Maia Baratashvili

Maia Baratashvili (a.k.a. Maya Baratashvili), (მაია ბარათაშვილი), jazz-Singer from Tbilisi, Georgia.

Biography

Since her youth Maia Baratashvili (a.k.a. Maya Baratashvili) has been captivating audiences with her powerful and emotive voice. Trained in a classical music education at Tbilisi's performing arts college, Maia moved into Jazz in 1995 as part of "David's Jazz Soul Club" opened in her home town. Since then she has gone on to perform as a soloist with the Tbilisi Municipal Jazz Orchestra, the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra, and numerous jazz ensembles.

She has performed throughout Europe impressing crowds in Moscow with Igor Brill and his trio, at the International Jazz Event in the capital cities of Latvia and Lithuania with Jorn Skogheim, Norwegian composer and guitar player, and back in Tbilisi at the numerous International Jazz Festivals together with jazz greats like George Duke, Mikhail Okunne, where she successfully combined the capacities of featured guest and Master of Ceremony.

She has released four CDs and won several prizes for her works.

Education

  • 1984 - Musical Collage No 16 (piano studies) - the prestigious collage in Tbilisi;.for seven years of tuition regularly played with the State Symphony and Chamber orchestras.
  • 1993 - Graduate from the Technical University of Georgia, department of Architecture.
  • 1995 - Started up her jazz activity when the "David's Jazz Soul Club" opened in Tbilisi her home town.

Tours and Festivals

  • 1996 - "Hands up", Charity Festival of Music in Tbilisi;
  • 1996 - "Margarita-1996", Festival of Music in Georgia; The Board of the Judges has awarded Maia Baratashvili as the "Best singer of the year".
  • 1998 - Joined the "Tbilisi Municipal Concert Orchestra".
    • "Jazz Voices-1998", the International Jazz Festival in Moscow; performed with a prominent jazz piano player Igor Brill and his trio.
  • 1999 - "Jazz in Tbilisi- 99", the International Jazz-event; same year she was asked to organize and participate in "Festival of Swedish Music" in Tbilisi.
  • 2000 - Quite busy for the singer. In January, the manager of one of the popular jazz clubs in Istanbul, after having heard her CD, invited Maia to perform at the "New Year Jazz Nights". Turkey tour was fallowed by "Kaunas/Riga - 2000", also the International Jazz Event held in April in capital cities of Latvia and Lithuania. Here she was lucky to join the "JOY" group, featuring Latvian musicians and organized by Jorn Skogheim, the Norwegian composer and guitar player. Later in September she participated in "GEO CELL Jazz Festival-2000" in Tbilisi, together with Tbilisi Municipality Orchestra.
  • 2001 - Also fruitful; Again, she was invited to Riga (Latvia) Jazz Fest by the initiative of the British Ambassador there and organizer of the event. She gave concerts with the same musicians she was lucky to meet last year. Maia gave master classes for non-professional musicians in vocal performance at the State University of Latvia.
  • 2001 - Performed with Georgian State Symphony Orchestra in a Big Hall of the State Conservatory. The concert was dedicated to the American tragedy of 11th September.
  • 2001 - "Jazz Voices- 2001"; another time, the singer performed in Moscow at the traditional Jazz Festival; the performance featured Igor Brill, Professor of Moscow Conservatory and his trio.
  • 2002 - The singer had her solo recital in Karlsruhe, Germany, with Helmut Zimmer Jazz Trio; Tbilisi International jazz event featuring Bob Mintzer, (USA) Al Jeraue (USA), Again, Maia has performed with Igor Brill jazz trio (USA);
  • 2002 - Participated in Jazz Festival in Tbilisi "Cool Jazz" featuring Mikhail Okunne (Russia) and Tamaz Kurashvili(Georgia );
  • 2003 - Awarded with a special prize for the contribution to the propagation of Russian culture in Georgia;
  • 2004 June-July - Maia took part in jazz festival as a featured musician and Festival's MC. The festival featured John McLaughlin, Michael Franks, Steve Botti, Bob Macferrin.
  • September 25, 2004 - Jammed with George Duke on the stage of the Big Concert Hall during his visit in Tbilisi.
  • 2005 - 2005 Organized and produced her First Gig at Tbilisi State Conservatory featuring Tbilisi Municipality Concert Orchestra in the first set; Tony O' Mally, Tamaz Kurashvili (double bass), Otar Kupunia (acoustic piano), Kakha Jagashvili, (soprano sax); Gia Salagishvili (drums)
  • 2006 - 2006 The singer participated in Tbilisi, Coca Cola international Jazz festival with Tbilisi Municipality Concert Orchestra. (see eastern promotion site) featuring Freddy Cole quartet, Sisters Blues, Jamiroquai, Herbie Hancock, Tony O'Malley;
  • April 2007 - New Orleans's days in Tbilisi featuring Sharon Martin and her band; Maia is a co-organizer of the event and is invited to share the stage with Sharon Martin.
  • June 2007 - Coca Cola Jazz Festival in Tbilisi, featured artist and MC with Tbilisi Big Band;

Maia tried herself in pop music. The songs that she sings in her native language (included in the CD) became hits and were included into "Top Ten" on Central Georgian TV Channel; One of them was awarded the "Song of the year 2000".