The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

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Andrea Kuzmich
traditional music like Georgian polyphony, where the rhetoric surrounding the practice is steeped in historical
references, I suggest that the “immanent musical history” must be riddled out from the history of the homeland,
the history of the musical practice, and the implication these have for the musical development – for the
aesthetic development of the musical practice.
Georgian Polyphony, Its History and Its Embodiment of Ancestry for Georgians
Starting off with a brief description of the structure of the Georgian polyphonic music, this section delves
into the complexities of analyzing a music for the past it embodies. For instance, more overt readings of
Georgia’s war-torn past are found in the lyrics, song subjects, song types, and the rhetoric than surrounds the
practice. But more obscure readings actually reflect how the history of conflict affects the nature of the musical
practice. Delving into these obscure readings proves confusing and speculative; however, the pieces of the
puzzles seem to take more shape when we recognize the unifying role Christianity plays in Georgia’s history
of conflict and the implications this had on the musical development.
Of primary importance is recognizing that the three-part structure of Georgian polyphony is actually
something of anomaly in this part of the world, where neighbouring nations (like Armenia, Azerbaijan and
those in the North Caucasus) practice more monophonic musical traditions. According to Georgians, singing
Georgian songs acts as a metaphor for love and comradery; and in an Andersonian sense, the resulting
comradery reaffirms a Georgian nation through an “imagined community” (Anderson, 1991). But it should be
noted that Georgian polyphony is not a monolithic style that spans the country. Georgian polyphony actually
comes in a multitude of musical dialects reflecting the regional differences of the land. This in turn reflects
the numerous peoples who have settled or passed through the heart of the Caucasus, the crossroads between
the eastern and western worlds. For this reason, many would claim Georgian Polyphony to be a testament
to the country’s unity. This statement gains even greater significance when one considers how Georgia has
been unified less than 200 years over the past 2000. In fact, Georgia’s history over the past fifteen-hundred
years is essentially that of a small Christian state fighting for survival amongst greater powers within the
Caucasus. It has been invaded, divided, allianced, united and fragmented over and over again (Suny, 1994;
Tournamnoff, 1963).
Georgians’ practice of their polyphonic music is inescapably associated with narratives of ancestry and
the past that reflect the historical and geopolitical struggles of this contested nation. Most overtly, these can
be seen in the subject matter of songs dedicated to peace and war, and of harrowing encounters and shaming
betrayal in song lyrics or the rhetoric that surrounds the performance of a song – whether that rhetoric be at a
concert, a specific national commemorative event, or, where most often it would be heard, in the toast that a
song accompanies at a traditional dinner.
An example of an overt reading of this struggle can be found in the lyrics of a Gurian Song, recorded in
the 1930s, called Ali Pasha Adila. <strong>The</strong> song is about a commander from the western province of Ajara at the
end of the 18 th century who, bribed by the Turks, was shamed for his betrayal. A few things should be noted
when listening to this song. First, according to many Georgian singers and ethnomusicologists, the lyrics,
which reference the story of Ali Pasha’s shame, are apparently not as old as the song itself. Also, the form of
polyphony in this song is quite extreme with its contrapuntal style, use of krimanchuli (yodeling technique),
dissonant chords, and fast pace energy. At times, it may actually sound like a battlefield 2 . Interestingly, despite
the lyrical and sonic reference to war and conflict, the musical structure of this song, which demonstrates no
prevailing melody, relies on three equal weighted voices for its aesthetic experience.