True art and true music are immortal and stand the test of time—something perfectly demonstrated by the remarkable, diverse, and memorable work of Inola Gurgulia. The works of this brilliant Georgian musician lose none of their value over time and continue to remain relevant across generations. Notably, Gurgulia’s songs, with their distinctive style, resonate with listeners of different ages.

With the support of TBC Concept, a unique vinyl collection consisting of 7 records has been created in honor of Inola Gurgulia’s work. It brings together 100 archival audio recordings from the 1950s–1970s, compiled into 5 different audio albums. The collection is especially unique because it includes many previously unknown archival materials.

The 7-record edition features a 100-song collection gathered from twelve different sources. The first album, titled “Do You Remember?”, echoes the title of its opening track and symbolically points to Inola’s memory and enduring legacy. This double album is unique in several ways: it includes songs recorded in home conditions on tape during the late 1950s–early 1960s, which had never been published before due to low recording quality. These recordings are entirely new to listeners. The album also features alternative versions of some of Inola’s more familiar songs. A special highlight is her English-language songs from her student years—“Singing” and “Oh, Say”. These are particularly significant as they are believed to be among the first English-language original compositions by a Georgian composer in the history of Georgian music.

The second album brings together songs performed by Inola that were written by various authors for films and theater. Titled “Hard to Repeat”, the name is inspired by a romance composed by Davit Toradze based on a text by Petre Bagration-Gruzinsky. The record includes beloved songs such as “You Are Mine”, “Tbilisi Night”, and “How Wonderful You Are”. A key part of this album is also old Tbilisi folk songs, made even more distinctive through Inola’s characteristic performance style.

The third album stands out for its newly discovered recordings and largely unknown, previously unpublished material. Titled “I Am Happy”, the first side features Inola’s songs, while the second includes popular folk songs, along with an audio recording of Inola narrating her own biography. Each recording is a valuable historical artifact—many were recorded at home and contain technical imperfections, yet they remain highly significant. The second side, titled “With Children”, is particularly special: the first five songs are performed by Inola together with her children. She sings four songs with her eldest son, Mamuka Salukvadze, and a Mingrelian folk song recorded in 1976 with her younger children, Ia and Dato Shugliashvili. These recordings were preserved on a small family tape recorder, while the Mingrelian song comes from the television program “Iavnana.”

The fourth album, titled “I Will Come and Sing for You”, derives its name from one of Inola’s notable songs. It includes recordings discovered as recently as 2023 and has an intriguing backstory. A 1965 recording had been copied onto a cassette by one of Inola’s friends, but due to a defect, it was overlaid with another sound. It was later discovered that another friend possessed the original tape, making it possible to restore these nearly lost recordings. This album contains 14 songs from that tape.

Finally, the fifth and concluding album, titled “…In the Beginning Was Song”, is based on Inola’s final recording from 1977, which was first released on CD in 1999. The record also includes songs not found on older tapes. A particularly emotional part of the album is a set of five duets performed by Inola and her husband, Mikheil Shugliashvili. Notable tracks include her final performance “Human” and “I Am Grateful”, which in many ways expresses her final message and outlook on life. The album concludes with “My Prayer.”

Dato Shugliashvili:

“Initially, I want to note that Inola’s recordings were not released during her lifetime. In the late 1960s, her trio was allowed to publish a few small records, but her solo performances circulated informally from hand to hand. There has always been strong interest in her music, both during her lifetime and after. In 1999, we released her final recording, which sparked renewed interest among younger generations.

The idea behind this new vinyl collection is to make her archival recordings accessible, including unique early and forgotten recordings discovered at home after her passing. For her admirers, this project is especially meaningful, offering the chance to hear songs that were previously unavailable.

The recordings required extensive audio restoration, cleaning, and processing, which was made possible with the support of TBC Concept. The editing was done carefully to preserve Inola’s voice and distinctive style. The collection includes 100 recordings, many of which are not widely known. Some songs appear multiple times in different versions, but none are identical performances. Each version carries unique nuances, making it particularly interesting for listeners to compare them.”

Sopo Kikvadze, Head of Marketing at TBC Concept:

“The 7-record collection of Inola Gurgulia is a natural continuation of the cultural direction TBC Concept has been developing for several years. The idea originated from Inola’s family to make Georgian musical heritage not only accessible but also presented to modern audiences.

The project involved close collaboration with the composer’s family, which was crucial in discovering and restoring unique archival recordings. Its realization was a complex, multi-stage process involving archival restoration, audio processing, conceptual design, and high-quality vinyl pressing in Germany. Every detail was designed to offer not just music, but a complete cultural experience.

For TBC Concept, such projects are not one-time cultural activities but an established tradition and a key part of our strategy. Our goal is to support the preservation, reinterpretation, and revitalization of Georgian cultural heritage.

This collection is particularly important as a large-scale, historically grounded archival work that is unique in Georgian music. Previous projects—such as vinyl releases of Nani Bregvadze and Giuli Chokheli have shown the significant cultural and social value of such initiatives.

Through these projects, TBC Concept reinforces its role not only as a financial services provider but also as an active participant in the country’s cultural life and a supporter of initiatives that create lasting value and heritage.”

Starting April 28, TBC Concept customers can purchase the vinyl collection with a 15% discount at the TBC Concept Collection Shop located at 7 Marjanishvili Street. The collection will also be available at the store “Retromania.” The number of vinyl sets is limited.

Blog author: Tekla Tsomaia