Georgian Music MP3 Archive

The Shin formed in Germany in 1998, where Zaza Miminoshvili and Zurab Gagnidze have been living since 1994. Mamuka Ghaghanidze joined the group in 2002.

In their Georgian homeland, these musicians belong to the artistic elite of the country and are well known as leading composers and musicians. They have scripted pieces for productions at the Tbilisi State Theater, numerous film, TV, and radio projects in Georgia and around the world, have taken part in several international projects, working together with great composers, and directors and artists such as Gia Kancheli, Robert Sturua, Giora Feidman, Chaka Khan, Randy Brecker, Okay Temiz, Fuat Saka, Ramesh Shotham, Raymond Kaczynski, Samir Essahbi and many others. Musicians have lead several workshops on Georgian polyphony polyrhythmic and improvisation-theory. The Shin has participated in various festivals and won several prizes in recognition of their work.

Music of The Shin smoothly combines Georgian folk melodies with jazz, native polyphonic singing with scat, and in general the music of the near Orient with the modern sounds popular in the West today.

EgAri is collaboration with Georgian virtuoso folkloric musicians, singers and a dancer. In their search for a sound that is definitively Georgian, The Shin have created a trans-regional fusion of various Georgian styles. Based on Georgian instrumental music, traditional polyphonic vocals, and folk dance, EgAri for the first time unites these quite separate segments of Georgian culture. It is an unusual, and highly non-traditional combination of archaic and modern, Caucasian and non-Caucasian instruments, elements of Georgian harmonies with diverse jazz threads.

The Shin are Zaza Miminoshvili (guitars, panduri), Zurab J. Gagnidze (electric and acoustic bass, vocals) and Mamuka Gaganidze (vocals, percussion).

In their Georgian homeland, these musicians belong to the artistic elite of the country and are well known as leading composers and musicians. They have scripted pieces for productions at the Tbilisi State Theatre, numerous film, TV, and radio projects in Georgia and around the world, have taken part in several international projects, working together with great composers, directors and artists such as Gia Kancheli, Robert Sturua, Giora Feidman, Chaka Khan, Randy Brecker, Okay Temiz, Fuat Saka and many others. Musicians have lead several workshops on Georgian polyphony polyrhythmic and improvisation-theory. The Shin has participated in various festivals and won several prizes in recognition of their work.

In Georgian Shin means “the road home”. Even though each of us has our own personal road home and our own personal home, the music of The Shin has the amazing ability of leading everyone “home”. The music leads you to somewhere you know you’ve been before, where the windows are fogged over from the rain and it smells of kitchen smells, where you hear voices and, even though you might not understand what they are saying, you understand everything anyway. This music leads you home, no matter how far away it is.

“Just try to imagine a brilliant dialogue between an acoustic guitar à-la flamenco and a fretless bass, a mischievous percussion and a supersonic guruli-singing that would make Scatman John jealous, or Indian masters of playing the tabla… All the compositions performed by The Shin have this unique quality of being immediately commemorated - right away, you start to hum along and your feet begin to tap of their own accord, your hands clap and it simply becomes hard to remain seated”.

Pavel Peresvetov, for the magazine “Vash Dosug”, January 2005

“…With all due respect to the other participants, it was precisely these musicians who were to become the stars of show on that evening. In contrast to the slightly monotonous mainstream-jazz, the Georgian ethno-jazz-rock was simply magnificent. The combination of folk-melodies, at times undisguised rock-riffs, a great percussion, vocals that were crazily beautiful, true Georgian charm and a sense of humor made them the audience’s favourite band. It was The Shin, which reaped the loudest applause and most “BRAVO-s!!!” Just to foreclose, at the end of the festival the group won the official prize of being the audience’s favourite band.

Festival “Jazz at the Hermitage garden” Sergey Bondarkov, “Polniy Jazz”, NN 30-31, 2005

“Without a doubt, The Shin’s concert featuring R. Brecker was the best project among those which have been presented by “Eastern Promotion” so far. From the very first seconds of the concert the spectators got the most important thing: real music!”

9th Jazz Festival, Tbilisi. “24 Hours” 07.07.2005, Tbilisi

A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity.Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper’s mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer’s or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age.

That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging.

“Everybody was thinking that when you have a brain over 100 years, you have a lot of problems,” he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday.

He cited a common hardening of arteries and the build up of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease as examples.

“This is the first (extremely old) brain that did not have these problems.”

Van Andel was the oldest living person in the world at the time of her death in 2005 in the Dutch city of Hoogeveen, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 1972, the then 82-year-old Van Andel called the University of Groningen in order to donate her body to science. She called again at age 111 because she worried she might no longer be of interest. At that time Holstege began to interview her, testing her cognitive abilities at ages 112 and 113. Though she had problems with her eyesight, she was alert and performing better than the average 60- to 75-year-old.

Dr. Murali Doraiswamy of the Center for Aging at Duke University, not associated with the study, said it is unusual and valuable.

In the first place there are few “super-centenarians” — people 110 and older — alive at any one time, a slim proportion of the world’s population and a scant number even compared to those who reach 100 years.

As a result, he said, there are few chances to study brains as old as hers.

“It’s very rare to be able to do not only a post-mortem, but also be able to have tested her two, three years before she died,” said Doraiswamy.

