User:Nikan75/Mziuri

MZIURI (in Georgian: მზიური) was a Georgian rock band of 20 pre-teenage girls. The band was formed in Tbilisi, Georgia (then part of the USSR) in 1971 by Mr. Rafael Kazaryan. At the time of the band’s creation the girls were about 9-10 years old and the original band lasted till late 70's (or very early 80's). According to Mr. Guram Jaiani, who later replaced Mr. Kazaryan as a band leader and a teacher, each band member was handpicked from hundreds of potential candidates to ensure selection of only the most talented young girls.

Most of the girls' singing career in MZIURI was spent on tours around the Soviet Union as well as abroad (which, at that time of the Iron Curtain, was almost unheard of), performing on average 120 concerts a year. In addition to their native Georgian, the girls sang in multiple languages of the former Soviet Union (Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian) as well as in English and Japanese. According to press reports of the time, MZIURI became instantaneous success with the audiences around the world.

In 1973 a movie entitled “MZIURI” - featuring the band and many of its famous songs - was filmed on board a Soviet cruise liner Shota Rustaveli. The comic storyline is about a Soviet world champion sportsman (played by O. Pipia) who gets an assignment to take young students to Artek – a Soviet summer camp for Pioneers on the Crimean peninsula. While Mr. World Champion was convinced that the students would also be fellow sportsmen, he ends up on a cruise liner with a band of 20 girls, who couldn’t care less about sports. The battle between him and the girls takes various humorous twists aboard the ship as they sail from the Georgian port of Batumi to Crimea.

In 1976 the Soviet government awarded MZIURI with Lenin’s Comsomol award, which, in the heyday of the Soviet Union, was one of the top recognitions of an outstanding achievement.

In 1980 MZIURI produced an LP “Nash Drug Buratino” (Our Friend Pinoccio), based on a 1970’s Soviet movie “Adventures of Pinoccio.” Virtually all songs on the LP were from the movie and performed in the Russian language.

Only a few of MZIURI's 20 girls followed a professional career in music. The ones that have, however, are still among some of the most famous singers in Georgia (Maia Jabua, Tamar Chokhonelidze and Eka Kakhiani). The most famous ex-MZIURI singer is Tamar Gverdtsiteli who, undeniably, is one of the most famous Georgian singers of all time.

Members of the band: Lia Khorbaladze, Ketino Dekanozishvili, Tamriko Gverdtsiteli, Maya Jabua, Nino Datukashvili, Tamriko Khorava, Ketino Pirtskhalava, Eka Kakhiani, Medeya Danielova, Manana Simonova, Tamriko Choxonelidze, Eka Goderdzishvili, Khatuna Dondua, Ia Akhobadze, M. Maskhulia, N. Kobiashvili, M. Siradze, Nino Saneblidze, M. Chikvinidze, L. Tsartsadze.

Upon the girls’ graduation from high school in early 1980’s, the original band was dismantled after nearly 10 years of unprecedented success, and a second generation of MZIURI(dubbed MZIURI-2), comprised of 13 young girls, was created to replace the original band.

MZIURI-2 largely followed the footsteps of its predecessor to become one of the most successful children’s bands in the Soviet Union. The girls spent much of their time touring the Soviet Union and many countries around the world.

One of the biggest successes of MZIURI-2 was "Sataguri" (Mousetrap), a musical which was based on a legendary Georgian writer Vazha-Pshavela's novel. The show, which would ultimately receive rave reviews, premiered in February of 1981.

Members of Mziuri-2: Irma Endeladze, Sopiko Beridze, Maia Enukidze, Ketino Razmadze, Ketino Javakhishvili, Lela Amiranashvili, Khatia Urigashvili, Nino Geleishvili, Eka Bukhrashvili, Natia Giorgobiani, Maia Jorjadze, Irma Kalmakhelidze.

The original band was honoured with a Georgian Star of Fame on November 9, 2010, which also coincided with the 40th anniversary of the original band’s creation. To celebrate the event, the girls (now women) of the original MZIURI presented their fans with a one-off live concert at a packed Concert Hall in their hometown of Tbilisi, Georiga.