‘‘They decided again this year that I should be silent for the whole year, that is, without singing or concerts. They fought for it everywhere and with everyone they could. I won't be able to be with you this New Year either, because they didn't spare their efforts to suppress me. Unfortunately, we won't be able to meet in any city, my home Batumi hurts me the most,’’ musician Nino Katamadze says that the reason she has not been invited to concerts organized by the government for the last few years is her civil stance.
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‘‘Who makes these decisions after all? I think cultural policy should function independently. I haven't participated in these concerts for 4-5 years. But that is not a problem. The purpose of my status was not to bemoan not being allowed to sing but to emphasize that this issue exists on a profound level, for a long time, and has touched many artists.
If I am confronted so boldly and openly, imagine what happens to people who want to be freed, who want to speak their mind publicly, in general, freedom of speech is a problem.
I try to analyze why someone can have the right to punish a certain artist. In my case, it is probably because I openly express my civil position,’’ states Nino Katamadze in an interview with Radio Liberty.
According to the musician, she also encounters significant hurdles when trying to hold a concert on her own initiative.
‘‘I was personally told that there are some lists which I am not on. This year, there was a specific hint leading up to the New Year’s concert that everyone is included in the program but Nino and several other artists.
This problem runs even deeper. They even control the halls, whether to let you have it or not.
If you are looking to rent a hall, they tell you it’s busy, or charge you so much that you are forced to go and ask the state,’’ says the musician.
Nino Katamadze often criticizes the Georgian Dream and openly states her position on important public matters.
For the second year, the musician has been helping hundreds of Ukrainian children who came to Georgia after the war improve their psycho-emotional condition through art therapies and various activities, which she finances from her foundation.