“For a scientist, getting the opportunity to study someone like that is like winning the lottery.”

Doraiswamy, an Alzheimer’s expert, said that the proportion of brains with some buildup of proteins associated with the disease increases with age. As a result, experts theorize anybody who lives long enough will get them eventually.

When Van Andel died, the director of the elderly home where she was living declined to give a cause of death, pointing to her extremely advanced years.

Holstege said she died of cancer.

“She died from stomach cancer, and you and I can also die from stomach cancer,” he said, adding that her case demonstrates that very old people die of diseases, not simply old age.

“It is very important to treat the elderly as normal people, as if they are 50 or 60.”

He noted that Van Andel was operated on at age 100 for breast cancer and survived 15 more years.

When she was born in 1890, she weighed only 3.5 pounds, and her mother expected her to die in infancy. Van Andel’s husband died in 1959. She had no children.

Longevity was in her genes, as all her siblings lived past 70, and her mother died at the age of 100.

Asked what advice she would give to people who want to live a long time, she once quipped: “Keep breathing.”

Place of birth: - Republic of Georgia, Tbilisi.
Date of birth: - 9 December 1984
Education: - Bachelor Degree in journalism

Neka was growing in traditional Georgian family, where fine arts and, especially music, were always prime hobbies and interests. Neka’s singing talent was discovered in age of 5 by her mother, so as a result of this discovery she took Neka to singer’s class, under direction of composer Rusudan Sebiskveradze. The very firs concert, neka took part in, was in Tbilisi Entertainers House, when she was only 6 years old. As she said after, the best thing she liked of it was her beautiful white dress, she wore on stage during performance. The next step in her singer’s career was child-band called “Nergebi”. During the casting, for entering this band, they decided, that Neka had a great feel of rhythm and should play drums. So, this is how Neka became drummer in her seven. As she said, she liked it much, though it was very hard to reach kick drum and hi-hat pedals. Neka’s father said, it was a lot of fun looking at Neka playing drums from concert hall seats – only part of forehead appeared from behind of drumset. She performed 37 songs as drummer, whereupon she decided to leave band. She wanted to sing, but band had no other talent to substitute Neka on Drums, so she left the band in age of eight.

After leaving “Nergebi”, Neka started visiting class conducted by composer David Turashvili. “It was the greatest advance in my singer’s career, being taught by such a great musician” – Neka says. “I was following David Turashvili’s advices all further career” – she says also. David Turashvili became most significant and the only vocals teacher Neka ever had after she finished visiting his class. She was studying music in music college, but was never taught vocals again.

When Neka’s parent realized, that love for singing was more than simple hobby, they decided to help her in advancing to professional scene. They did their best, though it was pretty hard to invest recordings and promotion. Than way Neka’s mother became her manager and was following her wherever Neka went for concerts or festivals.

In 1992 Neka wins “Child Song Contest”. There she meats professional acknowledgement – one of the juries , famous Georgian singer Merab Sepashvili, decided to grant her a Grand Prix of this festival, despite festival organizers didn’t specify such a prize at all in initially. “I even didn’t realized what a big honor it was – I just saw my parent’s faces in tears of happiness and thought that something really big just happened” – Neka says. She was only eight years old then.

In year of 1994 Neka goes to Borjomi town – there she participates in international child song festival called “Crystal fir-tree” along with 15 participants from different countries. She was mentioned by art-director of this festival – Igor Filiev. He invited her to take part in concert dedicated to “Georgian Cinematography’s 100-th year anniversary”. That was first time Neka performed on Georgian State Philarmony scene. She performed along with such a famous georgian singers, as Nani Bregvadze, Buba Kikabidze and Gogi Dolidze. Behind the scene Gogi Dolidze took Neka by hand and told her, that she had a great future.

First appearance on TV concurred with Neka’s ninth birthday. As a result of great performance at “Georgian Cinematography’s 100-th year anniversary”, she was featured over TV as promising talent opening to more than 3 000 000 georgian public. Right after this she records song called “Batumi Troubadours” and gets well known to public in Batumi town. “It was so exiting, seeing people recognizing me in streets in my ten” - Neka says.

Like every musician in the world, one day Neka discovered, that she fail under musical and professional influence of one person. It was musician and piano player Nodar Paladashvili, who impressed her so much with his vision of music and great collection of records of different styles. He was also working as musical editor on Georgian Television 1st Channel. “That was a person I could talk about anything to – in need of any kind of advice or just friendly conversation I appealed to Nodar” – says Neka. When it was very hard to keep on singing and simply survive in Georgia (dear public probably remembers Civil War in the middle of Tbilisi in 1991 and all awful consequences for Georgian society for next years), Nodar made Neka believe in herself and didn’t let her give up her singer career.

The very first job of Neka was singing in musical plays for Russian Youth Theatre. (Remark by webmaster:- she was payed about $25 per month during this period – yeas dear Sirs – it was Georgian reality of 90’s) Shen worked for one year in theatre, though.

In 1998 Neka became bursar of President of Georgia. The same time Neka became Soloist of Georgian Philarmony – prestigious occupation for adults and unimaginable position for thirteen years girl. This facts helped Neka release her very first album, under support of “Renaissance” fund. It was very rare case of releasing local musical production in Georgia these years. “It seems very strange to me now, that I managed to release my first album in my thirteen, but I was so happy looking on it and holding my first CD in hands” – Neka says. She was remaining President’s bursar for period on 1999 through 2003. It helped her a lot in investing more finances in to her musical career.

