The FINANCIAL, 27/04/2009

Music Breaks Free! This will be the basic idea for which a new international music festival will be held in the capital of Georgia on 15-17 May.

Tbilisi Open Air-Alter/Vision will be the first event of this scale and sophistication to take place in Tbilisi . Freed from politics and social clichés, this festival will be carrying the European cultural spirit, thus perfectly opposing “Eurovision” which will be held in Moscow.

Vaho Babunashvili, Director General of “Step Records” which is the author and organizer of the festival thinks company can count on huge success, and not only this year but all the next ones as the festival will become an annually held tradition. Tbilisi Open Air is expected to be attended by more than fifty thousand people, while the entrance will be free.

“Tbilisi Open Air is the first ever event of this type, scale and sophistication to take place in Tbilisi . We believe that our capital has long lacked a festival that would bring the spirit of a large open air music event, so common and appreciated in Europe and the USA. This event will have a very special atmosphere with few elements contributing to that: a fascinating line-up of bands performing various genres of modern music, from funk and NuJazz to Indie Rock and electronic music. I am sure this is something music fans will appreciate and enjoy a great deal,” Irakli Matkava, Public Relations and Marketing Director of Tbilisi Open Air told The FINANCIAL.

At first the festival was planned to be held in the mid summer. However, some of the foreign bands which will be performing at the festival offered “Step Records” to shift the date to May so that the two events would concur.

Referring to the words of the organizers this has once again proved the negative feeling of the modern musical world towards “Eurovision”, which this year turned into a politically pressured and bureaucratic arrangement.

Eurovision was accused of carrying political influence a number of times. This year song “We Don’t Wanna Put In” by Georgian pop band Stephane & 3G was rejected by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The EBU ruled that the song lyrics did not comply with Section 4 Rule 9 of the Rules of the 54th Eurovision Song Contest, and couldn’t take part in the competition as such, which would see Georgia having to rewrite the song or choose another entry. A spokesman for the EBU said, “No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted.”

On 11 March 2009, Georgia withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, refusing to change the song lyrics and alleging that the decision to ask Georgia to revise its entry came about as a result of pressure from Russia. The song caused controversy as it was seen to contain political references to Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin in the lyrics.

Meanwhile the streets of Tbilisi and major avenues are blocked by protesters who are demanding President Saakashvili ’s resignation. However this won’t be an obstacle for Tbilisi Open Air Irakli Matkava says, “We do understand and acknowledge the current situation in our capital. But we also believe that as our festival will inevitably be an event that everyone will enjoy, it can and should go ahead. At the same time we do hope that before the festival begins the tense situation will dissolve and that the city’s life will be back to normal.”

This festival is a sponsors-financed event, a common practice for the first round. Yet the organizers do hope to commercialize the event and make it just as successful financially as conceptually. Apart from that organizers do believe that local businesses will also benefit from this festival in the following years as it will be attracting more and more visitors and coverage from abroad.

Tbilisi Open Air will be held on the same dates as “Eurovision”. Tbilisi Open Air will host twenty three bands from Denmark, Germany, France, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Russia, UK, Ukraine and Georgia will be performing at Tbilisi Open Air. Among them are Jazzanova feat. Paul Randolf,  Transglobal Underground, Dohl Foundation, Huggis Horns and other very interesting groups and performers. Irakli Matkava states that another important achievement of this festival will be the introduction of new brilliant performers to Georgian music fans.

The first opening day of the festival, May 15, will be held in the Shardeni area with a smaller stage. That area can accommodate around 2,000-2,500 people. But for the next two days, on May 16 and 17 the festival will move to its main site, Festival City at the Hippodrome. That is a huge space equipped with all the needed amenities and can hold around thirty thousand people.

So over the three days the festival can host at least sixty two thousand people. But considering that some people will be coming and leaving at various times as the festival day starts at 17:00 and ends at around 1:00 a.m., the numbers might be even greater.

“Equally fascinating will be ‘Festival City’, a top-notch infrastructure we are installing at Tbilisi Hippodrome, with high-class stage lights, sound systems, tasteful decorations and merchandise as well as amenities offering food, beverages and all other comforts. And of course our visitors will be a very important part of this atmosphere,” Irakli Matkava says.

As the Public Relations and Marketing Director of Tbilisi Open Air clarifies the defining idea behind the festival is freedom. This is freedom from stress, clichés, social controls, freedom to create and express, freedom to experience what is valued by every single one of us as individuals.

“We are doing our best to manifest the spirit of freedom in every single activity, product or deed of ours. The visual symbols are also aligned with this concept. While “Tbilisi Open Air” is the brand name of our festival it will be presented against a changing set of symbols all associated with freedom and creativity. However they are designed so that they are recognizable and the integrity of our corporate style is preserved.

Fusion of styles, spirit of freedom, fantastic atmosphere of Open Air event, bands from all over the world, thousands of visitors, amazing venues, and crazy parties. All these will make Tbilisi Open Air an outstanding European music event. Artists and music fans from Georgia and abroad will meet, fuse, exchange, learn, enjoy some great music and a very special ambiance,” Archil Guledani, Art Director of “Step Records” told The FINANCIAL.

