Welcome to Ts'utisopeli, a project dedicated to the conservation and dissemination of songs from villages in Eastern Georgia. We invite you to explore over 70 musician profiles and 400 songs on this site!
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Eleoni Ensemble
Tbilisi

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Eleoni Ensemble is a dynamic group of young women in Tbilisi, many of whom are graduates of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. 

 

The ensemble’s director is Dali Dabrundashvili, a wonderful singer who currently works as a schoolteacher.  The ensemble performs traditional songs from many different regions in Georgia, and the women's voices nimbly weave their way through various styles with great subtlety and finesse. Eleoni Ensemble is simply a joy to hear.

 

Ensemble Members: Tamar Mamisashvili; Mariam Sutiashvili; Sopo Bekauri; Tamar Qorghanashvili; Nino Gotsiridze; Ledi Shp'et'ishvili; Dali Dabrundashvili.

Eleoni Ensemble - Kalo Kalta Mzeo
+ Song Info

A love song.

 

+ Lyrics

Kalo, Kalta Mzeo

(scroll down for English translation)

 

Kalo, kalta mzeo                               

Gitsnob ati tveo                                

Metertmet’e damibenele                

Ts’uti gakhda dgheo                        

 

Kalo kaltamzeo                                 

Am chems sakhezeo,                        

Karagmai ts’aik’itkhe                       

Mauts’qe rigzeo                                

 

Kalo kaltamzeo                                 

Gaminate dgheo                               

Shekhvedra nu damizamtre,                      

Nu gamkhade t’qveo                                   

 

Kalo, kaltamzeo                                

Chemi grdznobis t’qveo                  

Rom mogik’vde rasai pikrob           

Saikiozeo                                           

 

Kalo, kaltamzeo                                

Khedav gavkhdi bzeo                      

Karma, rom shemomikrolos            

Amisvris banzeo

 

Kalo, kaltamzeo

Gitsnob ati tveo,

Metertmet’es nu gaiqvan

Mamidek gverdzeo

 

Translation:

 

Woman, Sun woman

I'd known you for ten months

When on the eleventh, my world became dark

A minute became a day

 

Woman, Sun woman

Light up the day

Don’t make our meeting feel like winter

Don’t make a captive out of me

 

Woman, Sun woman

Prisoner of my feelings
If I were to die for you,

What would you think of the afterlife?

 

Woman, Sun woman

I'll turn into the shell of a seed

The wind will blow me

Across the rooftops

 

Woman, Sun woman

I’d known you for ten months

When on the eleventh my world became dark

A minute become a day.

Eleoni Ensemble - Tokhnuri - Kartluri Satsek'vao
+ Song Info

A medley of two songs from Kartli: A women's hoeing song and a dance song.

+ Lyrics

Tokhnuri

(scroll down for English translation)

 

Glekhis kali var tataela, riti mjobia natela,

Aznaurisa kalebi eridebian mzesao,

Drozeda gatkhovebistvis evedrebian ghmertsao

 

Varalali, vai da lali daralo

Es gogo k’argad tamashobs

Pekhis prchkhilebze dgeba

Varalali, vai da lali dalalo

 

Translation:

 

A Women’s Hoeing Song

 

I am a peasant woman

Noble women are shy of the sun

The married ones are imploring God

 

This girl dances well

She stands on the tips of her toes

Eleoni Ensemble - Dido Bat'ono
+ Song Info

A healing song / lullaby from the highland of the region of Imereti in western Georgia.

 

Iavnanas were traditionally sung in Georgia and throughout the Caucasus to ward off spirits, also called ''lords'' (bat'onebi), that brought sicknesses such as smallpox, measles and mumps to children. Thy songs are of a gentle nature and are often sung by women.

 

The follow excerpt about the Iavnana is taken from page 125 of ''Violet on the Mountain: An Anthology of Georgian Folk Poetry,'' translated and edited by Kevin Tuite.  It begins by speaking about the violet and the rose, two flowers that are frequently referenced in the Iavnana songs:

 

''Kot'et'ishvili notes that in a certain folk tale, the violet is associated with the 'queen of the underworld,' and the rose with its king. In both cases, the violet is linked with a woman and the rose with a man. The Western reader would never imagine that this charming lullaby, with its sumptuous images of satin, gold, and rubies, was addressed to the supernatural beings that the traditional Caucasians dreaded more than others.  The word 'lords' (bat'onebi) is a euphemism for those contagious diseases, measles and smallpox, which until recently exacted a horrible toll of death and disfigurement among the children of the Caucasus.''

