Exchanging Notes at the Ignite Global Food and Fire Festival

The performance will begin with music from Aleksandre Kharanauli, Max Evrard, and members of the Somerville High School Choir. Aleksandre, a talented Georgian musician, will introduce us to the sounds of the Chuniri and Doli, traditional mountain folk instruments, and together with Evrard, will explore the rich tapestry of Georgian polyphony alongside American musical styles. This collaboration will illuminate the remarkable musical and storytelling heritage of both Georgia and the US.
 
After a short intermission, Nana Abuladze and Owen Thomas will share their stories, written over the course of the summer exchange. How do we shape stories? How do stories shape us? Owen Thomas and Nana Abuladze will present their own works of fiction and non-fiction and discuss the common aspects of story-telling and writing across cultures. They will take us through the culture and history of Georgia, explore the Georgian language and the differences and similarities between Georgian and American culture.  They discuss racism, colonialism (Georgia was part of the Russian empire), the role of gender, the notion of fatherhood and womanhood.
 
The evening will culminate with a Q & A session focusing on  the creative process and how it works in collaborations across widely different cultures.   
 
On Saturday night, we invite you to come to Union Square, Somerville for a raucous international celebration at the Ignite Festival. Aleksandre and Max will perform a few songs, while Nana and Owen will set up an “Exchanging Stories” table for some informal storytelling sessions. Also on hand will be the Jana Grill restaurant, serving up delicious Georgian food!
 

About the Exchanging Notes Project
The Program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University’s Davis Center and the Somerville Arts Council present "Exchanging Notes," a first of its kind cross-cultural exchange between Georgia, Somerville and Cambridge. In June 2023, Owen Thomas, a Somerville resident and writer, and Max Evrard, the music director at Somerville High School, left for the country of Georgia, where they undertook an artistic collaboration with their Georgian counterparts, musician Aleksandre Kharanauli and writer and poet Nana Abuladze.
 
After collaborating on artistic projects over the summer, this international quartet of artists is ready to perform for us. They will present their artistic projects this September in Somerville and Cambridge —a celebration of songs and stories that fuse Georgian and American themes, connect cultures, and enrich our common humanity. Special guests at both events will be the members of the choir from Somerville High School. Come join us!