Music of Georgia (country)

Georgia's music is rich and full of life, and people still enjoy it today. It is known for having one of the earliest styles of polyphonic music in the Christian world. Polyphonic music means that many singers or instruments play different tunes together, making beautiful harmonies.

Georgia sits where Europe and Asia come together, so its music has many city singing styles. These styles mix the native polyphonic sounds with music from the Middle East and later from Europe. This special mix makes Georgian music unique and varied.

Georgian musicians and singers are famous all over the world. Many perform in great opera houses and on well-known concert stages, sharing their beautiful music with people everywhere.

Folk music

The folk music of Georgia is rich and has many different styles, called "musical dialects". These styles are in two main areas: eastern and western Georgia.

Eastern Georgia includes the big regions of Kartli and Kakheti, plus several smaller mountain areas. In Kakheti, songs often have a long bass drone with two singers. A famous example is "Chakrulo", which flew on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977.

Western Georgia has the central region of Imereti, three mountain areas, and three coastal regions along the Black Sea. Georgia’s music is famous for its vocal polyphony—a style where many people sing different parts together. This polyphony is believed to have started before Christianity arrived in Georgia in the 4th century AD.

Georgian music uses sharp harmonies and unusual key changes. It was added to the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001 and later to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Singing in Georgia is often a group activity, especially during celebrations like weddings. Songs can be simple or very complex. Traditional feasts called supra feature many songs and toasts about life, love, and friendship.

Today, Georgian folk music is performed around the world. Groups like Rustavi and Georgian Voices have shared Georgia’s musical traditions with audiences everywhere. The music continues to inspire new generations of musicians.

See Performers of Georgian traditional music

Urban music

Georgian urban music is a mix of different musical styles, especially in the capital city, Tbilisi. One important part of this music is the duduki, a wind instrument played in groups during celebrations. The duduki has influences from nearby regions like Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Armenia.

From the mid-1800s, European classical music also became popular in Georgia. The opening of the opera in 1850 helped new music styles grow. These include group singing without instruments and singing with guitar or piano accompaniment. Georgia's location between Europe and Asia means its music blends many cultures, including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Persian, and Islamic traditions.

Professional music

Shen Khar Venakhi sung by a Georgian choir

Professional music in Georgia started in the 7th to 8th centuries. At that time, Georgian composers translated Greek orthodox Christian songs. They added harmonies and made new songs. Georgian church music often uses many voices singing together, called polyphony. This came from local folk traditions. Georgian church music is similar to traditional Georgian music, but not all folk styles are used in church songs.

In the late 1800s, a new style of Georgian music began. This style used European forms like opera and symphony. Famous composers such as Zakaria Paliashvili and Dimitri Arakishvili mixed European music with Georgian sounds. Later composers like Andria Balanchivadze and Otar Taktakishvili also helped develop this style. Today, Georgia has many musicians performing worldwide.

Traditional musical instruments

Georgia has many traditional musical instruments. Popular ones include wind instruments like the soinari (a type of panpipe), stviri (flute), and gudastviri (bagpipe). String instruments such as the changi (harp), chonguri, panduri, and the bowed chuniri are also common. There are also many drums and percussion instruments. Though Georgia is known for its singing, its instruments have not been studied as much.

Chuniri-chianuri

In the mountains of Georgia, people still play the chuniri, a special bowed instrument. It is a national instrument of Svaneti and is used with songs, poems, and dances. The chuniri is often played with other instruments like the changi and salamuri. Both men and women can play it. The chuniri is usually kept warm to improve its sound.

The Abkharza is another two-string instrument played with a bow. It is shaped like a boat and used for songs and poems. It comes from the region of Abkhazia.