No, we did not say “The Shins”.

Georgia’s state broadcaster GPB has announced that The Shin (singular) will represent the country at Eurovision 2014. It’s not a reference to your leg. Apparently the band’s name means “coming home” in Georgian.

The group likes to think it offers a modern take on a traditional Georgian sound. Here’s how they describe their music.

In The Shin’s music Georgian-style vocal pyrotechnics, intricate polyphony and instrumental virtuosity meets jazz scat, funk and fusion, flamenco, Ravel and Shakti. How does it sound? Sophisticated, surprising, hip, humorous, and always exhilarating – even at its most sensitive. The Shin’s celebratory musical dialogues know no bounds. Listen again and you’ll hear something new each time.

The result is songs like “Potato Story”, which may or may not reference the starchy vegetable.

The trio—Zaza Miminoshvili, Zurab J. Gagnidze and Mamuka Gaganidze—kind of scream male Burnavoski Babushki (albeit slightly younger). So GPB has wisely decided to send them to Copenhagen with Mariko Ebralidze, a younger singer who, judging from the video below, likes a big band sound.

Mariko and the Shin will head to Stuttgart to record their song in the coming weeks.

What do you think? Is this a disaster waiting to happen? Can Mariko bring a new dimension to the all-male band? Let us know in the comments section below.

You can keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.

Photo: The Shin

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Annah
Annah
10 years ago

No final for Georgia 2014!

Arianna
10 years ago

style* I mean. Can’t wait to hear their ESC song.

Arianna
10 years ago

Potato Story haha!! I like their song. They could be a really great choice! Sounds like they’ll be really showcasing Georgia this year!

Mex
Mex
10 years ago

It will be interesting & fresh (hopefully). I’m open for new things.

@Dhani – calm your comments. 🙂

tochto
10 years ago

I cannot wait to hear this song! I think it’s going to be fabulous (-ly good or bad…)!

Raul
Raul
10 years ago

This is very, very good. It’s a new vision of traditional folf. If they send something like this, ok it’s not pop, it will not win, but should classify to the final and they should br proud of send a little bit of their culture.

Z24
Z24
10 years ago

This may be great. I’ll have to wait and see

SpirK
SpirK
10 years ago

Well there’s no Sophia/Sopho in the club, so I think they are doomed to failure!

Dhani
10 years ago

i think this looks great
jamaraqueer: grow up and be open for other genres of music than dull gosia-dance pop songs.

Jamaraqueer
Jamaraqueer
10 years ago

And suddenly anri jokhadze doesn’t seem so bad…