In recent years, the International Centre for Georgian Folk Song has issued a number of publications for specialists and enthusiasts of Georgian folk song. Among these were anthologies of musical notation, monographs on Georgian folk singers and chanters, and compact discs of archival and contemporary recordings.

This publication is part of the continuing series issued by the Centre. The first edition in this series was devoted to Gurian song, and was published in 2004 for the Gurian song festival Chven Mshvidoba.

The second edition is devoted to Megrelian song. This is a 3xCD anthology called Teach Yourself Georgian Folk Songs - Megrelian Songs. The discs include performances of 24 Megrelian songs in both individual voice parts and ensemble. Although a previous edition of this was issued in 2003, this did not include the fourth CD or the accompanying book with musical notation.

The songs included in the collection were recorded by Anzor Erkomaishvili, one of the greatest supporters of Georgian folk song, and the performances were by members of the Odoia choir from Zugdidi.

Some of these recordings were made in the early 1980s, several songs were recorded in 2001, and the last nine songs were recorded in 2005.

The Odoia choir is directed by renowned songmaster and master of Megrelian song, Polikarpe Khubulava. He first began studying folk songs with his father, Erasti Khubulava, who was also a prominent singer. Later Polikarpe studied with the famous Bendeliani brothers, and with Beglar Akobia. He learned how to play the chonguri (traditional Georgian lute) from the incomparable Kionia Baramia. Polikarpe Khubulava learned many uncommon variants of Megrelian songs from Kirile Pachkoria, Noko Khurtsia, Rema Shelegia, Ivane Chomakhia, Akaki Kharebava, Vladimer Babilua, and Nikoloz Khvitia.

Other performers in the recordings presented here are: Giorgi and Vano Dzadzua, Imedi Beraia, Germane Pazhava, Geno Janashia, Khuta Kelbakhiani, Tengiz Kvaratskhelia, Joto Ubilava, Orest Sichinava, Vakhtang Gogilava and Davit Daraselia.

Transcribing Georgian folk song to musical notation is approximate at best, as the Western tempered scale system does not allow us to convey all the nuances. For this reason, it should be noted that the transcription may not exactly correspond to the voices on the recording.

The text of Megrelian song is also somewhat difficult to transcribe. As the Georgians say, a good folk singer never sings any phrase exactly the same way twice. Thus, just like the music, the text may also be subject to improvisation. For this reason, sometimes there may appear to be either extra syllables, or too few.

Additionally, differences in regional dialects and pronunciation may cause the same word to sound different. For example, the vowel "u" is pronounced as written in some places, while in others it is softened to a neutral schwa-like sound. This is especially common when the sound comes at the end of words after a consonant (e.g. piruasu vs. piruas-uh).

As this publication is intended for educational purposes, we have decided to include two different variants for each text: the text sung by the performers in the recording, which is included in the score, and the traditional text, which is included separately at the end. Most of the songs in the collection are lyric and love songs, but there are also several work songs, comic songs, wedding songs, and table songs.

Dedicated to the memory of Kukuri Chokhonelidze