The first international tour was in Japan – Neka went there with Eka Kakhiani, Nini Badurashvili and Tako Gachichiladze. They performed Georgian folk songs in 9 towns of Japan. After that she had tours in USA, Greece and Israel.

Israel became a historical point in Neka’s journalist career. In year of 2004 she was offered to work for first Georgian-speaking TV channel opened the same year in Tel-Aviv. She worked for 7 months as chief musical editor and VJ also. After coming back to Georgia, Neka started working at “Ucnobi FM 98.0” radio station. Currently Neka works for 1st channel as editor and presenter of “Dila” program.

Acharuli – Acharuli has also originated in the region of Achara. It is where the dance gets its name from. Acharuli is distinguished from other dances with its colorful costumes and the playful mood that simple but definite movements of both men and women create on stage. The dance is characterized with graceful, soft, and playful flirtation between the males and females. Unlike Kartuli, the relationship between men and women in this dance is more informal and lighthearted. Acharuli instills the sense of happiness in both the dancer and the audience.

Davluri – Davluri is also a city dance, but unlike Kintouri and Karachokheli, it portrays the city aristocracy. The dance reminds us of Kartuli. However, the movements in Davluri are less complicated and the male/female relationship is less formal. The dance is performed by many couples and with the music and colorful costumes, paints a picture of an aristocratic feast on stage.

Jeirani – This dance is built on the hunting episode on a doe and is beautifully choreographed by Nino Ramishvili. The dance incorporates not only classical ballet movements but also paints a breathtaking picture of a hunting scene. Everyone who saw Jeirani performed by Nino Ramishvili cannot forget the beautiful body movements, unique dance steps and the dancing spirit charged into the audience (The Georgian National Ballet).

Karachokheli – Karachokheli was a city craftsman and generally wore black chokha (traditional men’s wear). They were known for hard work and, at the same time, for a carefree life. His love for life, wine (which Georgia is famous for) and beautiful women is well represented in the dance Karachokheli.

Kartuli - The dance Kartuli many times reminds the audience of a wedding . Kartuli is a truly romantic dance. It is performed by a dance couple and incorporates the softness and gracefulness of a woman and dignity and love of a man. It shows that even in love, men uphold their respect and manners by not touching the woman and maintaining a certain distance from her. The man focuses his eyes on his partner as if she were the only woman in the whole world. He keeps his upper body motionless at all times. The woman keeps her eyes downcast at all times and glides on the rough floor as a swan on the smooth surface of a lake. The utmost skill, which is necessary to perform Kartuli, has earned the dance a reputation of one of the most difficult dances. There were only a few great performers of Kartuli. Some of these are Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili, and Iamze Dolaberidze and Pridon Sulaberidze.

Kazbeguri – Kazbeguri takes us to the Northern Mountains of Georgia, which is marked with a diverse culture and traditions. The relatively cold and rough atmosphere of the mountains is shown through the vigor and the strictness of the movements. This dance is performed by only men and portrays the toughness and endurance of the mountain people.

Khanjluri – Historically, Georgians tend to strive for excellence. This trend is portrayed in our folk dances. Thus, many Georgian dances are based on the idea of competition. Khanjluri is one of those dances. In this dance, shepherds, dressed in red chokhas (traditional men’s wear) compete with each other in the usage of daggers and in performing complicated movements. One performer replaces another, and the courage and skill overflows on stage. Since Khanjluri involves daggers and knives, it requires tremendous skill and practice on the part of the performers.

Khevsuruli – This mountain dance is probably the best representative of the Georgian spirit. It unites love, courage, and respect for women, toughness, competition, skill, beauty, and colorfulness into one amazing performance. The dance starts out with a flirting couple. Unexpectedly, another young men appears, also seeking the hand of the woman. A conflict breaks out and soon turns into a vigorous fighting between the two men and their supporters. The quarrel is stopped temporarily by the woman’s veil. Traditionally, when a woman throws her head veil between two men, all disagreements and fighting halts. However, as soon as the woman leaves the scene, the fighting continues even more vigorously. The young men from both sides attack each other with swords and shields. In some occasions, one man has to fight off three attackers. At the end, a woman (or women) comes in and stops the fighting with her veil once again. However, the final of the dance is “open” –meaning that the audience does not know the outcome of the fighting. As a characteristic of Georgian dances, Khevsuruli is also very technical and requires intense practice and utmost skill in order to perform the dance without hurting anyone.

Khorumi – This war dance has originated in the region of Achara, which is located in the southwestern region of Georgia. The dance was originally performed by only a few man. However, over time it has grown in scale. In today’s version of Khorumi, thirty or forty dancers can participate. Although the number of performers changed, the content of the dance is still the same. The dance brings to life Georgian army of the past centuries. A few men who are searching the area for a campsite and enemy camps perform the initial “prelude” to the dance. Afterwards, they call the army onto the battlefield. The exit of the army is quite breathtaking. Its strength, simple but distinctive movements and the exactness of lines create a sense of awe on stage. The dance incorporates in itself the themes of search, war, and the celebration of victory as well as courage and glory of Georgian soldiers. Since Georgia has seen many wars throughout its history, Khorumi is a call from the past and reminds us that in order to have peace, we must have war.

