NATO ZUMBADZE GEORGIAN POLYPHONIC SONG AND ITS FOREIGN PERFORMERS

Foreigners began to perform Georgian polyphonic songs in the 1970s. The fact that foreigners are interested in our musical culture must be welcomed. When lis-tening to them, Georgians feel especially proud and grateful. At the same time, in the interest of protecting our national treasury, Georgian specialists have the re-sponsibility to evaluate these processes professionally. Georgian folk song is performed by two types of foreign groups: one- perform-ing folklore of different cultures, and the other- performing only Georgian songs. The number of both is gradually growing. The main reason why Georgian song attracts foreigners is its polyphony. In the last decades of the 20th century interest in less familiar polyphonic cultures greatly increased. Georgian polyphony also attracts foreigners because of its special fea-tures. This is appreciated by foreign performers. They have said that: 1. There is no other place in the world which has as significant and unique a polyphony as Georgia; interest in Georgian polyphony has developed because of its antiquity and complexity – Y. Shoji, leader of the Japanese “Yamashirogumi ” (Akhmeteli,1987b:194); 2. Eve