External links
- Official website of the ensemble Mtiebi
- new generation Mtiebi performing a traditional dance song
- Tbilisi State Conservatoire's International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony
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Mtiebi is a Georgian singing ensemble performing traditional vocal polyphony.
Ensemble Mtiebi was formed in 1980 by Edisher Garakanidze (1957–1998), noted Georgian ethnomusicologist, scholar and performer. The ensemble was formed as a reaction to the increasing modernisation of the performance practices of Georgian traditional music, in order to reconstruct the traditional performance practice of Georgian villagers. The principles of the ensemble became: (1) to bring back the natural unity of singing and dancing (which was and still is disconnected in most of the contemporary Georgian folk ensembles), (2) to recover the tradition of the live improvisation on stage, including improvising poetry in traditional poetic competitions, (3) to present the traditional choreographic movements instead of the professionally developed staged dances.
Garakanidze did not organize the ensemble from seasoned singers of Georgian traditional songs. Instead he taught Georgian songs to his friends. Mtiebi members were often visiting villages, participating in village traditional celebrations. Despite their closeness to the village performance practices, Mtiebi did not try to emulate villagers and for a long time they were performing without traditional clothes.
Mtiebi toured extensively in European countries and in the United States, organizing performances and workshops. After the death of Edisher Garakanidze in 1998, his son Gigi became a leader of Mtiebi. Children's ensemble "Amer-Imeri" was established by Garakanidze (together with Nato Zumbadze), and today former Amer-Imeri singers comprise a new generation of Mtiebi. Although initially Mtiebi was an all-male ensemble, in Ameri-Imeri both boys and girls were taught Georgian songs and dance, and new generation of Mtiebi is a mixed ensemble.
Mtiebi had a profound influence on the development of the performance practices of Georgian traditional music. Female ensemble "Mzetamze" was established as a female counterpart of Mtiebi, based on similar principles. Ensemble "Anchiskhati" is another ensemble that was affected by the principles of Mtiebi. Performance principles of Mtiebi affected foreign ensembles of Georgian music as well, among them trio "Kavkasia" (USA-Canada), choirs "Darbazi" (Canada) "Marani" (France) as well as"Maspindzeli" and "Chela" choirs and "Buska" ensemble (UK). Mtiebi is widely regarded in Georgia as the first ensemble of the new generation that established the principles of village performance of Georgian traditional music and dance on a stage. Documentary film "Mtiebi" was produced in 1988 (director, Dimitri Gugunava).
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In the most general of terms, music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Definitions of music vary depending on culture, though it is an aspect of all human societies and a cultural universal. While scholars agree that music is defined by a few specific elements, there is no consensus on their precise definitions. The creation of music is commonly divided into musical composition, musical improvisation, and musical performance, though the topic itself extends into academic disciplines, criticism, philosophy, psychology, and therapeutic contexts. Music may be performed using a vast range of instruments, including the human voice to sing, and thus is often credited for its extreme versatility and opportunity for creativity.
Polyphony is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice (monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).
A choir is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which spans from the medieval era to the present, or popular music repertoire. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, hand, and facial gestures.
Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, or diphonic singing, is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract to arouse the perception of additional separate notes beyond the fundamental frequency that is being produced.
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Russian folk music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people.
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A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated. The term rehearsal typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people. For example, when a musician is preparing a piano concerto in their music studio, this is called practising, but when they practice it with an orchestra, this is called a rehearsal. The music rehearsal takes place in a music rehearsal space.
A show choir is a musical ensemble that combines choral singing with choreographed dance, often with an overarching theme. It is most relevant in the Midwestern United States and was popularized by the American television show Glee.
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Capilla Flamenca is a vocal and instrumental early music consort based in Leuven, Belgium. The group specialises in 14th to 16th century music from Flanders and takes its name from the historical Flemish chapel, the choir of the court chapel of Emperor Charles V. When the emperor left Flanders in 1517, he took his best musicians with him to Spain to accompany him as "living polyphony".
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The East Is Red, also known as The East Is Red: A Song and Dance Epic, is a 1965 Chinese film directed by Wang Ping, based on an opera production. It is an abridged history of the Chinese Communist Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the leadership of Mao Zedong, from the beginnings of the May Fourth Movement, to the Civil War against the Nationalist Party, and to the victory of the Communists and the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The film is commercially available today on both CD and video, as well as online with English subtitles.
Susanne Rosenberg ) is a Swedish folk singer, professor, and researcher.
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Filipino Americans have a long history of music in the United States. The Philippines have musical context and varied influences due to indigenous traditions and early colonial influences of Spanish and American occupation. During occupation by the United States, many Filipinos were recruited for manual labor along the West Coast. These early laborers commonly would perform Spanish-influenced rondallas as well as choral groups. With many Filipinos living in the United States beginning around the 1900s, Filipinos have contributed towards early Americana staples such as blues and jazz, and continue to influence more modern contemporary genres such as hip hop and rock. American music has also been influential in the Philippines for artists and vice versa. Though contributing to the evolution of American music, large number of Filipino Americans have a strong identity with culture of the Philippines by participating or organizing traditional dances and musical performances, largely in the form of PCNs on university campuses. Traditional dances and musical performances commonly practiced in the US are rondallas, choral groups, and gong chime ensembles. College campuses often organize performances on campuses, but can also have characteristics unique to America, as many Filipino Americans want to share their experiences of living in America and perform a more neo-traditional variation of traditional performances.
