Georgians to Hit the Made in New York Jazz Competition
Recently, a world renowned online musical competition was held named ‘The Made in New York Jazz”, one of the most significant international jazz events in the States if not in the world. Among this year’s finalists are numerous legendary jazz artists, including our darling Maia Baratashvili and our renowned Mania Quartet: Vazha Mania (vocals), Papuna Sharikadze (piano), Giorgi Kapanadze (drums) and Giorgi Kiknadze (bass).
Throughout the past twenty years, I have never tired of listening to outstanding Georgian vocalist Maia Baratashvili, the famous jazz soloist of the celebrated Big Band of Tbilisi. That I am a big fan of jazz is no surprise because we have all grown up enjoying jazz whenever and wherever we were lucky enough to catch a chance – nothing was easy in those weird soviet times, but not anymore! Welcome to the free world!
So, frankly, I wasn’t surprised to hear the news of Maia – she long ago earned the honor of being able to triumph in a grand jazz competition. And the Quartet is just as praiseworthy.
Speaking about the competition itself, it has attracted a worldwide audience of jazz fans as well as a huge number of musicians from tens of nations. I heard that ‘Made in New York’ in just three years counted over two million video loads and has more than 30,000 registered jazz musicians and fans from 55 countries. The uploaded music videos have received three million hits and those numbers are ceaselessly increasing
This is what our Maia and the Quartet participated in! And very successfully too, with the Quartet winning a final participant’s ticket to America, where the International Jazz Gala is scheduled for May 20 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. .
‘The Made in New York Jazz Competition’ is the world’s first and fastest growing online jazz competition. Competition entrants upload video performances in seven jazz-genre categories. Registrants then vote for their favorite performances. Finalists are selected through a combination of online votes and the Competition’s Board of Members, which is comprised of highly regarded jazz musicians like Lenny White, Randy Brecker and Mike Stern, with Mario Biondi as the company’s first International Artistic Advisor - a familiar name and presence in Jazz industry circles.
The Competition also recently announced its European expansion, allowing more musicians from around the world to share their talents at live concerts.
Having all this in mind, I can only conclude that music is a genuine international language which unites the world.
The ‘Made in New York Jazz Competition’ hosts international jazz, folk jazz and new flavor jazz artists, all sharing the stage together. This is exactly how vibrant the jazz scene is on an international scale.
The way to that already famous music contest in the States is now open for the Vazha Mania Quartet and Maia Baratashvili. To say I’m proud of this would be a real understatement, and to say I’m excited about this new chance for Georgia to continue shining on the world map would not be an overstatement.
Just think about it: what would help most Georgia’s naturalization in the European family of nations? Only victories such as this, better and stronger than any political effort, will make this country one of those who can qualify as truly Western. And the artistic talents of Maia Baratashvili and the Vazha Mania Quartet are those who will realistically promote this cause. As the competition’s brand ambassador, Tea Grigolashvili says, Georgia may be the next platform for holding the Made in NY Jazz festival.
Nugzar B. Ruhadze