Before they even shared a common language, Shalva and Andrea formed a deep connection through Georgian songs.
Join them throughout this anniversary year for special concerts, singing workshops and more performances.
25th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT SAT JUN 13 8:00 PM at Small World Music, 180 Shaw St ticket info coming soon or message to receive updates
4-WEEK SINGING WORKSHOP TUE MAY 19, MAY 26, JUN 9 and JUN 16 7:00-9:00PM in their Toronto West end home, fee is $200 message us for more info or to register
A 3-ALBUM DIGITAL BUNDLE for a donation of $45-$50
An album of ZARI chanting in the Shiomghvime monestary in Mskheta
The live concert recording of GABO’s TRIO from the 2018 Symposium on Traditional Polyphony
A yet-to-be released 2019 recording of ORI SHALVA. These tracks, originally recorded for the TV show Sounds of Canada, produced by the Ethnic Channel, were never fully released! AND includes a bonus track by the beautiful Iremashvili Sisters.
A GENUINE SHEEPSKIN HAT for a donation of $150-$200
These handmade sheepskin hats, from the mountains of Georgia, are beautiful, breathable and really warm. When it’s really cold, wearing one is almost like wearing another jacket. You will literally be armed with the warmth of this hat. They come in an off-white colour (as in the picture), black, or off-white with light brown spots. When you choose this gift, don’t forget to let us know your hat size and preferred colour. For pickup or delivery within reasonable distance from Toronto.
A PRIVATE LESSON with SHALVA for a donation of $100-$125
Shalva Makharashvili has been performing the music of his homeland for over 35 years. Starting with the panduri at the age of 4, and progressing to classical guitar, studying at the Tbilisi Conservatoire. He is a natural at both the panduri and chonguri and has experience teaching online as well as in person. Note: in-person lessons must be within a reasonable distance from Toronto.
PRIVATE CONCERT by ORI SHALVA for a donation of $1000-$1250
Have a special event coming up – a big anniversary, a birthday, a reunion? Consider having Ori Shalva as that something extra to make your dinner or special event unforgettable. Have us sing a few sets or use us more informally or theatrically… Or have us frame your dinner/event in a more traditional Georgian way, with the combination of meaningful, uplifting toasts and powerful, visceral songs.
Have Ori Shalva teach a 2-3 hour workshop for your group of singers. In some shape or form, the members of Ori Shalva have been teaching workshops in Georgian Polyphony for over 22 years! With epxertise teaching online as well as in person.
Note: in-person lessons must be within a reasonable distance from Toronto, though we may consider travelling further to lovely places ;)
Join us at THE SUPRA. SUNDAY SEPT 8, 4:30 PM – 7:30ish PM at the beautiful Teatro Sur Theatre, in Toronto, 1159 Dundas St E Studio 145, at Carlaw. This is a rare chance to experience the exceptional blend of Georgian cuisine, beautiful toasts and powerful songs – performed by Ori Shalva – through a ritual feast called the SUPRA. Includes 2 glasses of wine with a 5-6 course meal, featuring some of the exquisite cuisine of Georgia.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Please share with anyone who may be interested
If you are ready to donate, you can do so 2 ways:
Save on processing fees and send your donation via e-transfer to orishalva AT gmail.com. Please include Title of the Thank You Gift in the message box and be sure to send us an email so we have your contact info to send a confirmation receipt and updates.
Donate using Credit Cards via our PAYPAL LINK (which is in Andrea’s name). Note: You do not need to have a paypal account to donate this way. Also note: we will send you a confirmation receipt and updates to the email you used with the paypal payment. Please be sure to enter the correct amount and choose the correct gift from the drop down menu.
Have questions about any of the gifts, donations and/or methods of payment?
This September, for the first time ever, Ori Shalva will return to the homeland of Georgian polyphony, to perform & study with the best traditional Georgian singers in the world!
SAKARTVELO BOUND is a crowdsource funding initiative, where each donation holds so much significance, and unique and thoughtful gifts for those who contribute.
OUR THANK YOU GIFTS ARE POSTED! CHECK THEM OUT HERE
Unfortunately, our original funding fell through and we struggled with the decision of whether we should still go. Given that it’s the first time our whole family will sing and perform in Sakartvelo, we have mustered the courage to embark on this tour!
As you know, travel from Canada to anywhere is expensive. But travelling with a whole family, to a niche location like Georgia is even more challenging! So we have created this fundraiser, SAKARTVELO BOUND, to help with our flight costs (over $8000!) and we welcome any support we can get.
We have lots of heartfelt and unique gifts in exchange for your donations, like:
a seat at an authentic and intimate traditional Georgian feast framed by an elaborate series of toasts punctuated by songs performed by Ori Shalva
music lessons with Shalva (senior)
a personal performance by Ori Shalva
Genuine sheepskin Khevsureti hats
and more!
