About Us
Ensemble Adilei consists of a group of friends who perform traditional Georgian songs and chants.
Most of us were introduced to singing in our families or children’s music groups. After informally singing together for several years, we officially formed our ensemble and started conducting regular rehearsals in 2012.
Adilei consists of 11 members: Lasha Bedenashvili, Giorgi Khukhunaishvili, Andria Mushkudiani, Kote Chavleshvili, Sandro Natadze, Levan Bitarovi, Nodar Japaridze, Beka Buchukuri, Temur Darchia, Shota Katamadze, Demetre Kiria.
Most of us were introduced to singing in our families or children’s music groups. After informally singing together for several years, we officially formed our ensemble and started conducting regular rehearsals in 2012.
Adilei consists of 11 members: Lasha Bedenashvili, Giorgi Khukhunaishvili, Andria Mushkudiani, Kote Chavleshvili, Sandro Natadze, Levan Bitarovi, Nodar Japaridze, Beka Buchukuri, Temur Darchia, Shota Katamadze, Demetre Kiria.
Adilei’s main passion lies in the songs from the province of Guria in Western Georgia (though other regions are also represented in their repertoire). Gurian music is sometimes compared to jazz, because of the emphasis on improvisation, and non-parallel movement in all the voice parts. Gurian song is also characterized by k’rimanch’uli, a yodeling technique often present in the upper voice.
The main goal of the ensemble “Adilei” is to popularize authentic folklore, as, unfortunately, its recognition among the wider public is low. We strive to share the joy and lightness found in Georgian songs with the audience, whether on stage, at a feast, on the street, or elsewhere. The primary source of “Adilei’s” repertoire is old recordings. The ensemble endeavors to adapt these songs, not merely copying them, but creating and singing their own versions, as this gives new life to both the songs and the performances
The ensemble has toured in a number of European countries, and participated in several notable folk music festivals, including the International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in Tbilisi, the Mare e Miniere festival in Sardinia, and the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival in New York, and has toured extensively. During their first US tour, the group conducted workshops, lectures, seminars, and concerts at Dartmouth, Columbia, New England conservatory, Yale, and other universities on the East Coast, as well as a number of more informal and intimate venues.
Members of Adilei:
