Gonja, pronunciation
from Georgian Folk Songs I by Village Harmony/Northern Harmony
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about
A ritual weather song from Rach'a, a mountainous region in northwestern Georgia.
From a recording made in 1955 in Qvareli, Rach'a, and performed by the Tbilisi women's ensemble, 'Mzetamze'. Every line of the text is repeated by two choirs. The first group is in 3-part harmony, the second, in 2 parts.
'Gonja' (from 'gonji' or 'ugly') refers to a man-sized doll made of cross-wise bound sticks, which was hung with rags and sometimes smeared with mud, and carried from courtyard to courtyard by women during a weather ritual.
From a recording made in 1955 in Qvareli, Rach'a, and performed by the Tbilisi women's ensemble, 'Mzetamze'. Every line of the text is repeated by two choirs. The first group is in 3-part harmony, the second, in 2 parts.
'Gonja' (from 'gonji' or 'ugly') refers to a man-sized doll made of cross-wise bound sticks, which was hung with rags and sometimes smeared with mud, and carried from courtyard to courtyard by women during a weather ritual.
lyrics
Gonja obai moviare, gonja midga k'arsa
Midga modga tarosa, mdems gavsa mtvaresa
Abarbare barbare, tsas ghruebli aibare
Tskhavi atskha vebula, dari dachka rebula
Gonja oba moviare, gonja midga k'arsa
The Gonjaoba wanders around, Gonja enters under the door
Walks here, walks there to the shelf, resembling the moon
Ah, Barbare-Barbare, chase the clouds form the sky
Sieve appears to remain sieve, good weather is already hurrying on by
The Gonjaoba wanders around, Gonja enters under the door
Midga modga tarosa, mdems gavsa mtvaresa
Abarbare barbare, tsas ghruebli aibare
Tskhavi atskha vebula, dari dachka rebula
Gonja oba moviare, gonja midga k'arsa
The Gonjaoba wanders around, Gonja enters under the door
Walks here, walks there to the shelf, resembling the moon
Ah, Barbare-Barbare, chase the clouds form the sky
Sieve appears to remain sieve, good weather is already hurrying on by
The Gonjaoba wanders around, Gonja enters under the door
credits
from Georgian Folk Songs I,
released November 7, 2014
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