Khonga and Simdi – Both of these dances have their roots in Osetia – a region in Northern Georgia. They have much in common but are also significantly different from each other. The costumes in both dances are distinguished with long sleeves. In addition, the headwear of both the women and the men are exceptionally high. The movements in both dances are also similar. However, in Khonga men dance on point, which is particularly difficult but is a beautiful sight. Khonga is performed by a few dancers and is characterized by the grace and softness of the movements. On the other hand, Simdi is danced by many couples. The beauty of Simdi is in the strict graphic outline of the dance, the contrast between black and white costumes, the softness of movements, the strictness of line formations, and the harmony created by all of the above.

Kintouri – Kintouri is one of the city dances portraying the city life in old Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The dance takes its name after “kintos” who were small merchants in Tbilisi. They wore black outfits with baggy pants and usually carried their goods (mostly food) on their heads around the city. When a customer chose goods, a kinto would take the silk shawl hanging from his silver belt and wrap the fruits and vegetables in them to weigh (Sited from The Georgian National Ballet). Kintos were known to be cunning, swift, and informal. Such characteristics of kinto are well shown in Kintouri. The dance is light natured and fun to watch.

Mtiuluri – Mtiuluri is also a mountain dance. Similar to Khevsuruli, Mtiuluri is also based on competition. However, in this dance, the competition is mainly between two groups of young men. It is more like a celebration of skill and art. At first, groups compete in performing complicated movements. Then, we see girl’s dance, which is followed by individual dancer’s performance of amazing “tricks” on their knees and toes. At the end, everyone dances a beautiful final. This dance truly reminds us of a festival in the mountains.

Partsa – Partsa has its origins in Guria (another region in Georgia) and is characterized by its fast pace, rhythm, festive mood, and colorfulness. As a performer, I can say that during a partsa performance, a dancer feels like a bird in the sky, flying across the stage barely touching the floor. Partsa mesmerizes the audience with not only speed and gracefulness, but also with “live towers.” This dance creates a mood and a desire to party.

Samaia – The dance Samaia is performed by three women and originally, was considered to be a dance of Pagan times. However, today’s Samaia is a representation of King Tamar and her glory. King Tamar in many sources is mentioned as a Queen of Georgia. However, she was considered to be the king of the United Kingdom of Georgia in 12th-13th centuries and was the first woman king in Georgia’s history. There are only four frescos that keep the much-revered image of King Tamar. Simon Virsaladze based the costumes of Samaia on the King’s clothing on those frescos. In addition, the trinity idea in the dance represents King Tamar as a young princess, a wise mother and the powerful king. All these three images are united in one harmonious picture. Moreover, the simple but soft and graceful movements create an atmosphere of beauty, glory and power that surrounded the King’s reign.

Argonauts legend

Argonauts were the Greek heroes, who, under the command of Jason, sailed to Colchis in the search for Golden Fleece. They were named after their ship, the Argo.

Jason and the Argonauts The story is of great antiquity – it was current in the time of Homer (XVIII century BC)

Jason was the son of King Aeson of Iolcus and rightful heir to the throne. But before Jason was born, King Aeson’s half brother, Pelias, had overthrown the king and imprisoned him.

Jason’s mother pretended that her son had died at birth. And she took him away secretly to be brought up by Chiron the centaur, a creature who was half horse and half man. If King Pelias had known of Jason’s existence, he would surely have put the boy to death.

Even though Pelias knew nothing of Jason, he could not rest. For an oracle had warned him that he would be killed by a relative and that he must guard against a man wearing one sandal.

Many years later, a handsome young man with curly, golden hair came walking into the marketplace at Iolcus. He was wearing a leopard’s skin and only one sandal. He had lost the other while carrying an old woman across a river.

When King Pelias saw the tall stranger with one sandal, he was instantly afraid. Surely he was the man about whom the oracle had warned Pelias.

“What is your name?” said King Pelias. “And why have you come to my kingdom?”

“I am called Jason,” said the stranger. “I have come to claim the throne, for my father is your half brother, and I am the rightful king of this land. I do not wish to quarrel with you. You may keep all the riches of the kingdom, but I must have the title of king, for it belongs to me.”

King Pelias thought quickly and said, “I shall not quarrel with you. The throne shall soon be yours. But first you must do one thing. Bring back the Golden Fleece from the kingdom of Colchis. It hangs on a tree there and is guarded by a dragon that never sleeps. This ram’s fleece of gold belongs to our kingdom, and only a strong, fearless man like you can recover it. When you return with it, I shall yield my throne.”

King Pelias was sure that nobody could survive such a dangerous quest, but Jason did not know this. “What a fine adventure it will be,” said Jason. “I accept the challenge gladly. I shall choose a group of brave young heroes and have a sturdy ship constructed at once.”

Jason asked Argus, a master shipbuilder, to build him a great ship with fifty oars. Then he sent envoys to every palace in Greece, asking for volunteers to help capture the Golden Fleece. The ship was called the Argo, and the fifty volunteers, called Argonauts, included such as Heracles and Orpheus.