OUR THANK YOU GIFTS ARE POSTED! CHECK THEM OUT HERE
Since we ourselves are so niche, we will run a grassroots campaign. To make a donation and select your gift/s, we ask you to contact us via email (orishalva AT gmail.com) or through our online form, soon to be posted. And we are excited to update the tally of available gifts and funds raised as we go along.
SONG SCAPING is a four month residency at the Tranzac Club of workshops and performances by Andrea Kuzmich, intersecting traditional vocal polyphony, improvisation, and song. The Tranzac Club is located at 292 Brunswick Ave (just S of Bloor St).
THU JAN 19 7-9 PM COLLIDING WITH KOLIADA
Koliada refers to a Slavic winter carolling tradition, thick in pagan references and gratitude, the practice usually starts in December can continue well into February – singing away those dark and cold winter nights!
7:00-8:15 PM Vocal Workshop learning winter carols 8:30-9:00 PM Performance of Koliada inspired repertoire with a small band AND YOU!!
(Here’s a little audio sample of what you may hear and sing along with)
The workshop will teach 2-3 traditional polyphonic Ukrainian winter carols. The performance then demonstrates how these songs and others are “scaped” into pieces arranged for a small band, consisting of: Andrea Kuzmich on voice & guitar; Alina Kuzma voice; Jaash Singh percussion; Jim Bish tenor sax; Michael Herring on bass; special guests from Kosa Koliadanyky AND YOU!!
SAT FEB 25 5-7 PM UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE
UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE…will feature 2-3 singer/songwriters presenting their original compositions and arrangements that challenge the conventional love ballad, and offer new “scapes” of the love song.
More info to come…
THU MAR 16 7-9 PM SPRINGING CAROLS
Vesninanky are Ukrainian spring carols. Many of these are ritualistic and, with their use of interesting vocal techniques and powerful dissonance, represent some of the most archaic layer of Ukrainian polyphony.
7:00-8:15 PM Vocal Workshop learning Vesnyanky (spring carols) 8:30-9:00 PM Performance of vesnyanky-inspired repertoire with a small band AND YOU!! …….more details to come…
SAT APRIL 22 5-7 PM SCAPING THROUGH TRADITIONAL SONGS
On this last date, the workshop will focus on vocal improvisation, covering some sounding and improv techniques, and how they can be used in rearrangements of traditional polyphonic songs. The performance will feature mostly a capella arrangements of Ukrainian and Georgian songs, including the Sound Stepping Suite, commissioned by Urban Vessel for riverMouth on the Echoes app.
5:00-6:15 PM Vocal Workshop 6:30-7:00 PM Performance with participation from YOU!!
more details to come…
ALL WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES ARE PWYC & TAKE PLACE AT:
THE TRANZAC CLUB, 292 BRUNSWICK AVE (just South of Bloor in Toronto).
hoping to keep spirits up, we’re sharing this free download
Thanks to Jaash Singh on cajon and darbuka for his generosity and inspiration. Also thanks to Stephanie Woloshyn for inspiring the partnership between Jaash and me.
It’s been a challenging season for many. We at MusiCamp had our challenges too, making it harder to share these musical offerings in a more timely way. However, we are of the belief that the festive mood should carry on past the major holiday marks, that we may celebrate not only how the days are getting longer, or that the earth will sprout again after going through the necessary winter renewal, but also that there is now so much hope with managing the covid pandemic and that we will overcome the challenges together. Please enjoy this tracks with this spirit in mind.
Don’t miss this very rare & exceptional opportunity to witness a millenia-old singing tradition from one of the world’s smallest & oldest surviving cultures.
People who are in the know are super excited. This sort of visit by 6 Georgians singers from the Didgori Folk Ensemble has never happened before in Canada. According to the long-time World Music Columnist for The Wholenote magazine, Andrew Timar,
It will be a huge moment for Georgian music in Canada, an opportunity that happens perhaps once in a lifetime (Andrew Timar, The Wholenote).
Didgori’s tour starts in Edmonton as part of a classical choral music festival and makes its way eastward. Thanks to co-presenters MusiCamp, Clay & Paper Theatre and Folk Camp Canada, Didgori will have their featured concert in Toronto on June 7 2019, 8 pm at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity St Paul’s Centre (427 Bloor St West). If you’re in Kingston, you also have the opportunity to see them on June 10 12:15 pm, as part of the Choir Festival Series at St George’s Cathedral (270 King St E).
