In the beginning, God asked the peoples of the earth to choose where they wished to settle. He set a deadline for their decisions. When the Georgians failed to show up by the appointed hour, God had no choice but to partition the world without them. His task complete, He set off for home, only to pass the Georgians gathered at the supra (banquet) table, feasting on grilled lamb with plum sauce and roasted eggplant with garlic and pomegranate. There they sat, merrily toasting, arm in arm, laughing, drinking, and singing. God stopped to reproach them for their negligence. He informed them that every parcel of land was now spoken for. The Georgian people, He declared, were homeless. The tamata (toastmaster) rose to address the Lord. He said that they had spent their time well, honouring God with elaborate toasts and sacred songs. The tamata explained that the food they had prepared for the occasion was the very finest, the wine the most delicious. He asked God to listen to their music and to hear the reverence with which they praised Him and His creation. For all these reasons, the tamata humbly stated, the Georgians believed that their time was well spent indeed and were without regret. God listened to the eloquent leader, looked across their supra table at the bounty, and heard their heartfelt music. He was so moved by their offerings that he decided to bestow upon them the last spot on earth: a tiny slip of land that He had been saving for Himself.
And so it is told that the Georgians came to live in paradise.
A tiny country of snow-capped mountains, fertile plains, verdant valleys, and staggering abundance. A unique geography of alpine, desert, and subtropical zones. Five million people scattered across 17 provinces on a landmass the size of West Virginia. An ancient culture dating back to the 7th century BC. The birthplace of one of the planet’s original alphabets. A gateway between Muslim East and Christian West, bordered by the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. A national character renowned for its joie de vivre, epic hospitality, loyalty, and fierce individualism. A societal pride more akin to religious belief than simple patriotism. A history of violent domination by a long list of oppressors: Hittites, Assyrians, Scythians, Cimmerians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Turks, Russians, and Soviets. Yet somehow, through it all, the maintenance of tradition, of a people’s indomitable spirit, and of the jewel in their cultural crown: the music.
Georgian folk song is a vibrant language, as elegantly complex and regionally diverse as the topography from which it springs. One cannot help but notice its earthy passion, exuberance, and melancholic longing. Perhaps most striking, however, is its robust polyphony (multi-part singing, or harmony). In Georgian church music the practice of polyphony dates back to the 7th century AD, three centuries before it appeared in Western Europe. This early emergence is all the more surprising considering that Georgia is surrounded by countries whose music is essentially homophonic (one part, several voices in unison, or no harmony). An explanation for this perplexing phenomenon has eluded musicologists for generations. Polyphonic singing simply stopped at Georgia’s borders. The reason for this fact remains a mystery to this day.
Welcome to the strangely contemporary sounds of Georgian folk song and to ZARI, an ensemble dedicated to the tradition and improvisational interplay of
this little-known repertoire. We offer you this exquisite music in its most transparent form: the vocal trio. Like the Georgians in the legend above, we have tried to create the most sumptuous celebration that we possibly could, never forgetting that the music itself is a gift from God.
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