Zedashe, from the eastern are of the Republic of Georgia, came together in the mid-1990s. The ensemble sings a repertory consisting of ancient three-part harmony chants from the Orthodox Christian liturgy, folk songs from the Kiziqian region, and Georgian folk dances.
The ensemble also performs love songs, historical ballads, and ritual circle dances that are accompanied by the chunir (Svan lute), panduri (Kiziq lute), chonguri (Gurian lute), doli (drum), chiboni (goat-skin bagpipes), and accordion. Zedashe has toured internationally with appearances at major festivals and universities in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Lithuania and the US.
The Zedashe ensemble is based in the medieval fortress city of Sighnaghi, in eastern Georgia. Directed by Ketevan Mindorashvili, the current incarnation of the ensemble was founded in the mid-1990s.
Discography:
Where Mountains Meet Heaven (Space Cadette Records, 2000)
The Raising Of Lazarus (Space Cadette Records, 2002)
In The Footprint Of Our Ancestors: Ancient Polyphony Of Georgia (Zedashe Cultural Center, 2006)
Bridges To The Divine: Ancient Polyphonic Chants From Georgia (Zedashe Cultural Center)
Enduring Fortress (2010)
Intangible Pearls (Electric Cowbell Records, 2013)
Our Earth And Water (Living Roots Music, 2015)
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.
New album and US tour coming 2020! Thanks for this feature ?