro: Makharia, chonguri. From the Ialoni album, 'I fell in love with that sweet voice'
Khorumi from Merisi in Ajara (supplied by Nino Razmadze)
Daira - Lola and Gratsia from Mountains of Tongues LP playing garmoni and daira.
Satsekvao - panduri by Mzetamze
Intro to Irinola on chuniri by Anna Chamgeliani
Mze shinao by Sathanao, Lullaby from Samegrelo played on chonguri.
Ensemble Lashari play tushuri melodies with salamuri (supplied by Nino Razmadze).
The sound of the larchemi (supplied by Nino Razmadze)
Merisi Khorumi (supplied by Nino Razmadze)
Chemo Zalo by Mzetamze
Papiko playing chuniri (supplied by Nino Razmadze)
Ase Chonguri by Ensemble Shavnabada
Sabodisho batonebo by Ialoni
Polikarpe Khubulava (field recording by Nino Razmadze)
Givi pirtskelani playing changi - chiche tura (field recording by Nino Razmadze)
Avksenti Megrelidze’s choir - dedats miqvars (Alazani.ge Thanks to Teo Lomsadze for sourcing music.)

Voices of the Ancestors by Holly Taylor-Zuntz and Susan Thompson.
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