MONTRÉAL QC Jul 10 18:00 Concert au Parc Lahaie dans le cadre de « Musique sous un arbre» gratuit/free Jul 12 10:00-17:00 Atelier/Workshop polyphonie géorgienne (limité à 12 chanteurs) $150 email orishalva at gmail.com
BELLEVILLE, ON Jul 13 13:00 at the Kafana, 199 Front Street – time to be determine
The rare sound of harmonized voices form the same family…
Performing a thousand year old singing tradition from a small obscure country…
Sounds that you would rarely hear in North America, let alone the rest of the world…
Saturday, April 12, 2025 7:30 PM Teatro Sur Theatre – 1159 Dundas St E, Studio 145 (at Carlaw) Tickets: $18/$22 Limited Advance | $25 Door | $50 Support/VIP ADVANCED TICKETS HERE WATCH OUR TRAILER PRESS RELEASE
Prepare to be transported to the breathtaking mountains of Georgia (Sakartvelo) through the hauntingly beautiful harmonies of Ori Shalva. On Saturday, April 12th at 7:30 PM, Ori Shalva will present “Echoes of Sakartvelo” at Teatro Sur Theatre (1159 Dundas St E Studio 145, at Carlaw). This concert celebrates their return from Georgia and the release of their debut EP, “Sounds of Georgia.”
Ori Shalva, aka the Makharashvili family, is a family like no other. They formed out of a love for Georgian polyphony, and despite being 9,000 kilometers away from its homeland, for the past 2 decades they have nurtured the rare and intricate tradition of Georgian polyphony—an ancient musical form recognized by UNESCO as an intangible masterpiece of humanity. Their masterful performances offer a rare glimpse of the breadth of this living tradition that remains largely inaccessible outside of Georgia.
Ori Shalva’s performances are not just concerts—they are profound cultural experiences. Their voices evoke images of mountain villages, ancient celebrations, and the unbreakable bonds of family and community. While Georgian polyphony remains a niche tradition rarely heard outside its homeland, Ori Shalva has become a vital link to this rich heritage.
Finally we get a chance to properly thank you for your incredible support of our fundraiser, Sakartvelo Bound. Your contributions—whether through well wishes, endorsements, financial aid, or labor—enabled us to return to Georgia to study and perform Georgian songs for the first time as a family. Immersing ourselves in the land, traditions, and teachings of the world’s best Georgian singers was transformative. Experiencing the spirit of this musical tradition in the homeland has rejuvenated our passion and commitment to sharing Georgian polyphony. There was also a strange sweetness to witness the many Canadian flags ornamenting so many places and events, and a humbling reminder of our role in representing Canada. But we did Canada proud – as we found ourselves pleasantly surprised to receive so many accolades for our authentic performances of Georgian polyphony, along with invitations for further collaborations in Georgia and with the broader singing communities across Europe. Thank you for making this journey possible!
And in case you are curious, below are many details of our travels and experiences. Hope you enjoy reading about it and please feel free to reach out if you have any comments of questions.
Supras, food, song and toasting…
On the first night of Festival Sakartvelo, after a 5+ hour bus ride from the State Folklore Centre in Tbilisi to Ambrolauri in Racha, we were greeted with an unforgettable feast. Fresh meats, vegetables, herbs, spices, and walnuts came together in dishes bursting with distinct flavors. And it didn’t stop there—breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all equally abundant, almost overwhelming in their generosity.
A highlight of the region was Khvanchkara, a unique, exceptionally smooth, and richly dark red wine. Naturally sweet from a blend of grapes that grow exclusively on the north-facing slopes of Racha’s mountains, it was unlike anything we had ever tasted.
But a supra is much more than food and drink. Toasts anchor the experience, guiding the flow of wine and conversation, as one is not to drink without contributing to the toast. Songs weave through the moments, adding depth and connection. Whether it was an intimate supra with Giorguna as our tamada or the grand feast we shared on the mountain in Lechkhumi, these gatherings were magical and filled not only our bellies but also our hearts.
Ohoh! Gabo thrown from an unexpected bass line when singing with one of Dziraini’s banis. There were so many moments like these…
Lechkumi was like visiting a dream
Our cultural day was in Lechkhumi, a region in north west Georgia known as a wild, remote highland area of the Greater Caucasus mountains. We went to visit the wine estate of the Khmelidze family. We drove for hours, high into the mountains but the marshutka (small bus) couldn’t make it all the way to the top, and we had to walk the rest of the way. When we got there, it was like visiting a dream.
