Aşıq Nargile
AŞIQ NARGILE
“I first met Stefan and Ben who run the project when they were studying music in Tbilisi. After they recorded me playing a festival organiser in England heard the recording and invited me to perform. The Tusk festival hosted my f
Georgia
“Georgia is full of music, there are many festivals and concerts all the time with all sorts of music. Georgians can’t live without music: they are always singing and dancing. It is a big part of their culture, especially polyphonic singing at church,
Differences
“At home everybody knows the ashiq tradition, they know the melodies and understand the words: they might love the music or hate it but they are still familiar with it. Young people today tend to listen more to pop music but there is a growing interest
Woman's art
“My grandparents and family were always listening to ashiq music and this was something that was around me from a young age on. My grandmother insisted that I learn the saz at a young age after she saw some other female ashiqs on TV. I started studying
Without diluting the tradition
“From the moment I decided to be an ashiq I took on the role with the seriousness and dedication that it requires and I want to continue on this path. I never changed the art, as some women have done, and am dedicated to playing saz and singing without
Future ambitions
“I recently composed, performed and recorded a pop song with some producers in Turkey. It is my first time branching out into that sphere but it was great as we recorded a music video in the countryside in Georgia, with our traditional costumes and hor