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Women’s Folklore Festivals with Maka Khardziani Nanina Group 2.8
Women’s Folklore Festivals with Dr Maka Khardziani – Nanina
Ethnomusicologist Dr Maka Khardziani, Director of Nanina, joins hosts Holly Taylor-Zuntz and Susan Thompson to share the story of Georgia’s Women’s Folklore Festivals — where song, scholarship, and craftsmanship meet.
Maka explains how the festivals revive forgotten women’s traditions: lullabies to the goddess Nana, Batonebi healing songs, and newly rediscovered labour songs. She sings a Svan lullaby from her home region and reflects on why women’s voices are central to Georgia’s musical heritage.
Videographer-singer Ia Andghuladze joins to share the younger generation’s view of continuing these ancestral sounds.
🎶 Featuring songs by Nanina, Lalkhori, and Ialoni.
Recent Podcast Episodes
Centuries of Song with Dr Teona Lomsadze 2.7
“So I feel Voices of the Ancestors are definitely kept in Georgian traditional music for me. It brings me so much energetic, like emotional information and energy er encoded in this music over the centuries, which is just because of our ancestors and their voices.”
Dr Teona Lomsadze
- Are there rules at the Supra table? – Teo walks us through her family feasts.
- Can a woman be tamada? – Gender dynamics at the supra table
- Is Supra a ritual? – The sacred power of wine at the supra table
New Year Reflections Folk and Protest 2.6
“How beautiful is my homeland, the more beautiful it is, the more my heart breaks.” From the song Ra Kargi Ram Khar being sung by protestors in Tbilisi.
Susan travels to Oxford to record a special video episode with Holly. Reflecting on the political situation in Georgia, while looking back at the past year and ahead to the next.
- Giving an overview of the situation through the lens of folk songs and folk singers
- Sharing how the situation is affecting past podcast guests – Zoé Perret, Nino Naneishvili and Nana Mzhavanadze
- Exploring what folk music means now, what songs are being sung? We answer by singing live – in two voices
This is what the Georgian language looks like :-
პოდკასტ (ციფრული.აუდიო ფაილი ინტერნეტში) „წინაპართა ხმები”-ის ფარგლებში ჰოლი და სიუზანი ესაუბრებიან ქართული მრავალხმიანი სიმღერების ქალ შემსრულებლებს, როგორც საქართველოში, ისე მის ფარგლებს გარეთ. ისინი ერთად განიხილავენ სიმღერების მოგზაურობის ისტორიებსა და მასთან დაკავშირებულ ამბებს. პოდკასტის მასპინძლები დიდ ბრიტანეთში ცხოვრობენ, სტუმრები კი მსოფლიოს სხვადასხვა ქვეყნიდან არიან მოწვეული. ყოველი მხრიდან, სადაც ფოლკლორის მოყვარულებს ქართულ ჰარმონიებთან აქვთ შეხება
In the above, we speak to our Georgian readers about Voices of the Ancestors, a ‘georgian podcast’ in the english language.
Reviews
★★★★★ ‘lazy sender’, about the Second Series
“Intimate, uplifting, inspiring and beautiful; This very enjoyable start for the second series. We are taken into the hearts of these women, and it’s so lovely to feel inside of their group as the younger generation describe the joy they experience. Well done, team!”
Alistair, listener and Ko-fi supporter
“This podcast helped me to join the dots of many a story. The episode with Joan Mills of CPR was so moving, I had to stop driving to cry. I really would love to hear another series!“
bee_franz, early adopter – 5 Star Apple Review
“This is such an interesting podcast, featuring beautiful voices, stories and songs from Georgia. Full of emotion, heart and wonderful music. I had no knowledge of this topic before listening, but love hearing from the people, teachers and singers of these traditional songs – a hidden gem of the world.”
Derek Wilcox, singer with Chela & Buska, Maspindzeli
“Voices of the Ancestors enables Georgian singers to share their lives with us, the listeners, who are given a unique and personal insight into their music. I definitely feel a real part of a family of Georgian singers in the UK, helping this community to prosper and grow, creating connections to many Georgian singers both in the UK and in Georgia.”
Trailer
Press the “Play” icon top left, or on mobile use “Listen in browser” option for quick access.
Voices of the Ancestors presented JOURNEY OF GEORGIAN SONGS – Ensemble Stumrebi Audience Review 9th July 2022 “It is always a great delight to attend the Willow Globe performances and I booked to see Journey of Georgian Songs because I knew nothing about this music. It was very different but in a good way, I am very pleased that I booked to see it. The singers were very accomplised and brought the new (to me) sounds and stories to life. So the evening was a very enjoyable experience.”
Enjoying the podcast? Please give us a review on iTunes. It really helps to get the show out to more people and grow the community. Just pop over to Voices of the Ancestors on the iTunes website to do that.