+ Lyrics

Dido Bat’ono

(scroll down for English translation)

 

Bat’onebo, prtianebo, dido bat’ono

Tkvensa gzasa vepent vardsa, nanav bat’ono

Bat’onsa, bat’onisshvilsa, didad bat’ono

Udgia okros ak’vani, nanav bat’ono

Shid uts’evs bat’onisshvili, iavnanina

Bat’onisshvili vakht’angi, nanav bat’ono

Khandikhan gadaurts’even, nanav bat’ono

Khandikhan get’qvit nanaso, t’k’bilad dabrdzandio

 

Translation:

 

Lords, great winged Lord

We place roses on your road

Lord, the Lord’s child

There is a gold cradle, Lord

Inside lies the Lord-child

The Lord-child Vakht’ang

From time to time, I will sing you a lullaby

Ensemble Eleoni - Varadi-Rado
+ Song Info

A song from Samegrelo, a region in western Georgia.

+ Lyrics

Varadi – Rado

 

Varadi varadi, varadi rado

Varadi varadi, varadi rado, he

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, he

 

Varadi rado, voshva rado, he

Varadi vosi varaido, he

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, he

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, he

 

Voshva rada, varadi rad ova

Varadi vos varaido, va

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, va

 

Vosh varada, si varada, he

Vava, vosh varada, he

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, he

Varadi, varadi rado, varadi rado, he

 

Translation:

 

The words in this song are all non-lexical vocables, or ''nonsense syllables''.

Eleoni Ensemble - Ia P'at'nepio
+ Song Info

A healing song / lullaby from Samegrelo.

 

Iavnanas were traditionally sung in Georgia and throughout the Caucasus to ward off spirits, also called ''lords'' (bat'onebi), that brought sicknesses such as smallpox, measles and mumps to children. The songs are of a gentle nature and are often sung by women.

 

The follow excerpt about the Iavnana is taken from page 125 of ''Violet on the Mountain: An Anthology of Georgian Folk Poetry,'' translated and edited by Kevin Tuite.  It begins by speaking about the violet and the rose, two flowers that are frequently referenced in the Iavnana songs:

 

''Kot'et'ishvili notes that in a certain folk tale, the violet is associated with the 'queen of the underworld,' and the rose with its king. In both cases, the violet is linked with a woman and the rose with a man. The Western reader would never imagine that this charming lullaby, with its sumptuous images of satin, gold, and rubies, was addressed to the supernatural beings that the traditional Caucasians dreaded more than others.  The word 'lords' (bat'onebi) is a euphemism for those contagious diseases, measles and smallpox, which until recently exacted a horrible toll of death and disfigurement among the children of the Caucasus.''

+ Lyrics

Ia P’at’nepio

 

Ia p’at’nepio, ia p’at’nepio

Ia gipinu do vardi, ia p’at’nepio

Ia gipinu do vardi, ia p’at’nepio

Chkimi t’akht’i do skani kuchuchi, ia p’at’nepio

Skani lekhis moushushi, deda, ia p’at’nepio

 

Translation:

 

Violets, Lords

Violets and roses are scattered for you

Mother, heal your sick ones

Eleoni Ensemble - Manana
+ Song Info

A love song from Guria, a region in western Georgia the western side of which is bordered by the Black Sea. 

 

 

+ Lyrics

There is no English translation available for this song. If you are able to provide one, include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the page.

 

Manana

 

Manana, chari, charirama, mananao, chari

Kalo, shenma moshorebam,

Bevrjer bevri mananao, chari

Chari, charirama, nat’alia, chari

Briliant’i khar almasi, iagundis nat’alia, chari

Aba, chemo nat’alia, chari

Eleoni Ensemble - O Adila
+ Song Info

A song from Samegrelo, a region in western Georgia.

+ Lyrics

O Adila

 

Adila, nanina

Dila vodelio da, adila

Aba, delo dilo-dela,

Adileu da, nanina da

 

Odelo, adila

Ovo delo da vaidila

Dila vodelio dela

Orudila nanina, nanina da

 

Translation:

 

The words in this song are all non-lexical vocables, or ''nonsense syllables''.

Eleoni Ensemble - Gazapkhulis Simghera (Osovraida)
+ Song Info

An antiphonal song from Samegrelo, a region in western Georgia.

+ Lyrics

Gazapkhulis Simghera  (Osovraida)

 

Osov raida va raida

Osov raida va raida

 

Orov rado, osov rado

Orov rado, osov rado

 

Osov raida, va raida

Osov raida, va raida

 

Translation:

 

The title of this song is ''Spring's Song'' and the words are all non-lexical vocables, or ''nonsense syllables''.