Polyphonic singing has a highly valued place within Georgian culture. It is a secular tradition in a country whose language and culture was often oppressed by invaders. The tradition of polyphonic singing in Georgia has developed for several hundred years before it became popular in Western Europe. Polyphonic singing has always played an influential role in Georgian society; it was performed both on holidays and in everyday life. As a result of the geographical characteristics of Georgia, namely the isolation of one region from others by high mountains, each region developed a unique way of singing.
In Georgia, three types of polyphony can be found: complex polyphony (common in Svaneti), polyphonic dialogue over a bass background (common in Eastern Georgia, such as the Kakheti region), and contrasted polyphony, which in western Georgia is predominantly sung with three partially improvised sung parts. The Chakrulo song is a part of the first category of songs, involving the use of metaphors, and is sung at ceremonies and festivals. It is distinguished by a yodel, krimanchuli, and “cockerel's crow”, both performed by a male falsetto singer. Many of the songs are related to the cult of grapevines, dating back to the eighth century. Traditional Georgian music included songs for all areas of everyday life. For example, they were used to accompany work in the fields, as well as for curing illnesses, and during the holidays (Holiday Carol, Alilo). Byzantine liturgical hymns included the Georgian polyphonic tradition so extensively that they became a significant expression. The Georgian folk songs developed independently of the Western European rules of harmony. Scales are based on the fifth rather than octaves, and intervals are not tuned to each other, giving the music a pleasantly rich, powerful, though somewhat unconventional sound.
The tradition of polyphonic singing is an inseparable part of life in Georgia, where all are expected to join in, especially during large celebrations. Singing is mostly a community activity, and during these celebrations, everyone is expected to join in for the main melody, which usually consists of individual singers, but the bass can have dozens, even hundreds, of singers. Georgians celebrate all the complexity of life in their music. Sadly, the Soviet repression negatively affected Georgian traditional music and some of the old songs were forgotten forever. Since the collapse of the USSR, Georgian music has been collected and revived. While traditional Georgian music is threatened by pop music's increasing success, valuable efforts have taken place in promoting Georgian polyphonic singing. The State Academic Ensemble of Folk Song and Dance named after Rustavi has done valuable work in promoting Georgian traditional music. As one of the leading vocal ensembles in Georgia, Rustavi has performed at more than 4000 concerts and festivals throughout the world and recorded more than 600 folk songs.
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