Public Relations and Marketing Director of Tbilisi Open Air says that there are two major reasons why it was decided to hold the festival in Tbilisi . The first is that they are planning to make it a traditional festival, held annually, and a part of the European festival schedule.

“As we progress along this path we plan to attract not only foreign artists to our festival, but also music fans who often follow their favourite bands. We think that this proposition will be attractive not only to people from neighbouring countries that do not have festivals like ours, but also tourists from Europe and the USA. In this sense Tbilisi has the best infrastructure to support the festival in the long term. Apart from that Tbilisi has the largest portion of the country’s population, so it is only natural that Tbilisi will allow us to attract a maximum number of visitors,” Archil Guledani adds.

Written By Levan Lomtadze

An international music show, alternative to the Eurovision song contest, will be held in Georgia on May 9 to 16, at the same time as the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest in Moscow.

22 performers from 15 countries will participate.

According to the Rustavi 2 TV channel, the show is organized as a sign of solidarity with Stephane and 3G group, who was banned by Eurovision committee as its lyrics allegedly contained a political message. The group refused to change the song and dropped out of Eurovision.

The show will be conducted in Tbilisi in the same time as the Eurovision in Moscow, with free entrance.

Georgia Eurovision Moscow 2009

The European Broadcasting Union, EBU has officially informed the Georgian Public Broadcasting, GPB to re-write the lyrics of Georgia’s entry song performed by Stepane & 3G and selected to present Georgia to the popular 54th Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

Georgia has announced withdrawal from ESC 2009. It is not clear to Georgia why Eurovision Broadcasting Union took this decision.

Official Denial of Georgia to participate in the competition is confirmed in the letter of General Director of Georgian Public Broadcaster – Levan Kubaneishvili to the executive supervisor of the contest. “Georgia’s Public broadcaster does not intend to rewrite the lyrics and refuses to take part in the Eurovision song contest. The broadcaster does not agree with your decision and believes it to be ungrounded” – the letter reads.

In Georgia are suspected the song was rejected under political pressure from Moscow. Georgian side disagreed that the song was overtly political.

EBU has offered GPB- 1st Channel to re-write the lyrics of the entry song or either to select another entry song for the contest till 16 March.

Stepane & 3G with the play on words song “Put In Disco” were selected the Georgian entry to the ESC through Georgia’s national competition. The song caused some controversy as it can be perceived to contain political references to former Russian President and present PM Vladimir Putin in the lyrics.

Georgia's Stephane & 3G Sing "We Don't Wanna Put In" - Eurovision 2009

Source: Georgian Public Broadcasting

CBC News, March 10, 2009

Georgia’s entry in the Eurovision song contest, a not-too-sly jab at Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has been booted out of the competition because of its lyrics.

We Don’t Wanna’ Put In is a disco-funk song that seems to poke fun at the Russian leader.

The contest is being held in Moscow this May, less than a year after Russia and Georgia went to war over the region of South Ossetia.

Officials say it’s against the competition’s rules to have political content in the entries.

According to the rules of the event, no “lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted during the Eurovision song contest.”

The song’s title is a play on the politician’s name and has the chorus: “We don’t wanna put in, the negative move, it’s killin’ the groove.”

The Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union, which runs the competition, said Georgia can either rewrite the lyrics of its entry or enter another song by March 16 or it would not be allowed to take part.

The song was chosen by a public vote and jury and was supposed to be performed by female trio 3G, along with male vocalist Stephane.

Georgia's Stephane & 3G Sing "We Don't Wanna Put In" - Eurovision 2009

In fact, Georgia had initially said it would not take part in Eurovision due to political objections, but the decision was reversed in December.

Russia won the right to host the annual event after winning last year’s competition.

Stephane & 3G Sing “We Don’t Wanna Put In” (Georgia 2009)

Georgia Strikes Back in Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Georgians may use the Eurovision Song Contest to poke fun at neighbouring Russia after losing last year’s war between the two countries, if one potentially provocative song is chosen by the Georgian public as their entry for 2009. Eurovision, of course, will be held this year in Moscow, where the song Put-In Disco would probably not get much of an enthusiastic welcome. According to the Georgian pro-government television channel Rustavi-2, “the content of the song will be embarrassing for the Kremlin”. But the TV station believes that it will not breach the contest’s rules because “the lyrics do not include insulting phrases”.

The Georgian entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, aimed at annoying Moscow, where the event will be held, is actually called We Don’t Wanna Put In (not Put-In Disco, as was reported by Georgian TV yesterday). It’s typical tacky Europop, sung by Stefane Mgebrishvili and Georgian girl group 3G, and its chorus goes like this: “We Don’t Wanna Put In/The negative move/It’s killin’ the groove.” What you actually hear, of course, is “we don’t wanna Putin” - but that’s about the extent of its ‘protest’ element. Georgia had previously considered boycotting the Moscow Eurovision because of the war with Russia last year; now it seems the Georgians might go to poke a little gentle fun instead.

