Georgian music history dates back to ancient times and precedes many other nations. It started with the principle of polyphony which categorized the whole Georgian music scene for centuries. Many changes have taken place ever since. Despite difficulties that hindered the development of music and artistry, Georgian music continued to grow exponentially and reached the heights that it has nowadays. Today, Georgian DJ Gia Janashvili will guide us to some of the biggest and most popular Georgian artists you should listen to, their backgrounds, and how they rose to fame.
Sofia Nizharadze
The 2010 Eurovision participant is one of the most known musicians in Georgia, and that’s due to her astonishing performance in the Russian version of the classic musical ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Her career began at the tender age of 7 when she was invited by none other than the ‘Georgian Karajan,’ Jansug Kakhidze, to participate and sing along Tamriko Chokhonelidze in the well-acclaimed movie ‘What Iavnana Did.’ In 1995,
In the Best Vocal category, Sophie won, impressing the judges at the “Crystal Christmas” Festival. A year after that, she conquered the hearts of Italian critics in Milano at the ‘Bravo-Bravissimo’ contest. After pursuing an education in Theatrical Arts at the Russian Academy, she released her debut album ‘Where Are You’ in 2008, followed by her second in 2014. Both of the albums were positively received by the critics, and she continues to perform at various events in Europe and Asia.
Ketevan “Katie” Melua
Katie Melua is an internationally- renowned Georgian-British singer born in Kutaisi and emigrated with her family to the United Kingdom at 8. She made her debut after signing with Dramatico in 2003, and only three years later, she became one of the best-selling British singers. Her first album, “Call Off The Search,” sold over 1.8 million records only five months after being released and received high praise from the critics.
She did not forget her upbringing either, as she stated that ‘she visits Georgia almost every year to see her relatives. Katie has been highly regarded for her soothing voice, and amazing covers of popular songs such as ‘Wonderful Life’ or ‘How Sweet Is To Be Loved By You.’ She released her last album in 2020 and continues to play concerts and festivals worldwide.
Diana Gurtskaya
The blind singer is best known for her participation in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia, where she finished 11th. However, Diana continued to win the hearts of listeners through duets with big names such as Ray Charles, Demis Rusos, and Toto Cutugno. Although she made her stage debut in 1995, she released her first album after five years, in which time she worked on perfecting it. Despite her condition, she continued to release albums and perform live concerts to the delight of her fans and listeners.
Sopho
Sopho Khalvashi, famously known as Sopho, is also a Eurovision Song Contest representative for Georgia. She performed her hit song Visionary Dream and managed to get past the semi-finals and achieve 12th place with 97 points for Georgia. She continued to host the popular Georgian tv show ‘ On Imedi’s Waves’ for the Imedi Tv Channel and later on pursued a career in politics. Although she did not release any albums, her Eurovision performance continues to be highly regarded by fans and very underrated.
Nino Surguladze
Even though she was compared to Penelope Cruz because of their strong similarities, Nino Surguladze is nothing like the actress when it comes to her singing. The mezzo-soprano, born in Tbilisi, pursued her passion for music at a young age when she decided to study music at the Tbilisi State Conservatory. The rest is history for Nino, as she has an impressive opera repertoire and continues to perform even today at some of the most important operas. More than this, she even received the Presidential Order of Excellence from former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili.
Conclusion
Georgia is represented by some of the greatest voices ever heard globally, and the future looks bright with many upcoming artists on the rise. These were some of the most popular and highly-regarded artists born in Georgia, but it’s worth knowing that there are many more that were not mentioned.
If you are looking to indulge more in Georgian music, we highly recommend looking at the best of Georgian music at Audiomack. There’s so much music produced every day and new artists join the ranks to bring their contribution to the amazing Georgian cultural heritage. Check them out and find new favorites to listen to every day!
About the co-author Gia Janashvili:
Gia Janashvili is a Georgian musician and DJ but also a frequent publisher on Georgian music, covering everything from folk music to pop.
