The Feast-Day of Tamar and Lashari

In addition to documenting a local approach to vocal expression that differs from the three-part polyphony prevailing in other parts of the country, Zemp's film captures the broad range of local and cosmopolitan, traditional and contemporary musical influences represented at this geographically isolated annual cultural event. While variations on the lullaby/healing song Iavnana and other sung supplications to local and Christian deities (characterized by descending melodic contours and drone accompaniment) comprise most of the musical performances in the film, there is also urban instrumental dance music, music for solo accordion and voice with accordion accompaniment, a historical ballad sung by a soloist with lute (panduri) accompaniment, and a guitar-accompanied soft-rock song on a love theme composed and performed by a group of adolescent boys. Zemp recounts that Georgian scholars objected to the inclusion in the film of urban, "profane dance music" of Armenian or Turkish origin, but to his credit, he insisted on documenting all the music performed in connection with the festival and retained the urban instrumental ensemble in the film's final cut (Zemp 2010:14).