Mgzavrebi’s song, which translates as ‘This is Georgia’, has soundtracked street demonstrations and the Euros and will ring even louder in the run-up to elections that will decide whether the country leans to Russia or the EU

Considering its status as the unofficial soundtrack to one of the most tense and emotionally ambivalent summers in recent Georgian history, the song Sakartveloa by rock band Mgzavrebi is surprisingly simple.

Its chorus, shouted at increasing volume, translates as “This is Georgia” or “It’s Georgia” – Sakartvelo being the country’s Georgian name, and the a being short for aris, meaning “is”.

In May and June this year, there were big street demonstrations in Tbilisi, capital of the former Soviet state, which lies between Turkey and Russia, against a controversial foreign influence law. Protesters see it as a sign of democratic backsliding.

Source: Guardian

Mgzavrebi plays New York’s Melrose Ballroom on 3 October