It was unbelievably picturesque. (I leave it to the pictures below to better describe.) But it wasn’t time to bask in the beauty. Our day was filled with a singing/dancing workshop, wine tasting, a Lechkumi cuisine demonstration, a dance performance and, of course, a supra.
Tornike Skhiereli, the leader of Dziriani taught all the participants, including the administrators, the song Raeo. How epic it was – all of us singing and dancing on the top of the mountain. (Check out the video below in the learning from Dziriani section)
The hill that the bus couldn’t climb
The Khmelidze family has been making wine in small batches for over 200 years. The process involves the wine gestating in a qvevri, a large egg-shaped earthenware vessel that is buried in the ground for at least 8-9 months. We tasted 3 different wines, all of which were amazing. And then after, or maybe during, we broke out into song and dance, right on top of where the next batch of wine was gestating. Levan Khmelidze, the patriarch of the estate, was so pleased, suggesting that so much singing would make his wine taste even better.
Of course the singing didn’t end then. It carried on into the Supra, which looked like something out of a fairy tale: two long tables, ladened with Georgian food and the tasty Khmelidze wine, stretching out, overlooking the mountains.
Iuri, from Dziriani stopping off at his home to grab some wine along
and some lobiani that his mom made! Yum!
under each of those metal spheres lies a kvevri underground, a huge clay pot where the wine brews… it’s an 8000 year old Georgian tradition!
and it makes such good wine!
we were just about to learn a dance song
workshop on Racha’s cuisine
such goood wine!
Members of the German group Mravalo
Members of the US group Kitka
A Word About Dziriani: study, friendship…
At the beginning of the international folklore festival we were grouped with a wonderful choir of Rachian Georgian singers called “Dziriani” who shared their songs and drinks with us over the next 3-4 days. Below we talk about what we learned from them but more profoundly than learning the songs, we experienced their warmth, generosity and joy and have made lasting lifelong friendships!
In the days leading up to the performance in Racha, Dziriani taught our group two songs; The first being “Dalie”, a two-choir drinking/celebration song that was perfect for getting us in the Georgian spirit. The second was “Maghla Mtas” which translates to “high mountain”, a tale of a centuries-old battle between the Rachians and the Ossetians. It is also performed in a two-choir formation but this one has a round dance, which they tried teaching us!
Following the concert in Racha we traveled with Dziriani to Lechkumi, which we already mentioned above. Before hitting the road, Iuri (one of the members of the choir) stopped at his mom’s house to pick up a stack of freshly made lobiani and jugs of wine (you can see the pictures of this in the gallery above), and then we were off to the higher mountains. Dziriani sang so much on the ride up that the leader of the group, Tornike Skhiereli, had to urge his choir members multiple times to save their voices for later performances.
After tasting wine and singing even more with all the groups of the festival, Dziriani taught everyone one last song: Raeo, which had all of the groups singing and dancing together on top of that picturesque mountain haven.
Concert Culture
When I talk about concert culture in Georgia, it’s a different perspective. It’s not about the audience’s experience. It’s about the performers. And in Georgia, when you throw so many singers together, you just can’t stop them. Singing results. Lots of singing. Even some dancing. One doesn’t have to wonder whether more singing takes place off than on stage in Georgia – it’s just a fact in Georgia. Take a look at this video, a few hours before the opening concert of Festival Sakartvelo in Ambrolauri, Racha. Or the vids below of what happened backstage at the closing concert of the festival.
And check out these pics to help convey more about the atmosphere around concerts in Georgia.
Gabo and Shalva up front, Polo, a bani from Dziriani, and Leo (from Alilo) during sound check in Ambrolauri
Sound check for 15 ensembles takes a long time so I got some work in on my Symposium paper.
