Quick Facts
Biography
Lela Tsurtsumia (Georgian: ლელა წურწუმია) (born 1969) is a Georgian pop singer. Born in Tbilisi, she started her career in 1999.
Music style
Tsurtsumia's music is mostly pop and soul, with some tunes of ethno/folk music. Earlier in her career, she had some electronic tunes too, e.g., her track "Idumali Game," remixed by DJ AKA.
Band
In 2006, Tsurtsumia began to form her live band. After two month of rehearsals she and the band began touring Georgia, and had two concerts in Athens, Greece. After that they were invited to held "Imedi TV" sessions. This was a live concert, which was recorded and released on DVD and CD, called LIVE - Lela Tsurtsumia.
The band features:
- Irakli Menteshashvili - keyboards
- Chabuka Amiranashvili - saxophone
- Maia Kachkachishvili - keyboards
- Lasha Abashmadze - bass guitar
- Levan Sharashidze - guitar
- Ramaz Khudoevi - percussion
- Nika Abashmadze - drums
- Vaska Kutuxov - garmoni
- Gio Mamula -
- Shota - duduning
Backing vocals:
- Rati Durglishvili
- Gvanca Kachkachishvili
Sound engineer:
- Alex Nonikoff
2000-2007
Her concert in 2000 was the first show concert in Georgia held by Georgian a singer.
In 2002, Tsurtsumia had another successful show at Tbilisi Sport Hall, with more than 25,000 spectators attending the show, arecord. Another record was set in 2004, when she released the popular album Suleli Tsvima (Crazy Rain), which sold more than 60,000 copies in Georgia. Tsurtsumia also has sold more than 10,000 albums abroad, in Israel, the U.S., and Russia.
Tsurtsumia's songs are covered in other countries. In Armenia she's so popular, that songs like "Samba" and "Love Story" charted #1 in the country and were covered by Armenian singers.
After 2006, Tsurtsumia appeared on stage only with her live jazz band.
On 11 August 2006, she had a live concert in Zugdidi in front of more than 40,000 people.
In 2007, Tsurtsumia released her first live album, called LIVE - Lela Tsurtsumia. "Never seen before quality of live performance and post-production in Georgia" - said one Georgian music magazine reviewer.
In 2007, Tsurtsumia signed with the label Art Lend and her albums were distributed on some European e-stores, such as The Orchard.