PRESS

On June 12-19 Rustavi, the Georgian folk song and dance ensemble, is holding concerts in The Netherlands and Germany. Rustavi was founded in 1968 by Anzor Erkomaishvili, its current Artistic Director. Over the last 40 years Rustavi has given more than 5,000 performances, not only in Georgia but in more that 60 foreign countries. The ensemble has recorded more than 600 Georgian folk songs and in 1981, 1986 and 2002 it was awarded the Zakaria Paliashvili, Albert Schwarzer and State awards.

The ensemble's repertoire includes songs and dances from almost all regions of Georgia. Rustavi is distinguished by its traditional approach. All the songs and dances are performed in their authentic style, which was the original idea behind the ensemble.

Rustavi's General Director Professor Badri Toidze told GT that on June 12-20 Leiden (the former capital of The Netherlands) hosts the First Georgian Cultural Festival, known as Iberia, organised by the ArtEcho Foundation. A Georgian fine art exhibition and a retrospective of Georgian movies and wine-tasting will be held during this festival. The opening ceremony was performed by Rustavi and for the next two days the audience was able to enjoy the atmosphere of Georgian traditional dances and folk songs. On June 13 those interested in Georgian song will be able to attend a masterclass by Professor Toidze. “Many people are interested in Georgian folk song and want to study it,” said the Professor.

From The Netherlands the ensemble will go to Radevormwald, Germany, where it will give a concert on 15 June at the invitation of German impresario Rudolf Haines, old friend of Rustavi. It will then hold concerts in Ingolstadt, where the municipality is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of a Georgian orchestra there by violinist Liana Isakadze, which is now led by a German conductor. The chorus of the ensemble and the orchestra will perform Mingrelian songs by O. Taktakishvili and sonds by Revaz Lagidze and Archil Chimakadze, followed by traditional Georgian folk songs and dances after the interval.

Rustavi is always greeted very warmly by foreign audiences. Their admiration is always expressed very emotionally with excited applause. “They especially like the fiery dances. Georgian folk songs sound so modern that it’s hard to believe in their folk origin and antiquity”, said the musicians. “We can see how much people like Georgian songs and dances, especially when looking at the number of foreign ensembles in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Japan and many other countries which sing only Georgian songs,” they added.

Professor Toidze told GT that the folk songs performed by Rustavi are performed exactly the way Georgians from their native regions have always performed them. "The programme is almost always changing, especially the songs. Members of our ensemble are still going to different regions of Georgia and recording old Georgian folk songs, then our Artistic Director works on them and we include them in our repertoire”. For example the dance Rachuli, which is very popular not only with Georgians but also foreign audiences, was restored by chief choreographer of Rustavi, Pridon Sulaberidze and is now one of ensemble's favourites.

A chamber orchestra accompanies the dancing of the Rustavi ensemble. It uses only traditional Georgian folk instruments such as the Chonguri, Phanduri, Salamuri, Doli, Duduki and Garmoni. The costumes of the dancers and singers are also traditional. The ensemble sewed new costumes for its 40th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2008.

Earlier this year, on May 26, Rustavi performed in Bristol, where the Festival of World Cultures was held and an entire day was devoted to Georgia. Professor Toidze told us that on June 27 it will hold a concert of thrilling folk songs and spectacular Georgian dances in Batumi. In September it will hold concerts not only in Batumi but also Poti and Kutaisi and it will perform in Telavi in October. After these tours Rustavi plans to perform at the Philharmonic Great Hall in November.

In September the chorus of the ensemble will head for Prague where Days of Georgian Culture are being held. In October they will be in Shanghai, China, which will host a World Exhibition. A whole day will be devoted to Georgia and a Rustavi concert will be a part of that day. Rustavi also is planning to hold a concert in Rome.