Summer in Georgia: Entertainment

Georgia – a tiny country in the Caucasus has been working a lot to position itself as one of the hot tourism destinations in the region and not only. Government has spent a lot and has attracted foreign business to develop infrastructure in its mountains, seaside and other regions. According to various sources the number of tourists increases every year and by 2015 it will reach 4-5 million (according to 2010 estimate Georgia’s population is 4.5 million). Truly, country has a lot to offer, The capital – Tbilisi is a mix of eastern and western cultures, here you may buy antiques and handmade carpets, enjoy the finest Georgian and Western cuisine, visit ancient churches and etc.

If you have not seen this ad, you might want to take a look in order to get a feeling of Georgia:

Batumi, the biggest seaside city is rapidly developing, brands like Sheraton and Radisson have already built hotels and more are coming.

Summer entertainment in Georgia is diverse.

On July 3rd, singer Sting and trumpeter Chris Botti held a concert in Batumi.

Sting and Chris Botti are not the only famous names that perform in Batumi this year. On July 24, annual Black Sea Jazz Festival will feature R&B and Soul singer – Macy Gray. Concert will be held on Batumi’s Piazza.

Ilusha Tsinadze’s Mother Tongue

Ilusha Tsinadze was born in Georgia. When he was 8 years old he and his family moved to USA. Since then Ilusha has maintained strong ties with Georgian culture, especially Georgian music. Tsinadze was 13 years old when parents bought him his first guitar, and that’s when his journey began. After a graduation from high school Ilusha was accepted to William Paterson University, where he studied jazz. In 2005 Tsinadze visited Georgia and discovered his musical heritage. He met several musicians in Georgia and decided to learn some of the songs. Ilusha began to collect stories and songs from his relatives and became inspired to share Georgian music with an American audience.

Ilusha Tsinadze's Band (from http://www.ilusha.com)

Ilusha Tsinadze created a band that features Richie Barshay (drums), Chris Tordini (bass), Rob Hecht (violin and bass clarinet), Liam Robinson (accordion), and guest vocalist Jean Rohe (Ilusha’s girlfriend). Currently they’re working on their first project called Mother Tongue (Deda Ena). The album will feature 8 Georgian traditional songs and 2 of Ilusha’s own compositions.