Giorgi (Luda) Kuparashvili was a singer, folklorist and choir director whose distinctive voice is associated with the history of Georgian folk music. He was born in 1924 in the village of Nukriani, Sighnaghi Municipality.
Giorgi Kuparashvili developed his love of music within his family. His father, Aleksandre Kuparashvili, and his brother, Simon Kuparashvili, sang alongside him. Growing up in Nukriani, the singer soon became known for his exceptional voice. According to his contemporaries, audiences were often deeply moved by his performances and would ask him to return to the stage to sing again.
At the age of 18, Giorgi Kuparashvili took part in the Second World War. During one of the battles, he was wounded in the leg and admitted to a hospital in Baku. While there, he wrote a letter to his mother in the village, asking her to send him his father's panduri, a traditional Georgian stringed instrument. After receiving the panduri, he encouraged wounded soldiers by performing Georgian songs for them.
After returning to his homeland, he studied at the Tbilisi Theatre Institute. Later, he became a member of the Georgian State Song and Dance Ensemble and served as director of the Sighnaghi Culture and Recreation Park.
In the 1960s, Giorgi Kuparashvili founded the ensemble “Mravalzhamieri” and became its first director. Under his leadership and with his direct participation, the ensemble repeatedly won at republican olympiads and competitions.
Giorgi (Luda) Kuparashvili's repertoire included “Kalospiruli,” “Tsintskharo,” “Chakrulo,” “Shashvi Kakabi,” “Berikatsi Var,” “Zamtari,” “Chona,” “Mravalzhamieri,” “Shen Bicho, Anagurelo,” “Mgzavruli,” “Tamar Kalo,” “Urmuli,” “Gaprindi, Shavo Mertskhalo,” “Shin Mousvlelo, Sada Khar,” “Shavlego,” “Bindisperia Sopeli,” and other Georgian folk songs.
His voice also left a lasting impression on foreign listeners. A Swedish composer visiting Sighnaghi was captivated by Luda's singing. When Kuparashvili performed “Beri Katsi Var, Nu Momklav,” the guest remarked that he had never heard such a voice in his life and was astonished that it was natural.
Giorgi Kuparashvili passed away in 1982 at the age of 58. His recordings are preserved in the archives of Georgian Radio and Television and in private collections. His name remains closely associated with the musical history of the village of Nukriani in Sighnaghi Municipality.
Sources
National Parliamentary Library of Georgia. Georgian Biographical Dictionary, Giorgi (Luda) Kuparashvili.
View the biographical entry“Etaloni.” “His Unique Voice Will Forever Remain in the Memory of Georgian Listeners.” An account by Nino Dokhturishvili, a teacher at Disveli Public School, recalling choir director Giorgi Kuparashvili, 23 February 2022.
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