The music of the Ukrainian Georgian band Gorgisheli is caused not so much by the creative striving for originality, although this search is a perpetual process for every musician, as by life itself. Sisters Tamara and Eteri Gorgisheli are ethnic Georgians who were born in Lviv – hence their refined Ukrainian.
Tamara Gorgisheli took part in a program on the TRK Ukraina channel featuring Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Her questions proved that she belongs to that part of artistic youth that cares about what kind of Ukraine it is living in. This event became an opportunity for The Day to have an interview with Tamara.
When President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia was answering the questions asked by the audience in the Ready to Answer talk show, your remark drew the greatest attention of the people present, including Saakashvili. After the show you and Eteri received a personal invitation from the president to visit Georgia.
“This was a noteworthy event not only in my life, but in the life of our whole family. After my mother, who was on a visit to Signakhi at the time, learned that I would take part in the show, she and my grandmother competed to be the first to greet me. When the Georgian television broadcast a report based on this TV show, my relatives and friends in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Signakhi started calling me. Our trip to Georgia on the invitation from Saakashvili has left fabulous impressions and warm memories in my heart. The president is a strong personality; he is hospitable and delicate and has a nice sense of humor. I feel that the trip will inspire us to compose new songs.”
Gorgisheli already has its own audience. In your turn, you tell your buffs about your love. But should one make declarations of love for the leaders of parties, factions, and political organizations?
“Love is something very private and intimate. Musicians are a part of their society. Apparently, they cannot stand aside. But everyone decides for himself. So, I could not but take part in the concert dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (ZUNR) held in the Lviv Opera House, because this was an event of nationwide, I would say even international, scope. ZUNR was a strong advance on the way to independence.
“My father was friends with Gia Gongadze, when the latter was living in Lviv. Gia organized public actions and established the Georgian cultural community Bagrationi. The loss of Gongadze for Ukraine is still irreclaimable. Eteri and I have dedicated a song to the memory of Gia called “Dumky” (Thoughts). We could not but tour in support of the public resistance committee ‘For the Truth!’ with this song.”
So, you have a categorical stand concerning certain things?
“I would never perform in support of a political force that I dislike. Neither do I accept bilingualism. I think that Ukraine should have only one state language – Ukrainian.”
You and Eteri are bearing a double civic “burden” on your shoulders – Georgian and Ukrainian. Although for the most part you live in Ukraine, you frequently go on trips to Georgia. What can you say about the recent changes in these two countries?
“Georgia is a small country. Its population is nearly four million. Ukraine is much bigger, both in terms of its area and population. Georgia has undergone great changes recently. I go to Tbilisi every year, but I do not always recognize the city. Because the country is compact, changes can be observed everywhere simultaneously. Ukraine has a different scope. Maybe another reason why the changes are not so observable here is because we are living here and do not have a ‘fresh’ eye. Like all Ukrainians, we want to have more noticeable and striking changes. In what concerns music, Ukraine is far ahead. This is a painful topic for me. I know only one Georgian rock music band, Vakisparki, and several variety performers.”
Gorgisheli has released two albums, Amore (2006) and Live (2009), recorded thanks to the Your Format project of the M1 channel. It seems that the greatest value of your music is that it offers quality sound and targets a broad audience. Apparently, the correlation of quality and popularity is important. What is shaping your musical style?
“As for the style of the band Gorgisheli, it can be formulated in the following way: pop rock with elements of folk music. We try not to orient ourselves to anybody. We create according to our feelings. But, of course, we have favorites – Coldplay, Muse, Modest Mouse, and many others. By the way, it would be interesting to give a joint performance with Coldplay. The result would be a kind of mixture of Georgian and Ukrainian elements with Coldplay’s sound.”
In an interview you and Eteri were asked whether you would like to change into mini skirts. There are performers for whom this question is the most important one. Why is pop music still breaking records?
“Ukraine still remains a cherished zone for our neighbors, a continuation of their show market, a very attractive ground. Home radio stations mostly play Ukrainian music in the night. If every country did so, we would not have the phenomena of Italian and French songs, let alone Canadian or Australian music. The problem is that people who make money injections into Ukrainian music, stake on the primitive, expecting to receive immediate returns. Meanwhile, Ukraine has many talented and interesting performers, who make high-quality music, like Okean Elzy, VV, S.K.A.I, Hudimov, etc. Working and releasing albums and creating new songs, they foster taste in Ukrainians, because the choice of format is not a purely commercial problem. There is also taste, let alone principles.”
How do you combine Georgian and Ukrainian elements in music?
“We were born in Ukraine, but all our relatives live in Georgia. Ukrainian traditions and culture are very dear to me and Eteri. Our grandmother sang to us lullabies in Georgian. Hence Georgian folk motives. But we grew up in Lviv. That is why we have acquired this interesting kind of mixture. We don’t force the inner material that we have accumulated; it comes into our music on its own. And this original feature impresses people of various nationalities who live in Ukraine. Our buffs regularly encourage us to compose a Ukrainian-Georgian album. So, the third CD will be based on Georgian-Ukrainian folk music.”
Like Ukraine, Georgia is mainly Orthodox country, but Gorgisheli has taken part in the charity tour organized by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, With Faith and Love.
“Young people need a foundation. This basis can be a religion or a church that meets the current problems and challenges. After all, this tour has become a breakthrough for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church as well: young contemporary Ukrainian musicians, a tour across 12 cities of Ukraine. It was the first time that such a thing took place. It was very interesting to watch the reaction of people who came to the concerts. For example, in the city of Stryi, Lviv oblast, children, after reading the list of performers on the bill, asked the priest responsible for organization of the concert, Will they really come? Won’t they be lookalikes? Although the concert started with delay, this grateful audience was waiting for us. For Stryi, this was the first live concert on this scale. One should understand the need to promote Ukrainian culture and music, in particular, on the state and personal levels.”
Apparently, this effect is produced when there are no imitations either on stage or in the audience. Doesn’t it seem to you that most of all we are lacking live communication between living musicians and living audiences?
“Sure. Emotions and impressions received during this tour still give us wings. Knowing that the action With Faith and Love was conducted with the blessing of His Eminence Liubomyr (Huzar), a spiritual authority of our society, we were confident and firm in our intentions to speak about faith and love via music, speak to our near peers together with priests who were also almost coevals of those who came to the concerts, because faith and love will be imitation unless they are supported by concrete everyday deeds.”
