Hamlet Gonashvili

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Hamlet Gonashvili was a Georgian tenor. He is sometimes referred to as "the voice of Georgia". Gonshavili was born in the eastern part of Georgia, and is considered the best interpreter of songs from the Kartli and Kakheti regions. He was a recipient of many national honors and prizes. The Third Symphony of the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli drew inspiration from Gonashvili's singing and Gonashvili was the soloist in the first recording of the work. (1979, Olympia Records). At the height of his fame, he died in 1985 in a fall from an apple tree.