As the group rowed away, Jason, the leader, prayed to Zeus to bless the dangerous journey. The strong Argonauts pulled their oars, and the ship sped through the waves.

After a while, Heracles called out, “Let us have a contest to see which of us can row the longest.”

“Agreed!” cried the others, and they rowed for many long hours until, one by one, they grew tired and had to give up. Only Jason and Heracles continued. Finally Jason fainted from overexertion, and Heracles’ oar broke in two.

The Argonauts pulled their boat onto a sandbar in a river so that they could rest. And Hylas, Heracles’ squire, went ashore to find drinking water. A long time passed, and he did not return. Heracles went ashore and ran through the forest, calling his squire’s name, but he could not find him. A water nymph who had fallen in love with Hylas had pulled him down into the spring where she lived. Heracles did not know this and continued searching for Hylas. When Heracles did not return, the Argonauts combed the shore for hours, calling, “Heracles! Heracles! We must leave.” At last Jason made the difficult decision to set off without him, for the wind was in their favor.

Before long the Argonauts came to a kingdom where the withered, starved ruler, named Phineus, pleaded for their help. “Because I am able to predict the future, Zeus has punished me. Every time I begin a meal, he sends two horrible flying creatures, the Harpies, to snatch some of my food and make the rest smell so foul that I cannot eat it.”

“We are ready to serve you,” said Jason, pitying the man. “Tell us what we must do.”

“Only two of your men, the sons of Boreas, the North Wind, can drive them off,” said Phineus.

The sons of Boreas stepped forward with their swords ready. Then the Argonauts put dinner in front of Phineus. The Harpies flew down, snatched the food with their sharp claws, and flew off with it. But this time the sons of Boreas flew after them and slashed at them with their swords, chasing them far away. “They won’t bother you anymore,” they said to Phineus.

“I cannot thank you enough,” he replied. “You have saved my life. And now I am going to help you, for I know that you must row through the dangerous Bosphorus strait on your way through the Black Sea to Colchis.”

Phineus gave them invaluable advice, and the Argonauts set forth once more. At last they sighted the huge, jagged rocks called the Symplegades, or Clashing Islands, that guarded the entrance to the Bosphorus. Phineus had told them, “When a ship tries to go between these floating rocks, the rocks move together and smash the ship to pieces. There is only one way to get through. Let a dove fly before you, and when the rocks crush its tail, row through with all your might. Thus you will pass as the rocks separate before clashing again.”

Jason let the dove go. Just as Phineus had predicted, the rocks smashed together, crushing the tip of the dove’s tail. Then Jason gave the command: “Row!” The Argonauts did, and as the huge rocks drew apart, the Argo slid through safely. Jason looked back and saw the rocks smash together again. But they crushed only the very tip of the ship, which was quickly repaired. Afterward the rocks became rooted, and ever since the passageway has been safe for sailors.

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

A more widespread interpretation relates it to a method of capturing gold from streams that is well attested (but only from c. 5th century BC) in the region of Georgia to the east of the Black Sea. Sheep fleeces, sometimes stretched over a wood frame, would be submerged in the stream, and gold flecks borne down from upstream placer deposits would collect in them. The fleeces would then be hung in trees to dry before the gold was shaken or combed out.

The Argonauts rowed through the Black Sea for days. At last they anchored at Colchis, tired but excited. “Somewhere in this land, the Golden Fleece is guarded by a fierce dragon,” said Jason. “I do not know how we shall find it, but find it we will. First, though, we must refresh ourselves with a long sleep.”

While the Argonauts slept under the stars, Hera and Athena discussed them on Mount Olympus. “We must help Jason,” they said to each other, for Jason was one of their favorite mortals. Then they both had the same idea. “Let us ask Aphrodite for her aid.”

Aphrodite, goddess of love, was always happy to use her powers, and she said to her son, Eros, “I shall give you a shining toy, a ball of gold, if you do what I ask.”

“Only ask,” said Eros, anxious to have the toy.

“You must make the daughter of the king of Colchis fall in love with Jason. Her name is Medea, and she is a witch. Only Medea can help the Argonauts with their dangerous mission.”

Eros prepared to fly down to earth while the Argonauts made their way to the palace of King Aetes of Colchis. The king greeted them courteously, as did his daughter, Medea. But King Aetes felt uneasy. He asked Jason who he and his companions were and why they had come to him. Jason replied, “We are all brave men of Greece, and we have come to ask you for the Golden Fleece. Ask us any service, and we shall perform it for you in exchange for the fleece.”

King Aetes had no intention of handing over his most precious possession. And so he thought of an impossible task for the Argonauts to perform.

He said to Jason, “I shall be happy to give you the Golden Fleece. But first you must yoke to a plow two bulls that breathe fire. Then you must plow the field, and into the furrows of the earth you must sow the teeth of a dragon. These teeth are seeds from which a crop of armed men shall grow. They shall attack you and, single-handed, you must mow them down.”

Jason said, “This I shall do tomorrow,” although he could not imagine how he would accomplish such an impossible task.

At that moment Eros flew down to Colchis. Quickly he shot an arrow of love into Medea’s heart, and from that time she could not take her eyes off Jason. Medea longed to help Jason with her magic, but she tried desperately to put aside her thoughts of him. Was he not, after all, an enemy of her father?

