Today we’d like to introduce you to Irakli Gabriel.
Hi Irakli, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Georgia, the country, which at the time was a part of Soviet Union. In the late 80’s, still a teenager I was active in the liberation movement, which eventually culminated in the fall of Soviet Union and Georgia, like other Soviet republics regaining its independence. In 1991 I went to Norway as an exchange student, but shortly after my leaving, as it often happens after a drastic political change, civil war broke out in Georgia. I ended up not going back and instead, after a year of being in different places in Germany and England , joining my parents in the US to where my parents had moved through work at the same time as I was in Norway. I went to high school in Cold Spring Harbor, NY and then to Amherst College in MA, after which I settled in New York City for about 25 years. In 2012 I met my future wife Anana while on a holiday in Georgia and together we moved to Nashville in 2017, where we have been living since, making music and producing music videos. As far as playing music goes, I started playing actively in New York City, where I played with a variety of bands and singer-songwriters. I continue to do this to this day, with Anana and several other established Nashville artists.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were periods of smooth sailing but life in music is never a smooth road. Nor would we want it to be. Life throws all kinds of curve balls – health challenges, passing of friends and family, political instability, often things beyond our control that we need to learn to deal with and live with. On top of that, there’s endless struggle within our souls and minds. Songs and music come out of that.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For the last ten years I have been mostly working with my wonderful and talented wife, Anana Kaye – together we write, perform/tour, and direct and produce music videos for ourselves as well as for many other musical artists. I also play guitar in several bands in Nashville and get to record and perform regularly.
For a kid who was born and grew up behind the “Iron Curtain” and who could not even dream of most of the things I have achieved and experienced, I’m always reminding to be grateful for everything that’s been happening in life especially over the last 10-15 years. I got to work, both in music and video, with the artists and people I grew up admiring, like the Waterboys, David Olney or Mary Gauthier to name a few. During my time in NYC I was frequently at Saturday Night Live with my photo/video mentor Mary Ellen Matthews who is the main photographer and videographer at SNL and got to watch her and the entiire cast work, learn and in the process meet a myriad of my heroes and artists that I deeply respect. That’s been a very special learning experience, to see how much work goes into being an artist, aside from talent
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Favorite childhood memory – not necessary most uplifiting but most vivid – accidentally ending up at the funeral of the amazing Russian/Soviet singer-songwriter Vladimir Vissotsky in Moscow during 1980 Olympics. Seeing all the people chanting his name, seeing his guitar displayed, police on the horses trying to control the crowd. He was a big anti-establishment figure and teh authrorities didn’t want the funeral to be a “big deal” and of course it became even a bigger one. A man lifted me and placed me on his shoulders, saying to my mom, “he should see this, he’ll never forget it”.
Of course the biggest irony of this story is that thsi was my first time in Moscow and at that time it was almost a requirement for any kid going to Moscow to see Lenin’s body in the mausoleum in Red Square. It was a horrible idea, I hated it and so did my mom, but much against her will she was told to take me there – we got stuck in traffic and ended up at Vissotsky’s funeral instead. I never went to the mausoleum. Thank God.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ananakaye.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.duende/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnanaKayeMusic
