Voices of the Ancestors Holly Taylor-Zuntz and Susan Thompson

How do you welcome the souls of your ancestors? Why are wolves sacred? Can you sing and dance through grief?

An audio journey to the highest mountains of Georgia - Svaneti. We meet Ana, Madona and Eka Chamgeliani, three sisters keeping the ancient traditions of their village, Lakhushdi, alive.

We hear:-
How their mother and grandmother passed on local traditions, protecting them from dying out.
-How a round dance, found in the capital, was taught to Maspindzeli (London based Georgian choir) and revived in its home village.
- How Madona took on the entire orthodox patriarchy and won the right to continue the ancient song and dance ritual of Tanghiloba,
- The legend of St. George becoming a werewolf
- The infamous story of a Cockerel taken to a Tbilisi hospital to catch the souls.
- A storyteller and a singer-songwriter’s first impressions of a country whose songs they love but had never visited.
- A ballad performed live by all three sisters accompanied by Svan stringed instrument the chuniri

Voices of the Ancestors by Holly Taylor-Zuntz and Susan Thompson.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not buy the creators a coffee?
On ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors
Support the podcast on patreon www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors
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Navigate this episode with the searchable transcript, available here voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts

Music in this episode:
Live recording of a Svanetian Ballad sung by Ana, Eka and Madona Chamgeliani with Ana playing chuniri.
Barbal Dolash from THE SINGING VILLAGE (Lakhushdi) https://georgianfolksinging.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-singing-village-lakhushdi with Ana and Madona Chamgeliani and Levan Biatrovi
Tanghili chant - Diadeb sung by the elders of Lakhushdi, recorded by Gosia Kaszhubska

Links:
Chamgeliani’s Concerts in Europe November 2023
https://europalia.eu/en/europalia-georgia/events/basiani-ensemble-chamgeliani-sisters
Basiani Ensemble and the Chamgeliani Sisters - ARSONIC, MARS-MONS ARTS DE LA SCÈNE
Date/Time: 15/11/2023 - 19:00:00
ADDRESS: Rue de Nimy 138 - 7000 Mons
https://europalia.eu/en/europalia-georgia/events/chamgeliani-sisters-didgori-ensemble
Chamgeliani Sisters and the Didgori Ensemble
Date/Time: 11/11/2023 - 19:00:00
ADDRESS: Molière Theater, Porte de Namur Gallery 3, Square du Bastion - 1050 Brussels

Film links:
Life in 3 Voices https://lifeinthreevoices.com/ - A documentary film following Ensemble Adilei and the Chamgeliani sisters, both on tour in the US, and in their native Georgia. A Film by Marina Kaganova & Leo Decristoforo.

Adventures in Singing https://youtu.be/eVze6oVbniE?si=CHvslwWKVZoVnXqg - The experience of non-Georgians learning to sing Georgian polyphonic songs, with insights from master singers. By David Ring.

Lakhushdi: The Singing Village https://youtu.be/hZ_zhyYQCgc?si=-8XWHmAjrBxHCHfd - Work and play in the village of Lakhushdi. Villagers practice traditional polyphonic song and circle dance. In July 2011 villagers welcomed guests to learn the songs and take part in the Festival - The Feast of Limkheri. The festival is celebrated at the 14th Century Chapel on the wooded hill above the village. The village is home to a cultural and development co-operative, The Union Lidbashi.By MikeSpringVideos. https://www.youtube.com/@MikeSpringVideos

Feasting and Singing in Svaneti https://youtu.be/ARQ63OZJmnY?si=tc8psdRc9vllVEmM Our guests enjoyed a home cooked meal in the home of the Chamgeliani sisters in upper Svaneti. A highlight was hearing them sing traditional polyphony! John Graham Tours https://www.youtube.com/@JohnGrahamTours

On Bandcamp https://georgianfolksinging.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-singing-village-lakhushdi

On Georgian Chant http://www.georgianchant.org/svan-chant-intro/ - An introduction to Svanetian Chant by ethnomusicologist Matthew Knight.

The House of Song, Lakhushdi (fundraiser now closed)
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lakhushdi-house-of-song

“Nino was like a fish in water amongst all the musical genres of Georgian folk, but especially so amongst the lullabies.”

Voices of the Ancestors podcast tribute to Nino Kalandadze-Makaradze, a respected ethnomusicologist, editor and singer with ensemble Mzetamze.

In the episode you will:
Meet Nino through interviews with fellow Mzetamze singer - Nana Valishvili, former student - Lola Surmanidze and the musicologist/cultural anthropologist Ekaterine Diasamidze Graham.
Listen to Nino Naneishvili with ensemble Ialoni improvising an ‘Iavnana’ musical response to the loss of Nino.
Hear a Rachian dance song from Mzetamze’s 2002 concert at SOAS, UK recorded by Geoff Burton.

Resources:
Transcript https://voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts-with-links-to-people-places-music
Voices of the Ancestors podcast Website
www.voicesoftheancestors.co.uk
From Rust to Roadtrip video featuring Zikr ceremony:
https://youtu.be/By1rEPS_RWQ
Mzetamze recorded on larynx mics by Frank Scherbaum:
https://www.audiolabs-erlangen.de/resources/MIR/2017-GeorgianMusic-Scherbaum

Please become a supporter of the arts on our donation platforms: Ko-fi www.ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors and on Patreon www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors.

Music:-
Veengara - Mzetamze
Khevsuretian lullaby (Nane) - Mzetamze
Batonebis Nanina - Mzetamze recorded by Frank Sherbaum
Rachuli Satsekvao - dance song from live concert recording by Geoff Burton at SOAS London 2002
Iavnana - Ialoni improvising live recording (the song is from Shalva Aslanishvili’s old recordings in Racha).
Chemo Dav - Mzetamze
Bindisperia Sopeli - Holly, Nana Valishvili & Susan live recording

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.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not buy the creators a coffee?
On ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors
Support the podcast on patreon www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors
Sign up for our email updates and never miss an episode: eepurl.com/hhgoOf
Navigate this episode with the searchable transcript, available here voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts-with-links-to-people-places-music#On_folk_instruments
To be invited to the Voices of the Ancestors Community - on Facebook, click this link and answer the questions www.facebook.com/groups/516207299354485/

Voices of Our Grandmothers with guest Tamar Buadze and interpreter Zoé Perret.

Kicking off series 2, innovative choir conductor Tamar Buadze tells the surprising tale of how she came to work with Laz songs, while living in Rustavi (far, far away from Laz regions in Georgia and Turkey). One of her former students tells us what it was like to grow up in a folk choir, and tells us (one version of) the story behind the Abkhazian song Varado. But best of all Tamar shares with us the tone-bending voice of her Megrelian grandmother.

Tamar graduated from Tbilisi State Conservatory and is the head of Rustavi Music school. She leads Tutarchela women and youth choirs (https://www.facebook.com/tutarchelachoir), who participate in a number of prestigious European festivals, as well as many other groups. Across her various choirs, she teaches around 250 people a week!
As well as leading outdoor open-access singing workshops (ground-breaking for her native Georgia), she teaches for the International Singing Project ‘ChorOnline’, and has taught American women’s ensemble Kitka.

Tamar’s approach to teaching folklore is holistic, incorporating games and dances into the music. Her student Ninutsa says
“all the appreciation, taste of music, anything connected to music for me comes from Tamar. Not only about music, but - she really raised us.’
She has brought European techniques such as the Kodály method to her adult and youth choirs in Georgia.

Her arrangements of Laz songs can be found in ‘Songbook Georgia’, which focuses on the female repertoire of traditional folk songs: https://www.amazon.com/Songbook-Georgia-Liederbuch-Georgien-Weltkulturerbe/dp/3954903016

Donate to help tell more women's stories:-
ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors
www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors

Join our community facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/516207299354485

Sign up for our email updates and never miss an episode: eepurl.com/hhgoOf
Searchable transcript, available here voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts.

Voices of Our Grandmothers with guest Tamar Buadze and interpreter Zoé Perret.

Kicking off series 2, innovative choir conductor Tamar Buadze tells the surprising tale of how she came to work with Laz songs, while living in Rustavi (far, far away from Laz regions in Georgia and Turkey). One of her former students tells us what it was like to grow up in a folk choir, and tells us (one version of) the story behind the Abkhazian song Varado. But best of all Tamar shares with us the tone-bending voice of her Megrelian grandmother.

Tamar graduated from Tbilisi State Conservatory and is the head of Rustavi Music school. She leads Tutarchela women and youth choirs (https://www.facebook.com/tutarchelachoir), who participate in a number of prestigious European festivals, as well as many other groups. Across her various choirs, she teaches around 250 people a week!
As well as leading outdoor open-access singing workshops (ground-breaking for her native Georgia), she teaches for the International Singing Project ‘ChorOnline’, and has taught American women’s ensemble Kitka.

Tamar’s approach to teaching folklore is holistic, incorporating games and dances into the music. Her student Ninutsa says
“all the appreciation, taste of music, anything connected to music for me comes from Tamar. Not only about music, but - she really raised us.’
She has brought European techniques such as the Kodály method to her adult and youth choirs in Georgia.

Her arrangements of Laz songs can be found in ‘Songbook Georgia’, which focuses on the female repertoire of traditional folk songs: https://www.amazon.com/Songbook-Georgia-Liederbuch-Georgien-Weltkulturerbe/dp/3954903016

Donate to help tell more women's stories:-
ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors
www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors

Join our community facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/516207299354485

Sign up for our email updates and never miss an episode: eepurl.com/hhgoOf
Searchable transcript, available here voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts.

In this episode, our friend Jen Morris takes over the role of interviewer. She speaks with Briget Boyle, vocal coach and singer with Balkan Women's ensemble @kitka, bringing the west coast USA perspective to ‘Voices of the Ancestors’.

They chat about:-
working with powerful female teachers like Tamar Buadze, in Georgia and Svetlana Spajić in Serbia.
How to sing ‘folk music’ from a grounded, rooted place in your own landscape.
Briget’s insight into what ‘Voices of the Ancestors’ means for her, describing three types of ancestors - genetic, spiritual and ‘humanity’.

Briget shares experiences with Georgian songs in Temple of Light Choir directed by Kristine Barrett (a sort of Kitka community choir) and in True Life Trio. Jen shares experiences of her Georgian choir ‘onefourfive’ and Seattle's balkan women's ensemble @Dunava

Donate to help tell more women's stories:-
https://ko-fi.com/voicesoftheancestors
https://www.patreon.com/voicesoftheancestors

Join our community facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/516207299354485

Sign up for our email updates and never miss an episode: eepurl.com/hhgoOf
Searchable transcript, available here voicesoftheancestors.co.uk/transcripts.

Music:
Mother, Moon,/ It Will Never Again Be What it Was, / and Love from True Life Trio’s album “Like Never, Like Always”.
Shen Khar Venakhi, from Kitka’s album “The Vine”,
Mokle Mravalzhamier from Ensemble Zedashe’s album “Our Earth and Water”
Tamar Buadze and Teona Kutsia sing a mashup of a Spanish song and Laz song, simply titled Espanur-Laz, which is available on YouTube.
Ukrainian folk song Vdova, sung by Ukrainian ensemble Drevo.
Serbian Medley, from Dunava’s album Behind the Veil.
Bedinera from the CD: Teach Yourself Megrelian Songs, by Polikarpe in a trio.
Žegar Polye, or Žegar Field Feeds My Lamb, from Svetlana Spajić.