Hamlet Gonashvili - Hamlet (1995)

Hamlet Gonashvili (ჰამლეტ გონაშვილი, 1928-1985) was a Georgian singer of traditional music. He was often called 'the Voice of Georgia', and is something of a legend in his own country. Giya Kancheli's Third Symphony was inspired by Gonashvili's singing, and he himself sang on its first recording in 1979. He died in 1985, at the height of his fame, as the result of a fall from an apple tree. This is a collection of his best songs, released in 1995 on Jaro. They sound amazingly beautiful and sad. Here is a tracklist with some notes, as taken from the booklet (except the titles in Georgian alphabet of course, but let's not start another rant about 'world music' and xenophobia):

1. სატრფიალო / Satrpialo (highland, love song)
A mountaineer's song performed in Eastern Georgia to the accompaniment of the panduri.
2. ოროველა / Orovela (Kartalino-Kakhetian, work song)
Sung during the ploughing. Probably an ancient song, since the plough is an implement in use since time immemorial. "The song may have been a prayer to an agrarian deity or one of the elemental forces". (Sh. Aslanishvili)
3. კახური ნანა / Kakhuri Nana (Kakhetian, lullaby)
In pre-Christian Georgia "Nana" was the name of the sun goddess. Later this meaning was forgotten.
4. გაფრინდი შავო მერცხალო / Gaprindi Shavo Mertskhalo (Kartalino-Kakhetian, lyric song)
Expresses a family's anxiety and grief over the fate of relatives who have gone off to the wars.
5. ჩელა / Chela (Megrelian, carter's song)
A carter's lyrical song, accompanying some job that is not repetitive. The song speaks of the carter's lot, Chela being the name of his ox.
6. წინწყარო / Tsintskaro (Kartalino-Kakhetian, lyric song)
An outstanding example of Kartalino-Kakhetian lyrics voicing a young man's poetical mood.
7. შავი შაშვი / Shavi Shashvi (Gurian, hunter's song)
A comic hunting song marked by harmonic wealth and contrastive polyphony.
8. იმერული ნანა / Imeruli Nana (Imeretian, lullaby)
9. ჭონა / Chona (Kartalino-Kakhetian, ritual song)
A congratulatory ritual song performed by a group of singers on Easter Night.
10. ზარი / Zari (Gurian, lament)
11. კალოსპირული / Kalospiruli (Kartalino-Kakhetian, work song)
Sung during the threshing.
12. ბერიკაცი ვარ / Berikatsi Var (Kartalino-Kakhetian, epic song)
13. შენ ბიჭო ანაგურელო / Shen, Bicho, Anagurelo (Kakhetian, lyric song)
A song dedicated to the hard-working young singer.
14. დაიგვიანეს / Daigvianes (Kartalino-Kakhetian, lyric song)
An elegiac song to lyrics by A. Tsereteli.

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