Darejan Mirziashvili

Kakabeti

Darejan Mirziashvili

Darejan’s mother was pregnant when her father left to fight in World War II. Before his departure, he framed a photograph of himself into his panduri1 and left it to his unborn child. Darejan’s father never returned from the war, but she continued his legacy by becoming a fine singer and panduri player.

Today she has two children, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and continues to play and sing.

To hear another artist from Kakabeti, visit the profile of Nikoloz Gigoshvili.

¹A three-stringed, fretted lute common in all regions of northeastern Georgia. The instrument is most frequently used to accompany ballad singing.