Suitu Women Participate in Folklore Festival in Georgia Focusing on Mourning Traditions
At the beginning of the year, an invitation was received, and in May the Suitu women traveled to Tbilisi to take part in the international folklore festival-conference “Nanina 2026,” dedicated to women's mourning and funeral traditions. The festival was organized by the ethnographic ensemble “Nanina” in cooperation with the Georgian State Folklore Center.
The Suitu women, a Latvian folk group, traveled to Tbilisi in May to participate in the fifth international folklore festival-conference “Nanina 2026,” which was held for the first time on an international scale. The festival's theme was women's mourning and funeral traditions, and the ensemble “Suitu sievas” was invited to perform in concerts. The journey began with a flight via Istanbul, where they spent a seven-hour layover at the airport.
Upon arrival in Tbilisi, the group was greeted by rain, but their arrival brought warmer and summer-like weather. The driver Niko explained that locals refer to themselves as Kartvelians and their country as Sakartvelo, not Georgia. On the first day, the women tried local delicacies, including various types of khachapuri, and held an impromptu rehearsal in a café, where waitresses joyfully filmed their singing, unaware of the sad lyrics.
The festival took place at the Georgian State Folklore Center, where the women performed a harmonious drone chant and the Catholic hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” Local youth joined in polyphonic singing. After the concert, they met representatives of the Latvian society in Georgia.
On the second day, the women went on an excursion to Mount Kazbegi, where there was still deep snow and several-meter-high snowdrifts at higher elevations. In one church, they saw a coffin with a deceased person, fitting the festival's theme. During the excursion, they tasted khinkali and received homemade peach liqueur from the guide Zurab.
The author, who did not join the excursion, attended the festival's scientific conference, where she presented on Suiti mourning and funeral traditions. The conference featured presentations on traditions from various Georgian regions, including Samegrelo, where women express emotions loudly and unrestrainedly at funerals. The author noted many similarities between Suiti and Georgian traditions, both blending archaic and Christian customs.
On the final day, the women took a cable car to Mount Mtatsminda, enjoying the view of the city, and visited the modernized market “Bazari Orbeliani.” In the evening, the festival's closing concert took place. The first part focused on lamentation traditions, while the second part featured the Suitu women. Their song “Lead me singing” created a special atmosphere. After the concert, the organizers invited them to dinner and promised next year's festival theme would be wedding traditions.
On the last day, the women visited the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where they received news of the passing of Jānis Leimanis, husband of Ilga Leimane, long-time leader of the Suitu women. They lit a candle and, upon returning to Latvia, attended the funeral. The author stayed an extra week in Tbilisi, attending a yoga studio, visiting a jazz club, and meeting friends.