Stephane & 3G Sing "We Don’t Wanna Put In" (Georgia 2009)

Thus, Stephane & 3G will represent Georgia in Moscow. The trio 3G consists of Nini Badurashvili, Tako Gachechiladze and Kristine Imedadze, and they had already taken part in the 2008 national final, reaching the fourth place with their song I’m Free. This year, they were joined on stage by the well-known singer and producer Stephane Mgebrishvili to sing the disco song We Don’t Wanna Put In.

Stephane & 3G

(source: www.eurovision-georgia.ge)

Stefane Mgebrishvili

Stefane Mgebrishvili was born on August 3, 1979. He graduated from the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University (TSU) Faculty of History in 1999.
He is the laureate of the Musical Festival “Brolis Nadzvi 1994”. He also gained the following awards: Mega, Ovatsia, Suliko and etc.

In 1999 Stefane released his first musical album “Rain Caresses me” and in 2005 “Sun and Chocolate”. Stefane held the solo concert at the Tbilisi Sport Palace in 2002. He also organized the following concerts: Nino Katamadze, Art forum – Live, Leonid Agutsin, Incognito, Goren Bregovic, Angelika Varum, Ricchi a Poveri, Raisin Murphy, Bryan Adams, Tbilisoba, New Year Eve, Nino Katamadze – Opera Concert and etc. He has been the founder and producer of “Art Forum” since 2004.

He is the author of many popular songs, lyrics and video clips. He established the project “Four Girls” in 2004. He is the author of a lot of company’s slogans and advertising Video Clips. He has a wife Maia Darsmelidze and a daughter Stefania.

Nini Badurashvili

23 year-old Nini Badurashvili takes part in Eurovision 2009 home contest together with some of her closest friends who are also Eurovision contestants: Tako Gachechiladze and Kristine Imedadze. Nini is fond of reading, traveling, skating and swimming besides many other interests. She graduated from Tbilisi S. Rustaveli State Institute of Theatre and Film, faculty of Drama and Cinema.

Nini, in spite of her early age, has already proved herself as an actress, by performing in several Georgian films and soup operas. At the age of 5 she was already performing on the stage for a wider audience as a soloist of Basti Bubu Studio, (kids’ choreography and music studio). Nini was a participant in various contests during her 6 years as one of Basti Bubu’s soloist. She is always involved in all grand concerts, which commonly take place in Tbilisi nowadays. Nini has also released one solo album.

The young singer has been awarded with an Order of Honor and she is the proud owner of various awards and coveted prizes.

Tako Gachechiladze

Tako Gachechiladze first ever appeared on the stage in front of the live audience at the age of 8 as a participant of a Fairies’ Contest. She then became the holder of an award as the most musical fairy contestant.

Tako was a soloist of “Basti Bubu” (kids’ choreography and music studio). Already in childhood she was a busy participant of various kids’ show programs and winner of a range of international contests. At the age of 11 Russian TV station “Ren-TV named Tako at the New Year musical program as the discovery of the year. In 2001 Tako took the first position at the Ukraine’s contest “More Drusey”. In 2002 she became the winner of International festival of arts “Slaviansky Bazar”.

Tako Gachechiladze has taken part in a number of national and international festivals and creative evenings. Tako is a permanent participant of any grand concert that takes place in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Moreover she takes part in the international jazz- festival, which is traditionally annually held. In 2004 Tako released her first album. She toured Japan first in 2002 and later in 2007 along with friends and held several successful concerts.

In 2005-2006 Tako was invited to Germany by a musical producer Zaza Laperashvili and Kristian Lorry, a composer, where she recorded several songs and held concerts in Berlin, Munich and Newburg. Tako Gachechiladze was awarded as one of star song’s performer at musical contest “Patrinoti”-2007. Tako has been granted the Order of Honor for her contribution to the arts and extending good will throughout the world.

Kristine Imedadze

Although she never dreamed of becoming a singer – only ever had hopes of a career as a ballerina. Kristine started dancing at the early age of 5. Her talent was soon discovered at the Iliko Sukhishvili Choreographic Studio where she got her start. She later entered the Vakhtang Chabukiani Chorography Studio and even the tender age of 13, the young dancer continued her studies at Monaco Princess Grace Ballet Academy.

Kristine has several professions at such an early age, and after returning to Tbilisi, she decided to follow the singing career. She is keen to connect her future profession with stage performances, and all the while continue her academic studies at the Tbilisi S. Rustaveli State Institute of Theatre and Film, faculty of drama and cinema. Moreover, now the 23 year-old Kristine seeks to be a future journalist and her language abilities is an added plus - she is fluent in English and French. Kristine Imedadze has been a participant of various song contests; contester of Jurmala Song Contest 2002; participant of project “Otkhi Gogo” (Four Girls).

She has been awarded with an Order of Honor. Besides her busy schedule, Kristine is a beloved wife and a young mother of Taisia.