That night she twisted and turned in bed, torn between her love for Jason and her loyalty to her father. But Eros’s arrow had done its job well, and at last she sent her servant to bring Jason to her.

In the middle of the dark night, Medea declared her love for Jason and said, “If you promise to take me as your wife, I shall help you.” And Jason clasped the lovely sorceress in his arms, promising to wed her. Then Medea said to him, “Here is a magic ointment. Spread it over your body and your weapons. It will protect you from the fire-breathing bulls and the armed men who will spring up when you have sown the dragon’s teeth.” She also gave him a magic stone to throw among the armed men. “Now go, for there is not much time before daylight.”

The next morning Jason spread the magic ointment on his body and on his spear and his shield. Then he went to the field where King Aetes and his warriors awaited the spectacle.

“Jason will be killed by the fire-breathing bulls,” said the king’s son, Apsyrtus.

“That is certain,” said the king. “What a fool he is to undergo this ordeal.”

Jason strode out onto the field, and the two fire-breathing bulls were set loose. Jason ran after them, grabbed them both by the horns, and yoked them to the plow.

“The bulls breathe fire on Jason, yet they do not even singe him,” said Apsyrtus. “How can this be?”

“It is indeed strange,” said the king. “But he will not be able to withstand the armed warriors who will spring up when he sows the dragon’s teeth.”

Jason drove the bulls across the field. The plow cut furrows in the earth. Into these Jason sowed the dragon’s teeth. Instantly an army of fierce armed men sprang up and ran to attack Jason. But Jason threw the magic stone into their midst, and the men began killing one another with their spears.

King Aetes was furious. He said to his son, “Jason shall never have the Golden Fleece. Go and call our army together. Tonight, when he expects me to give him the treasure, we will attack his band of men on board their ship.”

Because Medea was a sorceress she knew her father’s plan. That night she stole to Jason’s ship and said, “My father is planning to prevent you from capturing the Golden Fleece. You must seize it now, before he attacks you. I shall come on board and lead you to the sacred grove where the Golden Fleece hangs.” The heroes rowed quietly as Medea guided them. “Now!” she said suddenly. “Stop here and pull up your ship on shore.”

They did as she said. Then Medea and Jason crept ashore to the sacred grove. There they saw the Golden Fleece hanging from a tree and glistening in the moonlight. A huge, hissing dragon guarded it, but Medea sneaked up and sang it a soothing, magical lullaby. Soon the dragon was fast asleep. Jason snatched the Golden Fleece, and he and Medea ran back to the ship. The heroes rowed away as fast as they could. And not until they were several miles out to sea did Jason show them the Golden Fleece. They all marveled at the hard-won prize and praised Medea for her help in gaining it. “But how will Medea get back to the palace?” they asked.

“She is not going to leave us,” said Jason. “For I have promised to marry her as soon as I can.”

It was not long before King Aetes learned that Jason and the Argonauts had rowed away with the Golden Fleece and his daughter, Medea. The king sent Apsyrtus with an army to pursue them.

Once again Medea saved the Argonauts with her trickery. She sent a message to Apsyrtus, asking him to meet her on an island. There she would give him the Golden Fleece, and then she would return with him to their father.

Jason accompanied Medea that night. When Apsyrtus arrived, Jason slew him with one stroke of his sword. Medea’s robe was covered with her brother’s blood, but she was so hardhearted that she did not even grieve over him.

Apsyrtus’s army, now leaderless, gave up. Jason and Medea rejoined the Argonauts, and they sped toward home in the Argo.

THE RETURN HOME

Finally the Argo landed safely at Iolcus. “Home at last!” shouted the victorious Argonauts as Jason stepped ashore to present the Golden Fleece to King Pelias.

But Jason’s joy was short-lived. To his horror, he learned that King Pelias had killed his father and that his mother had died soon after of grief.

Jason enlisted Medea’s help to punish Pelias. Medea told Pelias’s daughters that she had the power to make Pelias young again. In order to persuade them that she could bring this about, she cut up and boiled an old sheep together with some magic herbs. Soon a young lamb leaped out of the cauldron.

The daughters of Pelias were convinced. They asked Medea to cast a spell to put their father to sleep. Then they cut up Pelias and put him in the boiling water. But this time Medea did not add the magic herbs, and poor Pelias did not return to life. The prophecy that Pelias would be killed by a relative was thus fulfilled.

But the dreadful Medea had no power to keep Jason’s love. He fell in love with a princess of Corinth and determined to marry her, despite all that Medea had done for him.

Medea was enraged at Jason’s heartless desertion. On the wedding day, she sent Jason’s bride a beautiful robe that she had sprinkled with poison. When the princess put it on, it burtst into flames, killing her.

Then Medea killed her own two children, whose father was Jason, for she knew that life held nothing for them after her terrible deed. Her children would be slaves in Corinth, at best, or put to death, at worst. Medea fled in her chariot drawn by dragons. And Jason was left a lonely man, mourning for his young bride-to-be and his beloved children.

Jason was no longer in the favor of the gods, for he had broken his word to Medea so that he could marry another. He became a friendless, homeless old man, and one day, when he returned to gaze at his ship, the Argo, the prow fell on his head, and he died.

Long after Jason’s death, the Golden Fleece hung in a temple of Zeus, and all of Greece could see it and remember the remarkable feats of Jason and his heroic band of Argonauts.

