Music of Georgia (country)

Georgia has a rich and lively tradition of music that continues to thrive today. It is especially famous for having one of the earliest known styles of polyphonic music in the Christian world. Polyphonic music means that many singers or instruments perform different melodies at the same time, creating beautiful harmonies.

Located where Europe and Asia meet, Georgia’s music also includes many urban singing styles. These styles mix the native polyphonic sounds with influences from the Middle East and later European harmonic music. This unique blend makes Georgian music special and diverse.

Georgian musicians and singers are celebrated around the world. Many perform in top opera houses and on famous concert stages, sharing the beauty of their music with audiences everywhere.

Folk music

The folk music of Georgia is rich and comes in at least fifteen different styles, called "musical dialects". These styles are grouped into 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 taking the top parts. 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. It includes special kinds like pedal drone polyphony in eastern Georgia and contrapuntal polyphony in the west.

Georgian music uses sharp dissonant 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, and some need only a few singers. 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 rich 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 has been around since the 7th to 8th centuries. During this time, Georgian composers began to translate Greek orthodox Christian songs. They added harmonies to these songs and also created new ones. It is believed that the use of many voices singing together, called polyphony, in Georgian church music came from local folk traditions. Georgian church music shares many features with traditional Georgian music, though some folk styles were not used in church songs.

In the second half of the 19th century, a new style of Georgian professional music began. This style used European classical music forms like opera and symphony. Famous Georgian composers such as Zakaria Paliashvili and Dimitri Arakishvili mixed European music with traditional Georgian sounds. Later composers like Andria Balanchivadze and Otar Taktakishvili also contributed to this style. Today, Georgia has many talented musicians performing around the world.

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, along with various drums and percussion instruments. Though Georgia is famous for its singing, its instruments have not been studied as much.

Chuniri-chianuri

In mountainous parts of Georgia, people still play the chuniri, a special bowed instrument. It is considered a national instrument of Svaneti and is used to accompany 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 make its sounds better.

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