Vocalist and percussionist from the band The Shin, Mamuka Gaganidze, has passed away. He represented Georgia at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark.
It was reported yesterday afternoon (12 August) by TV journalist and friend of Mamuka, Marina Salukvadze, that the singer haspassed away in Germany following a battle with melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Life and career
Mamuka enjoyed music from a young age, and at the age of three, his parents said that he would spend hours lost in song. He continued pursuing her musical career, even while he was a member of the army.
In the 1990s, Mamuka, and his jazz-obsessed friend Zaza Marjanishvili, set up a quartet which remained together until 1993 when Zaza emigrated to America. He did however continue his musical career throughout the 1990s, this was at the time that Georgia was at civil war.
Mamuka joined The Shin in 2002, which had originally been founded by Zaza Miminoshvili and Zurab Gagnidze in Germany in 1998. As a member of The Shin, he was the band’s lead vocalist as well as composer and percussionist.
The Shin, along with Mariko, took part in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest representing Georgia with the song “Three Minutes to Earth”. They failed to qualify to the grand final, finishing last (15th) in the second semi-final with 15 points.
The thoughts of the entire team at ESCXTRA are with Mamuka Gaganidze’s friends and family in these difficult times.
