ori shalva | MusiCamp

GABO’s TRIO is Gabriel Makharashvili, Andrea Kuzmich and Mario Morello. Formerly known as Trio From Canada, they first formed in 2016 to sing at the biennial Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in Georgia, Eurasia. They represented two polyphonic traditions that are practiced in Toronto: Georgian polyphony and Ukrainian ridnyj holos. Towards the end of their 2016 trip, after singing at many Georgian family tables, they started being called Gabo’s Trio. Andrea – an ethnomusicologist and performing musician – and her 10-year-old son, Gabriel, are both part of Ori Shalva (also known as the Makharashvili Family), a singing family that performs Georgian polyphony for private family and calendric events and cameo appearances on stages in Toronto, New York and Georgia. Mario, an ethnomusicologist, Balkan-singing specialist and student of Georgian polyphony, joined Andrea and Gabo to sing songs from the Makharashvili repertoire and elsewhere.

Past Shows of GABO’s TRIO in Toronto 2018!!

Sunday Sept 30 2018 3-5pm Mel Lastman Square Discover Geogia – Cradle of Wine
Sunday Oct 14 2018 2-9pm 8th Annual Ossington Village Alleyway Party
Friday Oct 19 2018 7pm Poetics of Food and Song
Thursday Oct 25 2018 6-9pm Drom Taberna

UPDATE: Since returning from Georgia in the fall of 2018, GABO’sTRIO released a small EP. Check it out:

They also have another video from live TV and other moments in pictures we hope to share soon!

During our 2016 trip, we were honoured to be so well received in Georgia…

especially to be asked to sing live on Georgian TV…

and Georgian Radio.

The christening of the name GABO’s TRIO happened in the fall of 2016, towards the end of our trip, at this most hospitable home in celebration of the grape harvest.

Past Shows of GABO’s TRIO in Toronto 2018!!

Ori Shalva, led by virtuoso traditional singer and multi-instrumentalist Shalva Makharashvili, is Canada’s foremost Georgian polyphonic vocal ensemble, performing one of the world’s oldest and most complex vocal traditions.

Step into a world of “amazing harmonies” (Eroll Nazareth, CBC Frequencies) and ancient traditions with Ori Shalva, a Georgian family ensemble based in Toronto. Known for their breathtaking performances of Georgian polyphony – a UNESCO-recognized musical treasure, Ori Shalva brings to life a thousand-year-old art form rarely heard outside Georgia. Their visceral voices transport you to the mountain villages and ancient rites of Sakartvelo (Georgia), offering an experience that transcends music and time.

Their EP, Dilao, is their first ever self-produced, studio-recording, which was recorded in a few short hours by Jean Martin at The Farm, in Toronto, October 30, 2025. Dilao stems from the Georgian word for “morning,” symbolizing the dawn of Ori Shalva’s journey.

Georgian polyphony is a millennia old singing tradition known for its distinctive and visceral harmonies and recognized by UNESCO as an intangible masterpiece of humanity. The singing family unit played an instrumental role in the preservation of Georgian polyphony. Ori Shalva, otherwise known as the Makharashvili family, is one of the first singing families of Georgian origin, performing, teaching, and living halfway around the world from the homeland.

Shelter from the Sky 2022. Photo by Neatmeat.
Photo by Olya Glotka
Photo by Olya Glotka
Doors Open Festival May 2025. Photo by Zurab Kaisidi
Doors Open Festival May 2025. Photo by Zurab Kaisidi
Photo by Zurab Kaisidi
Clay and Paper Fundraiser April 2024
Photo by Zurab Kaisidi

Following the tradition of singing families in Georgia, singing for Ori Shalva is natural, instinctive, and originally framed by family celebrations, not staged performances.

Music in the Village by Fabcollab at Black Creek Pioneer Village, Toronto, August 2025. Photo by Six Shutter
Shelter from the Sky 2022. Photo by Neatmeat
Doors Open Festival, Aga Khan 2025. Photo Zurab Kaisidi
Doors Open Festival, Aga Khan 2025. Photo Zurab Kaisidi
Doors Open Festival, Aga Khan 2025. Photo Zurab Kaisidi
Photo by Zurab Kaisidi

It is only recently that Ori Shalva emerged from its humble familial beginnings through performances with the internationally acclaimed Tafelmusik, and other presenters like Fabcollab, SING! Toronto, the Community Folk Art Council, Labyrinth Ontario, BLOKMUSIC, and others.

Want to know more? more videos and bios – click here