Organizers Zura and Erekle
Making the set list
then sharing the set list as a png to all
About to perform with Dziriani in Ambrolauri
Ori Shalva’s performance at the State Folklore Centre
Walking the hall of Rustaveli Theatre
The performance hall
Run through of Raeo with Tornike
Waiting room – backstage at Rustaveli Theatre
Tornike’s little girl dancing to Lalkhor and Kitka’s singing backstage, in the “waiting room” at the Rustaveli Theatre
Dziriani, Ori Shalva (without Big Shalva who was sick) and Alilo
Just before we were about to perform backstage
Shalva backstage at the Tbilisi Conservatoire, Opening concert of the Symposium
Performances & Ensembles
There’s no way we can adequately reflect on all the amazing music we saw. The two festivals (Festival Sakartvelo and the Symposium on Traditional Polyphony) featured an amazing and diverse line up of Georgian performers: like the mixed gendered Svan group Lalkhori; the women’s groups Satanao and Nanina; Mtiebi and Amer-Imeri continuing to thrive as a legacy to the Garaghanidze family; local Svanuri/Rachuli ensembles Lentekhi and Oni; the modern quartet Ranina; various student choirs from different Tbilisi Universities and different regional choirmaster schools; a trio performance featuring Georgia’s oldest surviving Master singer Tristan Sikharulidze; the inspiring and heartwarming Acharian village, song and dance ensemble Mareti; and of course the amazing featured Rachuli ensemble Dziriani. Buy we also got to connect with a host of old and new singing friends who came to Georgia from all over the world to sing and learn Georgian songs. Most impressive for their humility, warmth and exceptional skills were the American women’s group Kitka and the Latvian ladies Saucējas. The relatively young group Alilo, from France, were also excellent singers and fun musical conspirators. We also developed new friendships with the Welsh women of Samaia and the Germans from Mravalo – an online choir led by one of Georgia’s premier conductors and music educators, Tamar Buadze. And there were so many others, like ethnomusicologists Polo Vallejo (who felt like our new-found-long-lost uncle) and Caroline Bithell, or Scottish singers Madge Bray and French singer Francoise Arnaud-Demir. Of course, our hearts warmed so much to see our long-time British and Australian friends from Maspindzeli and Gorani, some of whom we hadn’t seen for possibly 10 years. And we must say how impressed we were with Maspindzeli’s repertoire and performance! Holly Taylor-Zuntz and Susan Thompson are two other individuals that need mentioning, for their support in documenting and advocating for Georgian polyphony through their project Voices of the Ancestors. And of course we must recognize tireless organizers from the State Folklore Centre and the Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony like Nino Razmadze, Giorgi Donadze, his son Erekle, Zura Tskrialashvili, Givi Abesadze, Ana Lolashvili and countless others who worked so hard and were exceptional hosts.
Wish we had space for pics of each group/scholar who participated in these festivals; instead this group shot will have to do
Of course there were many other performance and ensembles that were amazing, many of which never got recorded. However, if you are interested in checking out more performance videos , visit the Voices of the Ancestors Youtube channel.
Scholarship…
One final note – Andrea, as a scholar, also took part in a few academic presentations.
Andrea presented a paper on the transnational practices of traditional Georgian and Ukrainian polyphony within the dynamic cultural landscape of Toronto. She noted that Georgian polyphony is supported by a small diaspora with limited institutional backing, unlike in Georgia, where it benefits from significant support. In contrast, Ukrainian polyphony in Toronto is bolstered by a well-established diaspora with strong cultural infrastructure but faces challenges due to the tradition’s marginalization in Ukraine.
And at a round table on International Participation in Georgian Traditional Music, Andrea highlighted the lack of recognition for the significant achievements of Georgian polyphony in Canada. She attributed this to the greater distance and financial challenges of accessing Georgia from Canada compared to Europe or the United States and advocated for the international community and Georgians to not forget the work done in Canada.
Thank you!
There really is so much more we would love to share with you but it already took us so long to make this post! But this journey deepened our connection to Georgian music and traditions in unimaginable ways, and we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada so meaningfully. Thank you for making this experience possible! We hope you enjoy the photos and videos and invite you to reach out if you have any questions or comments.
Not unlike the needs of so many people & cultures at this time of year, when the weather gets cold and the nights so long, KOLIADA is an occasion to come together, connect, and make the darkened cold season pass quickly trough celebration and song.
With less than 2 weeks left, our Koliada rehearsals are now closed. Over the past 3 weeks we have accumulated a great group of singers but now we now have to fine tune our style and learn the last set of songs.
Starting Dec 27, we are unable to accommodate guests into our rehearsals.
