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Friday, October 19, 2007, #200 (1467)
German-based Georgian group The Shin first entered my life almost a year ago, when I went to review one of their concerts, knowing only that they played a hybrid of Georgian folk and jazz-infused rhythms. What I heard amazed me. Not only did the group successfully blend a huge variety of different musical styles, but the calibre of their musicianship was striking. It would be fair to call The Shin’s sound innovative. They have stated that their original goal was to find a genre-defying style that would allow them to elude categorization, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Sure, the idea of mixing jazz with folk is by no means new, but what gives The Shin’s sound a unique flavour is their distinct Georgian influence. Yet the result is far from gimmicky—the Georgian elements in each track are not dulled or cheapened, and every tune leaves a different, but pleasant, aftertaste. One track, for example, conjured up images of the snowy mountain peaks in Kazbegi and courageous mountain folk with faces sunburned and wind-beaten by the crisp highland air. Another evoked a joyful scene at a Georgian supra, with clinking glasses of sweet homemade wine, and warm smiling faces exchanging toasts to friendship and happiness. Polyphonic singing—a tradition that began in Georgia in pre-Christian times—along with unique Georgian instruments like the chonguri and duduki can all be found in The Shin’s work. One composition remains particularly salient in my head. It starts with incredible rhythmic guitar riffs, akin to a classic jazz tune, then a voice, rich and strong, integrates Georgian sounds into the piece, before these two themes interweave and complement each other in a slick execution of musical fusion. The group formed in 1998 in Germany, by three expatriate Georgians—Zaza Miminoshvili, Zurab Gagnidze and Mamuka Ghaghanidze—who have lived there since 1994. Taking time to listen to some of their work may reward you with vivid images of Georgian merriment and natural landscapes, or it may just introduce you to some of the rich folk traditions of the country. But either way, it’s certainly worth a try. The only criticism I can level is that The Shin do not perform in Georgia frequently enough—symbolically, shin means “road home” in Georgian and this is exactly what I urge the band to take as often as they can, so we can enjoy their exuberant sound a little more regularly. |
Music review: The Shin
