THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC02 / THE STORY
Two homes.
One musical soul.
Moris Janashvili is a Tbilisi-born singer and musician, founder of Champagne Band, Art Master Group and Israel’s Georgian-language television channel GTV. He was born on April 9, 1960.
He immigrated to Israel with his mother in 1976. After working in theatre, Georgian dance and the Kolan quartet, he began his solo career and founded Champagne in 1982. He won first place at the Georgian Song Festival in Lod with “Two Loves” in 1985, and again in Tel Aviv with “Lucky Star” in 1986.
He received the Order of Honour in 2003 for promoting Georgian culture. On December 25, 2014, following a sold-out concert at the Tbilisi Philharmonic, a star bearing his name was unveiled. In 2026, the Georgian Writers’ Union awarded him the Ilia Chavchavadze Prize and a gold medal.
He founded Art Master Group and GTV in 2004, and opened Kinto restaurant in Tel Aviv in 2016. He continues his artistic and public work, while considering his family his greatest treasure — four children and thirteen grandchildren.
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Moris Janashvili, son of Moshe (Maisei) and Raya Janashvili, was born in Tbilisi on April 9, 1960. An only child, he grew up in a prosperous and loving family. In 1972, he lost his father, who died at the age of 49.
In 1976, Moris immigrated to Israel with his mother, Raya. He was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1978, at the age of 18. During his military service, he was wounded in the arm in an operation in Lebanon and was subsequently discharged.
He married in 1979. His first son, Moshe (Maisei) Janashvili, was born on September 9, 1980.
His artistic career began before 1982. He performed several roles in Georgian dramatic theatre and danced with a professional Georgian dance ensemble established in Israel in 1981. He later helped establish the well-known Kolan quartet.
In 1982, Moris decided to pursue a solo career and founded the vocal and instrumental ensemble Champagne. After a year of rehearsals, the ensemble began performing publicly to a successful reception.
The first Georgian Song Festival was held in Lod in 1985. Its professional jury awarded Moris Janashvili first place for his performance of “Two Loves”.
The festival returned in 1986, at a large concert hall in Tel Aviv. Moris won first place once again, this time with “Lucky Star”. No further competitions were held in this format.
Moris went on to perform in Israel and internationally, including in the United States, Austria, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary and Italy.
In 1988, director Georgiy Daneliya invited Moris to be considered for the leading role in Passport. He travelled to the Soviet Union on an Israeli passport for approval for the role, becoming one of the first Israelis to visit at that time. The financing arrangements later changed: a French producer provided additional funding on the condition that a French actor play the lead. The role ultimately went to Gérard Darmon.
On July 23, 2003, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze awarded Moris Janashvili the Order of Honour for his contribution to promoting Georgian culture around the world.
In 2004, Moris founded Art Master Group. The company launched GTV — “Our Channel” — a Georgian-language television channel in Israel that continues to broadcast today.
On December 25, 2014, Moris gave a sold-out solo concert at the Tbilisi Philharmonic Grand Concert Hall. Following the concert, a star bearing his name was ceremonially unveiled outside the Philharmonic, by decision of the Ministry of Culture and the Chamber of Culture.
In 2016, he brought another Georgian project to life, opening Kinto, a Georgian restaurant on one of Tel Aviv’s central streets. The restaurant continues to welcome guests with Georgian cuisine and hospitality.
In 2026, the Georgian Writers’ Union awarded Moris Janashvili the Ilia Chavchavadze Prize and a gold medal for his exceptional contribution to Georgian–Jewish cultural relations and his extensive public service.
Moris continues his artistic and public work, promoting Georgian art and culture in Israel and around the world.
Alongside his professional achievements, he considers his family his greatest treasure: four children and thirteen grandchildren.