We are, however, still accepting invitations to visit houses for January 7th – so if you would like Kosa Kolektiv’s Koliada carollers to visit your home, please contact kosa.kolektiv@gmail.com.
LOCATION CHANGE: the Belarus Orthodox Church, 524 St Clarens Ave. By donation. Suggested $20-30. Follow the link above to get to the FB event. PLEASE REGISTER VIA kosa.kolektiv@gmail.com.
REHEARSALS!!!
WEDNESADYS 7-9 PM
BELARUS ORTHODOX CHURCH,
524 St Clarens Ave, just over a block north of Bloor and one block east of Lansdowne. Closest TTC is Lansdowne station.
CAROLLING JANUARY 7
The big carolling event is on January 7, Orthodox Christmas. We will be traveling in different groups, by car, visiting homes around the GTA. Make sure to book this day off for koliada!
There will likely be more opportunities to perform in December and January, and possibly additional rehearsals when needed to accommodate the needs of the group and individual singers.
You will find lyrics in Ukrainian, with transliterations, rough translations and audio file references. So, you can start listening and practicing immediately!! Also note that we will be updating the doc and adding more sound files and/or songs.
Some of the audio references even have sing-a-long files. Please use HEADPHONES with the singalong files. The RIGHT CHANNEL features a solo voice and the LEFT CHANNEL all the other voices. To learn, just listen to the RIGHT CHANNEL. To practice, just listen to the LEFT CHANNEL and add your own voice into the mix. Please also be aware, these files are very rough sketches to help learn the song & it’s highly recommended to practice/study from the original sound files as well.
NOTE: it is important that singers are able to sing harmonies and not just the main melody or top voice. The musical director and other seasoned singers will help develop the group’s harmony-singing skills, as well the authentic Ukrainian singing quality known as ridnyj holos. And for those who are not Ukrainian-speaking, don’t worry, we will also help with pronunciation. If you have any questions about your interest and desire to participate, please reach out to us through the contact form below.
OTHERS ROLES
Not a harmony singer but still want to take part? There are other ways you can volunteer. Please reach out to us using the form below.
NOTE: Use HEADPHONES with the singalong files. The RIGHT CHANNEL features a solo voice and the LEFT CHANNEL all the other voices. To learn, just listen to the RIGHT CHANNEL. To practice, just listen to the LEFT CHANNEL and add your own voice into the mix. Please also be aware, these files are very rough sketches to help learn the song & it’s highly recommended to practice/study from the original sound files as well.
SING WITH US!
Thursday June 2 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ Shevchenko Museum – workshopom
Friday June 3 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ MusiCamp Garden
Saturday June 4 ~ 2:30 pm & 4:45 pm @ THE DO WEST FEST, the community stage
Saturday Jun 25 ~ early afternoon 1:00 – 2:30 PM @ MusiCamp Garden
Canada Day July 1 ~ 11 am meet at 1879 Bloor Street West / 12 pm performance for Canada Day picnic
OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS are at MusiCamp’s home at 11 Cobourg Ave (just behind Dufferin mall). For outdoor workshops, please remember to bring a sun hat if you need it!
NOTE: we do recommend participants have some experience with singing harmonies.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In at attempt to recognize the breadth of Ukrainian culture, this project is a hopeful start to popularize traditional Ukrainian songs and create a larger caring singing community of Ukrainian songs in Toronto. Check out our workshops dates below. Wondering what we’ll be learning, have a look at our song document and listen the embedded links for each song.
The project is an extension of Sing with Ukraine, which is a grassroots effort by Toronto-based Eastern European artists, started after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24th 2022. Click the links to learn more about Sing with Ukraine and Artists With Ukraine.
Visit our SONG LEARNING PAGE for updated resources and info about our events/workshops
WORKSHOPS
All are welcome, pay-what-you-can, no one will be turned away who cannot pay. Money raised for the deeply discounted venue costs and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Thursday May 12 ~ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm @ Shevchenko Museum
Thursday May 26 ~ 7 pm – 8:30 pm @ Shevchenko Museum
Saturday May 28 ~ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm @ MusiCamp garden
Thursday June 2 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ Shevchenko Museum
INDOOR WORKSHOPS are at The Shevchenko Museum 1604 Bloor St W (a few blocks west of Dundas West Station). OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS are at MusiCamp’s home at 11 Cobourg Ave (just behind Dufferin mall). For outdoor workshops, please remember to bring a sun hat if you need it! NOTE: we do recommend participants have some experience with singing harmonies.
We will keep updating our resources to include other songs and tools to help learn songs, including audio of the individual song parts.In the meantime please check out the google doc below, which has all the lyrics and links to audio or video of the songs.
PERFORMANCES
SATURDAY JUNE 4 ~ 2:30 pm & 4:45 pm @ THE DO WEST FEST, the community stage
CANADA DAY JULY 1 ~ time tbd @ Parkdale-High Park MP Canada Day picnic in High Park
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In at attempt to recognize the breadth of Ukrainian culture, this project is a hopeful start to popularize traditional Ukrainian songs and create a larger caring singing community of Ukrainian songs in Toronto. Check out our workshops dates below. Wondering what we’ll be learning, have a look at our song document and listen the embedded links for each song.
The project is an extension of Sing with Ukraine, which is a grassroots effort by Toronto-based Eastern European artists, started after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24th 2022. Click the links to learn more about Sing with Ukraine and Artists With Ukraine.
ONLINE WORKSHOPS via ZOOM
SATURDAYS 2-4 pm EST (7 pm GMT)
Starting February 6th, and
EVERY OTHER SATURDAY AFTER
$20-30 for employed; pwyc for underemployed.
Questions?
A song requests?
Or want to sign up?
Drop us a line or click the PAY PAL button (make sure to enter your email address) and we’ll send you the zoom link.
MusiCamp’s most popular activity is running Georgian singing workshops. We usually run singing workshops in the fall, winter and spring. Our last one started late February 2020 – and after only 2 sessions, the workshop got hijacked by COVID 19 and the new social-distancing measures. Somehow, we transferred these harmony singing workshops to ZOOM and as you can see from the image posted above or the videos below, we were all singing together and, in some inexplicable way, it worked!! Here’s what a few of our participants have to say about it:
Thank you for a wonderful workshop and an opportunity to learn from artists with such integrity, talent and hospitality… The workshops are well structured, easy to follow and very enjoyable. – Merey Ismailova
An enjoyable sharing of interesting songs, singing and music. With a smiley side of open hearts and kindred spirits. – Jan Knoppers
If you want to learn more about how we teach harmonized singing online, please read on.
VIDEO OF ONLINE GROUP SINGING
HOW DOES SINGING HARMONIES WORK ONLINE?!
The short answer: it doesn’t. There will always be some kind of latency, even with the fastest internet speeds and the most advanced technology.
What makes it work for us is the fact that we are a singing family and have enough people in our household to sing all the harmonies – all three voices are covered on our end. The ZOOM participants actually sing along with us but they mute their mics so that their voices don’t lag and upset the musical form, as you can see in the videos.
VIDEOS OF TEACHING
WORKING ONE-ON-ONE
Like in our studio, we teach the parts individually (see the video above). Participants’ mics still need to be muted for this. But there are times when mics are turned on, so we can have conversations, make a toast (once in a while only), or work one-on-one with individuals to ensure the vocal line is correct, or even work on technique. We actually had a great session a few weeks back working on some distinctive timbral issues and inflections with krimanchuli, a yodelling style in Georgian polyphony. VIDEO WORKING ONE ON ONE
TEACHING KRIMANCHULI (Note: audio quality is poor due to the wrong mic settings).
SING-ALONG FEATURE
We even offer the play-along or sing-along feature (trio minus one voice) so that participants can test themselves, make sure they can sing their part alone, and sort of feel what it’s like to fit their voice into the trio. In the video below, the participants can practice the top voice independence with the bass and middle being sung by the workshop leaders.
SING ALONG: TRIO MINUS ONE
WORKSHOPS WILL START AGAIN FEBRUARY 6
Suggested $20-30 for employed; PWYC for under employed
Let us know you are interested through our Contact Us Page or click on the PAY PAL button (make sure to enter you email address) and we’ll send you instructions for installing and running ZOOM and setting up your microphone up to work with musical content (rather than spoken content).
In the meantime, stay safe and healthy and wash your spirit often with music ;) !!
Don’t miss out on Toronto’s best festival!! Night of Dread
Where Torontonians are invited to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and masquerade, dance and a devilishly good party.
MusiCamp 