Blato Zlato - Asho Chela

Two of our vocalists, Annie and Lou, went to visit Annie's parents in Tbilisi, Georgia this past summer and spent several weeks learning songs with our friends at Ensemble Adilei (ადილეი), eating mchadi and lobiani, drinking wine and chacha, hiking up mountains, and falling in love with Georgia's beautiful vistas. Annie's parents are moving back to the U.S. this week, a bittersweet departure as they retire after 33 years in the Foreign Service. We thought it an appropriate time to share a sneak peek of our first foray into Georgian music: a Blato Zlato-ified, non-traditional rendition of a Megrelian song we fell in love with, Asho Chela. Here's a recent rehearsal video of us sowing the early seeds of an arrangement; come out to our shows this week to see its continual evolution, including a deep, mournful bass intro that we have since added. Thank you for being so welcoming, Georgia -- we hope to return. Video by Hunter King ABOUT BLATO ZLATO Blato Zlato (“Swamp Gold” in Bulgarian) is a New Orleans-based Balkan band featuring dreamy three-part vocal harmonies and hard-hitting instrumentals. The band performs folk and composed music from the Balkans, with a particular focus on Bulgarian songs and dark, original arrangements. MEMBERS: Lou Carrig (Accordion, Vocals), Ian Cook (Violin), Annalisa Kelly (Vocals), Pete Olynciw (Upright Bass), Ruby Ross (Vocals), Boyanna Trayanova (Percussion).