‘SILVER SANCTUARY’
საძირკველი ვერცხლისო

Electric Cowbell Records (2020)
https://lnk.to/rmlGM6

SONGLINES MAGAZINE
”A very fine collection!”

WIRE MAGAZING
Below The Radar 35
Track Feature (#3)

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHARTS

NEW YORK MUSIC DAILY
”Fascinating, Rare Choral Music From Georgia”

SILVER SANCTUARY
საძირკველი ვერცხლისო

Zedashe ensemble (ანსამბლი ზედაშე) is a polyphonic vocal choir and dance group from the nation of Georgia. Directed by Ketevan Mindorashvili, Zedashe is one of the few mixed (male and female) choirs in Georgia led by women. The ensemble was founded in the mid-1990s to preserve the polyphonic folk songs and chants, unique to Georgia, that were largely lost during the Communist era. These chants run through the heart of Georgia’s rich history, through Orthodox Christian liturgical services to the nation’s ancient pagan roots.  

Zedashe’s ninth album, Silver Sanctuary (Electric Cowbell Records) brims over with 22 songs drawn from twelve different regions of Georgia. Ancient chants, ballads, wedding songs, work songs, medieval allegories, dance melodies, feast songs, instrumental melodies and more reflect decades of research and dedicated song collecting. While the choir’s powerhouse vocals and astute arrangements keep the music fresh for the 21st century. 

“In Georgia, every song has a history behind it,” says Ketevan Mindorashvili. “All of them are true stories, in a way, because they tell us the story of our roots. On this record we ended up recording five wedding songs, which surprised me. I found myself drawn to the storylines of these songs, which are very dramatic and often depict love triangles, sometimes of real people. Some are hundreds of years old, but are the poetry is as vivid as any film or novel. I love ‘Kakhuri Maqruli’ for lines like: ‘Pearls falling from the sky’ and ‘Rose blooming in your cheeks’, for me this is very close to the poetry of Rumi.”

“We all recorded several feast songs and allegoric songs that are performed at traditional Georgian supra feasts” Ketevan adds. “Georgians love to get together and feast. Good wine is at the heart of the feast — Georgia is where wine was invented 8,000 years ago —  but a traditional supra also wouldn’t be complete without music, dancing, singing, poetry and toasting. Feats are where so many of our songs have been preserved, and, of course, they are a very good place to practice new songs, too.”

Silver Sanctuary is a fascinating window into one of the world’s oldest and most rooted musical cultures; offering a rare glimpse into the hearts and minds of ancient, pre-industrial traditions in the heart of the Caucuses.

‘OUR EARTH AND WATER’

WorldMusicCentral.org
”The nation of Georgia has an ancient polyphonic vocal tradition that is mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful.”

InsideWorldMusic.blogspot.com
”Zedashe continues the country's past with lively vocal tunes with some containing instruments….anyone interested in folk music from the region will love the instrumental accompaniment, as well the intriguing and somewhat meditative vocal style.”

Globalagogo.com
”A one-of-a-kind experience.”

NewYorkMusicDaily.Wordpress.com
”Take a taste of this and let it take you back to a land that time forgot.”

Magnetmagazine.com
Best of 2015 world music.

Villagevoice.com
Show Preview
”Sit back and submit to the trance of primal music.”

'INTANGIBLE PEARLS'

DustyGroove.com
"Sublime vocal work from a contemporary Georgian ensemble – but one who work strongly in the best ancient modes of the Eastern world! The group have an amazing polyphonic approach – voices rising and falling, crossing and turning, coming together in a way that's far more than usual choral work – with a heavenly quality that's completely transcendent! The approach is a bit like some of the Bulgarian choral work made popular a few decades back, but also a bit more folksy too – given the personal approach of the recording, and the use of light acoustic instrumentation and percussion from time to time – although the vocal passages are clearly the main focus here. CD features 25 tracks in all – some traditional, some more recent, all of them beautiful!"

EugeneWeekly.com
"Zedashe purveys and preserves a unique and valuable part of our planet’s musical traditions."

WholeMusicExperience.com
"I highly recommend the CD to sophisticated listeners from any genre--not just world and folkloric. Treat your ears to the truly exotic." 

Comments from Audiences & Workshop Participants
 

"I was so enchanted with Zedashe's last appearance that I decided to go to Georgia and experience this music for myself. Having had the opportunity to do so through Village Harmony in 2002, I am now a full-fledged "Georgiaphile." I returned to Georgia in 2003 with my wife, and am planning a visit with two fellow singers this coming fall!"  Mark Grieco, Saxton’s River, VT

Georgian song changed my life. The haunting qualities and direct connection to the heart… it’s irresistible. Georgia is all about community; my first visit (so far!) allowed me to forge strong connections with our Georgian hosts, and has lead to the formation of a local Georgian trio. – Silvio Eberhardt, Williamstown, MA

Beware Zedashe. Their impeccable tuning and the casual air with which they deliver small choral gems to your unbelieving ears will, at the very least, afford you glimpses of the High Caucasus in the times of warrior knights and mountain fortresses. Singing with Zedashe in Georgia changed my life…. It could happen to anyone." Susan Miller-Coulter, Burlington, VT

"I can say that whenever a member of Zedashe opens their mouth, a cathedral-worth of sound comes out!" Sarah Burghardt, Grinnell College, Iowa

"Zedashe made an enormous impression on me when I heard them in St. Paul's Cathedral in Burlington. The group's program that day featured pieces from all over Georgia, sacred and secular — a feast of musical offerings. The sonorities of the whole group, the fabulous ornamentation of the solo singers, the wonderful commentary — all made for an unforgettable afternoon, and awoke a hunger for more that has led to the trip to Georgia that I'm about to embark on." Don Jamison, Burlington, VT

"From the first moment you hear Georgian music, it draws you in. When you hear the group Zedashe in concert, you immediately find yourself in the presence of individuals who treasure the rich culture and history of Georgia - expressing the beauty of their people, heritage, and nation through music and dance. The experience is captivating." David Lucs, New York City