While the year draws to a close and much of the world is focused on holidays, Tbilisi’s music community is out in force in ongoing protests, fighting for Georgian democracy.
Many clubs and venues in Tbilisi remain closed – and those that do open are leading fundraisers to support the protesters or hosting discussions. These venues haven’t simply shuttered, though; many artists I’ve heard from are actively participating in protests.
For context, I wrote just before the elections about the reaction from the music scene:
The rest is history: the Georgian Dream party seized the parliamentary election amid claims of Russian interference and vote rigging, both local and international observers provided evidence of interference and flawed elections, and the opposition refused to accept the results. If you want to pour into those numbers, Nini Gabritchidze has written an in-depth analysis for Civil Georgia.
Since then, there have been widespread protests, which have accelerated since the beginning of Georgia. Many of our music colleagues are out in those protests, and it’s clear that the masses of resistance to the election results and political intimidation and repression are having an impact.
How do you spend Christmas Day in Georgia? Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, there were womens’ marches (reprising an enormous demo by women in April):
(It’s worth also reading the “Women’s manifesto against total control” from March of last year, translated into English, Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani languages.)
Current President Zurabishvili refuses to relinquish power and as of today called for a stronger Western position. As I write this, Germany and the US are adding sanctions against oligarch and Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and … well, maybe it’s best to just follow Civil.ge’s liveblog of the resistance.
Those US sanctions went over well, it seems:
If you’re wondering where the music scene is – they’re in those crowds. (I know, as I get pictures from some of them.) And they’ve been there month after month after month. Also via Marika Mikiashvili, some great footage:
The music scene is part of organizing efforts in the streets. That included a “chain of unity” earlier today across the Queen Tamar Bridge and a “March Against Authoritarianism and State Repression” tomorrow, December 28, in front of the state concert hall:
Chain of what? Chain like this (and kind of Georgia’s answer to the Baltic Way):
Tbilisi-based SpeakUp platform is a joint platform for the electronic music scene and club culture, collectively organizing and sharing knowledge and discussions. Information in Georgian on their Instagram:
Keeping in mind that Russian interference is often organized around the repression of queer people, those communities have also fought back. The queer collective Hydrash – see bassiani.com/communal – has been organizing, as well, alongside Transforma and Leash. We heard a lot of hype from the Western press about “dancing together,” but it’s been the homegrown efforts in Georgia that had kept the activism up – even, notably, when some of their foreign colleagues were nowhere to be found. That’s not to say there aren’t some strong international allies, but seeing this as a revolution organized in Berlin or Brooklyn and not in Tbilisi would be a complete misreading.
Our friends at Mutant Radio have also been active – and gone silent in their other projects to focus on the pro-democracy struggle:
There are ways of organizing solidarity remotely, too. Multiple events in New York and Berlin, among others, have sent support to the organizers.
For instance, Georgian-born Mess Montage, aka Tornike Margvelashvili, organized a concert fundraising for support for those on strike:
Here’s some of his music from that show:
You’ll also find a letter from 1500 artists and cultural workers around the globe (and counting) in support of Georgian liberation across film, theater, academia, and music (via Marika Kochiahvili):
Art Against Oppression: Solidarity with Georgia [sign on]
Left Bank, Mtkvarze, Bassiani, and TES all shuttered indefinitely; along with Khidi, these venues are all depending at least in part on crowdfunded support. Hattie Lindert wrote earlier this month for RA:
As Georgia protests continue, Tbilisi’s closed clubs seek donations to survive
RA also produced a video on the topic:
From Anna Gvarishvili, this speaks I think not only to the Georgian struggle but liberation struggles across our world right now – and maybe to the place of music in it. Music retains that feeling of celebration when it’s in a struggle for freedom. Resistance can be joy. I’m sure that’s felt by our Syrian, Ukrainian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Armenian colleagues, too. (And that list goes on…)
Bonus: I love this image from the tech march:
And demo dog!!
Let’s close with some music from Tornike. It’s from 2021, but perhaps exactly what we need in these dark days of winter 2024/2025. It sparkles with hope, the light of some other dimension. Wherever the struggle, liberation means fighting for people’s freedom to be their true selves.
Note: This article includes X embeds, not as an endorsement of that platform – it’s been a centerpiece of misinformation in a larger social media interference campaign – but because many Georgians I follow do continue to use it.
And the latest…
Feature photo by Mess Montage.