Basiani are from the country of Georgia. The title of this record is more an explanation of who they are. The Georgian Patriarchy referred to is the leadership cadre of the Georgian Orthodox Church and not the organised apparatus of male dominance (though of course there may be some overlap). Basiani are their folk ensemble and they sing the Georgian polyphonic music that everyone loves.
This record has been on heavy rotation here in Panda Mansions, mainly because for a while we were following something of an All Georgian All The Time listening policy, particularly in the fraught period when all the other CDs were still in boxes. This is my beloved's record rather than mine so I feel like I am not letting the side down if I say that for all that it has been played a lot I probably have not listened to it that closely. I think it may take the listener on a tour of the Georgian regions, mixing choral polyphony with people singing solo to instrumental accompaniment. The tracks with yodelling may be the best. While the Georgian polyphony is the main attraction with records like this, there are also some beautiful tunes on which solo singing is foregrounded.