JUST AS IT IS OLD, IT IS HARD TO DEFINE…
No, we are not talking about Georgia in the states. We are talking about the country that is situated in the Caucasian mountains, that borders the Black Sea and shares borders with Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. It is situated on the cusp of Asia and Europe, and it’s likeness to either is often debated.
Interestingly, there are no migratory myths for the Georgians (whose population is approximately 3.7 million). They are indigenous to the Caucasus. They call themselves Kartveli and their land Sakartvelo. Compared to neighbouring countries (and perhaps due to its mountainous terrain) Georgia is known to have 17 distinct sub-ethnic groups, each boasting its own musical dialect. (More academic info on Georgian Polyphony can be found here.)
Perhaps this is why Georgian traditional music is also hard to define. It is certainly vocal heavy but it seems to meld together all sorts of appealing sonic qualities that makes it amenable to fit into festivals featuring a variety of styles – from classical and early music to middle eastern, to folk, world music and even improvised and contemporary new music! Truth is, the best way to understand the various appeal and the uniqueness of the music is to experience it live, so check out their tour info (Didgori in Canada, Didgori in Toronto) and see if they are performing near you! (You can also follow that link for some sound bites and videos of the ensemble.)
A CHANCE TO SING WITH THEM …
To further the exceptional nature of their visit, they are also hosting workshops where you have the chance to join in on the thousands of voices before you that have contributed to this millennia-old folk tradition. In Toronto, they are hosting 2 workshops:
Saturday June 8 5-7 pm at St Vladimir Institute ( 620 Spadina Ave, just S of Harbord)
Sunday June 9 11-4pm at MusiCamp Studio (11 Cobourg Ave, near Dufferin Mall)
But there are also workshops being held in Edmonton, Winnipeg and parts of Quebec. For more info, please visit the Didgori in Canada page. And don’t forget to tell everyone:
Friday June 7 2019 8 PM
THE CONCERT
at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity St Paul’s Centre 427 Bloor St West
$30/$15 student
TICKETS GO ON SALE START OF MAY
Saturday June 8 2019 5-7pm
OPEN WORKSHOP
St Vladimir Institute ( 620 Spadina Ave, just S of Harbord)
$25 at the door (strongly suggested but no one will be turned away)
Sunday June 9 2019 11-4pm
WORKSHOP INTENSIVE
advanced singers, limited to 12 participants at MusiCamp Studio, Toronto $100 contact MusiCamp to register
Didgori in Toronto Press Release
For more information about Didgori, for audio/video, or to learn of other performances as part of their Canada tour, visit Didgori in Canada.
Friday June 7 2019 8 PM
THE CONCERT
at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity St Paul’s Centre 427 Bloor St West
$30/$15 student
TICKETS GO ON SALE START OF MAY
Saturday June 8 2019 5-7pm
OPEN WORKSHOP
St Vladimir Institute ( 620 Spadina Ave, just S of Harbord)
$25 at the door (strongly suggested but no one will be turned away)
Sunday June 9 2019 11-4pm
WORKSHOP INTENSIVE
advanced singers, limited to 12 participants at MusiCamp Studio, Toronto $100 contact MusiCamp to register
Didgori in Toronto Press Release
For more information about Didgori, for audio/video, or to learn of other performances as part of their Canada tour, visit Didgori in Canada.
The Georgians are coming!
It is a very rare opportunity that 6 members of Didgori will be touring Canada from late May to mid June 2019. The last and only time a choir from Georgia was touring Canada was in the 1970s. This time, Didgori will not just be performing but also hosting singing workshops, with stops in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and other parts or Eastern Canada. Scroll down to view their Canadian tour schedule to date.
The award winning Didgori ensemble has been performing internationally since 2004 and has toured Russia, Turkey, UK, France, Switzerland, Israel, Poland, Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic and Latvia. Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001, the millennial old Georgian polyphonic singing tradition, with its close harmonies and untempered scales, is often described as transformatively visceral. It features 3-part singing in a variety of styles, from hauntingly melismatic lyrical genres to exploding counterpoint.
Have a listen to a sampler track compiled from Didgori’s most recent CD Singing as a Lifestyle
As can be heard from the variety of songs in the above sampler, Didgori are masters of a variety of Georgian musical styles, the wide variety of which reflects the diverse and complex landscape that has housed the Georgian people for thousands of years. Didgori is dedicated to the traditions of their ancestors through mastery and popularization of Georgian polyphonic folk songs and chants, and to the hope that their efforts will inspire future generations. The name, Didgori, honours a historical battle in 1121 that helped reunite Georgia and ushered in a period of growth in arts and culture.
Watch them perform (and even dance!) an Abkhaz round dance in the video above or listen to a performance of a chant in the audio player below.
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.
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.
MusiCamp 