Award-winning musical artists headlined by British vocal band The Swingles and acclaimed jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater are on roster to celebrate this year’s Jansug Kakhidze International Music Festival in Tbilisi starting this Thursday.
The five Grammy Award-winning group will launch the event at the Tbilisi Centre for Music and Culture, named after prominent late conductor Kakhidze, whose legacy is celebrated by the festival.
Formed more than five decades ago, they have been featured in high-profile artist collaborations and festival appearances in recognition for their a cappella performances.
The seven members of the London-based group will be on stage with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra led by Vakhtang Kakhidze, son of the celebrated late conductor.
The Tbilisi orchestra will also provide musical backdrop for a performance by three-time Grammy-winning American singer Dee Dee Bridgewater.
Ahead of the September release of her latest album Memphis...Yes, I’m Ready, the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador will appear on the festival stage on May 10.
The musical venue in the Georgian capital will also host Janoska Ensemble, a group recognised for its reinterpretation of works while being "rooted in classical music”.
The festival will celebrate 25 years of stage performances by jazz vocalist Maia Baratashvili.
[T]heir repertoire ranges from popular classics to their own compositions and unique arrangements of jazz, pop and world music”, said a preview for the festival.
Georgia’s own celebrated vocalist Maia Baratashvili will mark her quarter of a century of stage performances with a May 23 appearance at the festival.
A soloist of the Tbilisi Big Band jazz group as well as her own collective, Baratashvili will entertain the audience with both bands at the event.
The Jansug Kakhidze International Music Festival was established in 2015 to mark 80 years since the birth of the conductor recognised in Georgia and beyond.
Its 2017 edition hosted Grammy-winning American artists Bob James and Patti Austin in its event roster.