The seas themselves might be modified to combat global warming by absorbing climate-altering carbon dioxide from the air, research now reveals.

The new approach scientists have theorized—which ideally modifies seawater’s chemical composition using treatment plants near volcanoes and coastlines—could also help benefit coral reefs worldwide, they suggest. But they caution such a technique could potentially also have detrimental environmental impacts that need to be minimized.

Carbon dioxide is a “greenhouse gas” that traps heat from the sun. The oceans naturally both absorb and release carbon dioxide, and researchers have investigated whether they can make the seas capture more of the gas than normal to combat global warming.

One notion brought up in the past involves fertilizing the seas with iron to encourage the growth of plankton, which would absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis just as land plants do, “but a lot of them would just release carbon dioxide again,” said Harvard geoscientist Kurt House.

Instead, House and his colleagues propose extracting acid from the seas. The less acidic the oceans are, the more they absorb carbon.

The scientists envision treatment plants that suck in seawater and remove hydrochloric acid. The oceans naturally contain hydrogen and chloride ions—the former is a component of water, while the latter is an ingredient of common salt—which together can make hydrochloric acid. A number of industrial processes can remove the acid from seawater, including ones used in the vitamin and chlorine industries.

“It’s certainly an interesting approach,” said Columbia University environmental engineer Frank Zeman, who did not participate in this study.

Speeding up nature

Ideally, these novel treatment plants would be located near volcanic coastlines, the researchers explained. The silicates in volcanic rocks could neutralize the extracted acid, while the volcano itself could generate the geothermal power needed to run such operations.

“If you used coal or some other combustion means to power the plants, that would just send more carbon dioxide into the air and defeat the entire point,” House said.

In a way, this process resembles one means by which nature removes carbon dioxide from the air. The gas can dissolve in water to form weak carbonic acid. As this water percolates through silicate rock, the carbonic acid gets neutralized, forming bicarbonate, the most plentiful and innocuous form of carbon in the oceans.

“We have found a way to swap the weak carbonic acid with a much stronger one, hydrochloric acid, and thus accelerate the pace to industrial rates,” House said. “Essentially, our technology dramatically accelerates a cleaning process that nature herself uses for greenhouse gas accumulation.”

This method could also combat the acidification of the oceans that is now threatening coral reefs worldwide. The amount of carbon dioxide is growing in the atmosphere, increasing the amount of carbonic acid in the sea. Coral reefs and other structures made of calcium carbonate then become more vulnerable to dissolving.

Unwanted effects

Implementing this approach would require ambition. To attack 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, the researchers estimate roughly 100 facilities with capacities similar to large sewage treatment plants are needed.

The potential environmental impacts of this method need close scrutiny as well. The plants would all discharge alkaline water, “which could kill a lot of life local to the plant,” House said. “Within a distance of a couple of hundred meters, there could definitely be some damage.”

Another potentially unpleasant consequence of this process could be the production of organohalogens. These compounds helped create the hole in the ozone layer. In addition, seawater contains a variety of other ions and compounds that might readily spoil the process.

“More work is be needed to bring down the cost and minimize other environmental effects,” said researcher Christopher House, Kurt House’s brother and a geoscientist at Pennsylvania State University.

The most economic way to deal with carbon dioxide is to simply reduce the amount we now emit, House said, either through more efficient devices or with so-called “carbon dioxide scrubbers” on power plants. “But if things go really bad with the climate, at least we have technology we could scale up to decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations,” House said. “And unlike strategies that just reduce emissions, this can actually pull carbon dioxide back.”

Год выпуска: 1986
Жанр: мюзикл, приключения
Продолжительность: 1:21:27
Режиссер: Евгений Гинзбург
В ролях: Зураб Кипшидзе, Лика Кавжарадзе, Сергей Шакуров, Александр Абдулов, Теймураз Циклаури, Роман Рцхиладзе, Нугзар Квашали, Джемал Багашвили, Игорь Рух, Леонид Ярмольник
Описание: Один из лучших фильмов в истории музыкальных творений в отечественной киноиндустрии.
Фильм-ревю в жанре музыкальной комедии. Современная версия сюжета из древнегреческих мифов о путешествии Аргонавтов из Эллады в Колхиду за золотым руном…
В фильме звучат песни – «Арго», «Дуэт Язона и Медеи», «Ария Медеи», «Ария Аэта».
Размер: 692 MB
Качество: VHSRip
Формат: AVI
Видео кодек: DivX
Аудио кодек: MP3
Видео: 512×416 (1.23:1), 25 fps, DivX Codec 4.x, 1108 kbps avg, 0.21 bit/pixel
Аудио: 44.100 kHz, MPEG Layer 3, 1 ch, 66.52 kbps avg
Ссылка:
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111685….com.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111699….com.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111709….com.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111687….com.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111692….com.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111666….com.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111733….com.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/54111215….com.part8.rar

Nini Badurashvili
22 year-old Nini Badurashvili takes part in Eurovision 2008 home contest together with some of her closest friends who are also Eurovision contesters: Tako Gachechiladze and Kristine Imedadze. Nini is fond of reading, traveling, skating and swimming, and that is besides many other interests. She graduated from Tbilisi S. Rustaveli State Institute of Theatre and Film, faculty of Drama and Cinema. Nini, in spite of her early age, has already proved herself as an actress, by performing in several Georgian films and soup operas.

