Hamlet Gonashvili was born June 20, 1928. He was considered the voice of Georgia. He was an outstanding soloist, influential teacher and brilliant performer of traditional Georgian music.
Born in the Eastern part of the country, he was know to be the best interpreter of songs from the regions of Kartli and Kakheti. He played an important role in the world-famous Rustavi choir, the first choir in Georgia to include into its program songs from all regions of the country.
At the height of his creative powers Hamlet Gonashvili died in a tragic accident in 1985 falling off a tree while picking apples. He had been awarded his country’s most important honors and prizes.
After a year of research the German label JARO managed to discover missing tapes in Russia that document Gonashvili’s solo works, in order to produce a collection of his most impressive songs. the result was the album Hamlet.
Discography:
Hamlet (JARO, 1985)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
