Georgian Folk music and song dates back to the oldest time. It always have been connected with the being of our ancestors. Georgian Music as a mirror reflects the rich history of Georgian people, spiritual aspiration, moral clearness, kindness, Patriotic and heroic courage. Georgian folk music always represented spiritual strength and was linked with every activity of the Georgian people. There were labor songs, songs for wars, illness, feasts and misery. Folk songs were the strength that raised courage and tolerance during the misery. That’s why Georgian people have been carefully keeping musical language for centuries.
There are important materials taken from the archeological excavations as well as from ancient Greek records about Georgian songs and musical instruments. There are discovered many instruments, that were even made B.C. - Salamuri, Changi, Tsintsila, lira etc.
During centuries, while composing national songs Georgian people created and improved national musical instruments which they used in feasts and sorrow. Music has always been an inseparatable element of the spiritual life of our nation. This consequently resulted in creating the various kinds of musical instruments.
Gradually in connection with the increasing musical knowledge instruments were being improved and perfected. At times, the old ones gave way to the new and better instruments. Some of those old musical instruments completely disappeared, others remained together with the new. At present there exists a great number of names of Georgian folk instruments the real essence of which is yet unknown, because they have disappeared from our cultural life long ago.
The vagueness that often exists between the term referring to certain musical instrument and the instrument itself complicates the study of ancient Georgian folk instruments. Besides, it should be noted that the research process is further complicated by the fact that a wide range of musical instruments mentioned in Georgian historical records requires deeper analysis and more detailed study.
Unfortunately, we do not possess enough information about certain ancient instruments. Images of some of them are preserved on frescos, miniatures and the like. But quite often we are deprived of even such valuable information and have to content ourselves with mere names of several musical instruments from our distant past.
The origin of Georgian culture dates back to the prehistoric period. It has developed in close relationship with the world’s ancient cultures. During centuries our ancestors created rich art heritage and heroically defended it from numerous enemies. This fact is especially worthy of notice, as the dignity of every nation is valued not only for the separate distinguished figures, but for the outstanding monuments of material and spiritual culture created and preserved through centuries. Quite often a great cultural attainment disappears during centuries and restoring of its trace needs a serious scientific research on basis of such fields as archeology, anthropology, ethnography. The materials obtained during the decades of archeological excavations in different regions of Georgia gave us the opportunity to restore the general picture of ancient Georgian cultural life. This applies to the musical culture as well, in particular to Georgian musical instruments.
The given work is a minor contribution towards increasing public awareness of our rich cultural traditions and aims at introducing ancient Georgian musical instruments to the wide circle of people. Our work is generally based on the ancient Georgian literature and the material obtained as a result of archeological research. The site is provided by the practical experience of popular craftsmen, art-workers and performers as well.
This information gives us a clear idea about the ways of development of our national musical instruments and their role in the cultural life of Georgian people.
Spreading of Georgian national musical instruments