At the age of 5 she was already performing on the stage for a wider audience as a soloist of Basti Bubu Studio, (kids’ choreography and music studio). Nini was a participant in various contests during her 6 years as one of Basti Bubu’s soloist. She is always involved in all grand concerts, which commonly take place in Tbilisi nowadays. Nini has also released one solo album of her works.

The young singer has been awarded with an Order of Honor, and she is the proud holder of various awards and coveted prizes.

Tako Gachechiladze
Tako Gachechiladze first ever appeared on the stage in front of the live audience at the age of 8 as a participant of a Fairies’ Contest. She then became the holder of an award as the most musical fairy contestant.

Tako was a soloist of “Basti Bubu” (kids’ choreography and music studio). Already in childhood she was a busy participant of various kids’ show programs and winner of a range of international contests.

At the age of 11 Russian TV station “Ren-TV named Tako at the New Year musical program as the discovery of the year.
In 2001 Tako took the first position at the Ukraine’s contest “More Drusey”. In 2002 she became the winner of International festival of arts “Slaviansky Bazar”.

Tako Gachechiladze has partaken in a number of national and international festivals and creative evenings. Tako is a permanent participant of any grand concert that takes place in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Moreover she takes part in the international jazz- festival, which is traditionally annually held.

In 2004 Tako released her first album.

She toured about Japan first in 2002 and later in 2007 along with friends and held several successful concerts.
In 2005-2006 Tako was invited to Germany by a musical producer Zaza Laperashvili and Kristian Lorry, a composer, where she recorded several songs and held concerts in Berlin, Munich and Newburg.

Tako Gachechiladze was awarded as one of star song’s performer at musical contest “Patrinoti”-2007.
24-year-old Tako has been granted a Order of Honor for her contribution to the arts and extending good will throughout the world.

Kristine Imedadze
Although she never dreamed of becoming a singer – only have hopes of a career as a ballerina. Kristine started dancing at the early age of 5. Her talent was soon discovered at the Iliko Sukhishvili Choreographic Studio where she got her start. She later entered the Vakhtang Chabukiani Chorography Studio and even the tender age of 13, the young dancer continued her studies at Monaco Princess Grace Ballet Academy.

Kristine has several professions at such an early age, and after returning to Tbilisi, she decided to follow a future profession of a singer. She is keen to connect her future profession with stage performances, and all the while continue her academic studies at the Tbilisi S. Rustaveli State Institute of Theatre and Film, faculty of drama and cinema. Moreover, now the 23 year-old Kristine seeks to be a future journalist and her language abilities is an added plus - she is fluent in English and French. Kristine Imedadze has been a participant of various song contests; contester of Jurmala Song Contest 2002; participant of project “Otkhi Gogo” (Four Girls).

She has been awarded with an Order of Honor. Besides her busy schedule, Kristine is a beloved wife and a young mother of Taisia.

Musical group “Vivo” was created in 2003. Among its group members are: Davit Mgeladze, Goga Meskhi, Giorgi Sukhitashvili, and Mikheil Sharashenidze.

“Vivo” is extremely involved in a variety of concerts, events and cultural activities. The group won the 2005-2007 musical contests “Patrinoti”. “Vivo” was also a participant in an international festival entitled “Songs on Samegrelo”. The first solo concert of “Vivo” was in the regional town of Gori in July 2007. “Vivo” has video clips on three of its songs, two of which are popular on radio stations devoted to music. “Vivo” has recorded song duets with famous Georgian singers such as Tamuna Amonashvili, Sopho Khalvashi, and Tako Gachechiladze. “Vivo” released its first musical album “Georgian Style” in summer, 2007. Vivo is currently working towards creating new musical compositions and producing video clips.

A Quartet ““Teatroni” was especially created in light of the Eurovision song contest by Kote Malania. Boris Bedia, Irakli Abzhandadze, Irakli Alpaidze, Otar Kovziridze are counted among its key group members.

Boris Bedia was born on November 22, 1983. He was a natural born singer who started out his musical carrier at the age of 19, when he participated for the first time and came in with the 1st prize in Batumi musical contest entitled “Khaverdovani Khma” (“Velvet Voice) in 2005.

Boris Bedia currnetly sings at Tbilisi Municipal Jazz-Orchestra.

Irakli Abzhandadze was born on January 2, 1985. He graduated Kutaisi Musical Art College and in 2004 became a member of an ensemble “Teatralebi”, which is translated as theatre-lovers.

Irakli Alpaidze was born on June 4, 1987. He has been singing and participating in various Republican and International contests ever since childhood. He is the proud holder of various awards and prizes. 1994-99, he performed as a soloist of a kids’ studio “Constant-Records”. Irakli has been a member of a popular Georgian music group “Sepas Bichebi” (Sepa’s Boys) since 2003.

Otar Kovziridze, born on March 31, 1985 and graduated from the Institute of Theatre and Film in 2006. He is currently working at Tavisufali Theatre, “Free Theatre” and as well is a member of an ensemble and quartet that is connected to the Theatre Institute. Otar Kovziridze has been a regular participant in a range of International and Republican sponsored contests.