Bregvadze Nani

Nani Bregvadze (b. July 21, 1936, Tbilisi) is a Georgian singer, People's Artist of Georgia and the USSR (1974 and 1983), winner of the Shota Rustaveli State Prize (1998).

In 1961, she graduated from the V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire (G. Machutadze's piano class). She began her career in 1956 in the orchestra of the Georgian Polytechnical Institute (present-day Georgian Technical University). In 1959, she performed on the professional stage. In 1959–1964, she was a soloist of the Georgian State Pop Orchestra “Rero”, and in 1964–1980, she was a soloist of the vocal and instrumental ensemble “Orera”. Since 1980, she has been performing solo concerts (with concertmaster Medea Gongliashvili).

Works by Georgian composers have the leading place in Bregvadze’s repertoire. She is the first and incomparable performer of songs by G. Tsabadze (“Mukhambazi”, “Art”, “Where Were You Then”, “Hymn of Love”, “Song about Tbilisi”, “Sky of Georgia”), R. Lagidze (“Song about the Vine”, “Almond Blossomed”), V. Azarashvili (“Lost Love”, “Singing is My Only Possession”, “Days Are Passing”, “Khevsurian Ballad”, “It's Raining Again”, “The Bronze Horseman”, “I Am Not an Orphan in This World”), G. Kancheli, B. Kvernadze, S. Tsintsadze.

Bregvadze made a great contribution to the rise of Georgian pop lyrical music in the 60s and 70s. She skillfully performs songs by Russian composers (“Snowfall”, “Dzakhveli”, “Island of Happiness”, “Snowflake”), especially old Russian and Romani romances (“Caravan”, etc.).

Nani Bregvadze's concert, recorded in 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9flayqwzS8&t=1090s

Bregvadze took part in T. Abuladze's film A Necklace for My Beloved (directed by T. Abuladze, 1971), Love with an Accent (novella – Sochi-Batumi), (2012), I am Pele's Godfather (Maka, 1991, directed by Z. Kakabadze); She voiced songs in the following films: Meeting in the Mountain (1966), Orera, sruli svlit (1970), Tsutisopeli (1971), Melodies of the Vera Quarter (1973), Night Visit (1974).

Bregvadze has recorded many albums and toured the cities of the former USSR and foreign countries.

Bregvadze was the Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (1995), Foreign Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts and winner of the State Prize of Georgia (1994), she received the Order of Honor of Georgia (1997), as well as the Presidential Order of Excellence of Georgia (2010). She has been awarded the title of Georgian Singer of the Century.

In 2000, Bregvadze's star was unveiled in front of the Tbilisi Grand Concert Hall.

G. Gedevanishvili