The Georgian song “Chakrulo”
Ana (
Georgia
)
The Georgian song “Chakrulo” – Ana’s goosebump moment
“Hello, I am Ana and I come from Georgia. I want to talk about my goosebump moment. My goosebump moment is whenever I listen to the Georgian song called “Chakrulo”. I strongly believe that every Georgian who listens to this song has this kind of feeling. The song is Georgian folk music and was one of the 29 musical compositions which were sent into space in 1977. The song is about a man who is fighting for his own freedom and does not fear anything. Fighting for freedom with his friends who are like brothers to him. Whenever I listen to this song it always gives me this kind of feeling that no matter where you are from and what your nationality is or where you live, you should always be proud of your own country and proud of your own nationality and never be scared or ashamed of it, always be proud. And fight for your own freedom regardless of the challenges which usually come from life. Yes, thank you and bye bye.”
A Georgian song
“Chakrulo” is an old Georgian folk song and originates from Kakheti, eastern Georgia. The town of Kakheti is famous for its life, so it is not surprising that the best drinking song in the world comes from there. Yes, “Chakrulo” is a drinking song, if you talk in terms of a large crowd of happy and proud people, celebrating their cultural heritage together. That’s what I mean by “drinking song.”
Kakheti singing usually consists of two solo voices, which devour each other like two vines. They are carried by the Bordan, who is sung by the rest of the choir. “Chakrulo” was one of the musical pieces launched into space with the space shuttle Voyager in 1977. It dramatizes the preparations for a battle and is characterized by two highly ornamented individual vocal parts, set against a slow chorus.
When Georgian vocal polyphony was recognized by Unesco as a masterpiece of Intangible Heritage in 2001, “Chakrulo” was cited as an excellent example.
Georgian folk music
Georgia has a rich and still vibrant traditional music, which is known primarily as possibly the oldest polyphonic tradition in the Christian world. Situated on the border of Europe and Asia, Georgia is home to a variety of urban singing styles with a blend of native polyphony, Middle Eastern monophony, and late European harmonic languages. Georgian artists are well represented on the world’s major opera companies and concert stages.
Georgian folk music consists of at least fifteen regional styles, known in Georgian musicology and ethnomusicology as “musical dialects”. According to Edisher Garaqanidze, there are sixteen regional styles in Georgia. These sixteen regions are traditionally grouped into two, Eastern and Western Georgian groups.
The Eastern Georgian group of musical dialects consists of the two largest regions of Georgia, Kartli and Kakheti. Table songs from Kakheti, in eastern Georgia, usually have a long droning bass with two soloists singing the top two parts. Perhaps the best-known example of music in Kakhetian style is the patriotic “Chakrulo”.
A very marked cultural entity
Kakheti is a region of Georgia with a very distinct cultural identity. In fact, it has only been part of the country between the XII and XIII centuries (the golden age of the Kingdom of Georgia); and already from the XVIII century, within the Russian Empire.
For a long time, Kakheti was a province of Iran, and its inhabitants speak their own dialect.
The capital is Telavi, a town of medieval atmosphere with several tourist attractions. Today the name Kakheti is synonymous with wine, and you can visit many wineries that offer tastings at very low prices.
The festivities associated with the grape harvest in September and October make them an excuse to visit the region and be overwhelmed by it.
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