Popular singing – polyphonic singing in particular – plays an important role in Georgian culture and society. Georgian polyphonic singing or multi-voice singing, which sounds completely different from Western polyphony, dates back to the 8th century and exists as a secular tradition in a country where language and culture have often been oppressed by invading forces. Since 2001, it has been part of UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Polyphonic choirs are also given a central place in our upcoming edition, europalia georgia: during traditional evenings with, among others, the renowned Basiani Ensemble, Gori Women’s Choir and Georgian State Chamber Choir, but also in interdisciplinary projects, including a new creation with Basiani Ensemble and Belgian vocalist Timo Tembuyser.

In a broader sense, polyphony represents the multitude of voices europalia highlights in various events: the voices of forgotten avant-garde artists that fell into oblivion due to the repression and censorship of the Soviet regime, the voices coming from lesser-known regions or conflict zones like Abkhazia, of women in a traditionally patriarchal society, of different generations, of minority groups, etc. Through new creations and contemporary projects, europalia georgia will add a modern layer to this vibrant tradition.