The Folklore Issue of Contemporary Author’s Songs in Georgian Folk Music

Abstract

In today’s Georgia most of the songs by contemporary authors, which are referred to as “folk” have little to do with traditional musical regularities; the examples, disseminated as specific, established variants are also called "folk". Modernized instruments created in the 20th century are also regarded as folk. It is strange that their consideration as folk examples is often acceptable to their authors. The article aims to study contemporary author’s songs and to reveal their connection with the regularities of folk musical language. In the modern era the author’s songs on folklore motives have not yet been given name in science. Georgian researchers refer to such examples as “para folklore”, “modernized folklore” and “pop-folk”. In all three definitions they are called folklore. The difference between them is shown only by the pre word. The article poses specific problems and shows possible solutions to them, for example: what approximates contemporary author’s songs with folk tradition? Why are they considered folk? What are their characteristic musical features? What factor contributes to the popularity of these examples? Also, basing on the musical analysis and personal interviews, discussed is folk character of the repertoire of contemporary author’s song performers (trio “Mandili”, Gogochuri sisters, group “Bani”, Davit Kenchiashvili).