Pankisi Ensemble (Kists, Georgia) // PANDAwomen

The Pankisi Ensemble preserves and develops lesser-known vocal and instrumental genres of Chechen music rarely heard outside of their own community. These include epic legends such as “Illi,” Sufi religious chants, and even love songs.

The Pankisi Ensemble maintains a fine line between an ethnographic ensemble, for which it is important to follow the canon of their native tradition, and a bold musical group whose place is not in the museum of antiquities, but as active performers in diverse musical venues.

The group’s sound is also influenced by Georgian music, in which the Pankisi Ensemble is also deeply immersed. This has affected not only their repertoire, which in addition to Chechen songs also includes the folklore of different regions of Georgia, but also their general style, making the ensemble a particularly unique representation of the shared and distinct musical cultures of the Caucasus.

These are young musicians who are constantly and actively evolving. They are not afraid to experiment but they maintain the integrity of their sound.

Bela Mutoshvili – voice, accordion

Lana Gunashashvili – voice, pondar (Chechen lute)

Linda Gunashashvili – voice

Mariami Bagakashvili – voice

Tickets: 15 € online / 20 € doors / 5 € for social welfare recipients on the day of event.
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PANDAwomen Festival explores the female side of today’s music scene, whether on stage or behind the scenes. Now in its sixth consecutive year, the festival provides a space for musical experimentation and collaboration. This year’s PANDAwomen is dedicated to women who have had to leave their homes and refuge. Women flee, escaping from war, hunger, political or religious persecution, forced marriages, and sexual violence. There is no hope that the situation will change for the better soon, but there’s hope that women who have found their new home may finally speak up without hiding their faces.