Amazing cultural exchange – American family performing Georgian folk polyphony
The Linich Family Trio at the Georgian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Photo: Richard Osborne.
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On the 28th of January 2019, the Embassy of Georgia in the US hosted the NY-based Linich Family Trio, who performed the Georgian traditional polyphonic piece Mravalzhamieri together with The Capitol Hill Chorale, based in DC.
The event generated excitement for the Capitol Hill Chorale's upcoming performance tour slated to take place in Georgia this summer and also supports the Chorale's ongoing project of reviving the music of Zakaria Paliashvili, well-known Georgian composer of the 19th century.
What an amazing cultural exchange — NY based Linich Family Trio ????????performing Georgian ???????? traditional polyphony tonight at @GeorgianEmbassy joined by DC based the Capitol Hill Chorale @BakradzeDavid @MFAgovge @CULTUREgovge @agenda_ge @ipnge @Wines_Georgia pic.twitter.com/1VXmH6dmyW
— Embassy of Georgia (@GeorgianEmbassy) January 29, 2019
The Linich Family Trio is comprised of internationally acclaimed Georgian polyphonic singing scholar Carl Lynch and his two sons, Sean and Luke. The trio have been performing in Georgia, and across Europe and the U.S. since 2009 and have been awarded by the Georgian government in recognition of their work to preserve and promote Georgian folk music in the U.S.
The tour will kick off in Washington with concerts on June 1st and 2nd, followed by performances in Tbilisi (Kakhidze Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture) on June 22nd and Kutaisi (Kutaisi Opera House) on June 27th. The tour will conclude with performances at the Paliashvili House Museum, Gelati Monastery and Samtavisi Cathedral.
Mravalzhamieri is a Georgian folk song, the title and the one-word text of which can be translated as "[may you live] a long life".
It is a popular toasting song, with many different versions, each hailing from the countryside of both the eastern and western parts of Georgia. Mravalzhamieri is typically sung in three-voice polyphony.