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Qualities of a good tamada
A good tamada is selected for his possession of a number of special qualities. First of all, a good tamada is one who is good with words, who speaks clearly and cleverly, who can say in an original way things which are heard over and over again at every supra. The best tamadas are extemporaneous poets.
Secondly, a good tamada must be able to organize well, as he is almost entirely in charge of the entertainment. He has to decide which toasts to drink when, and how often to propose new toasts, so that a good rhythm is established. He has to orchestrate singing or dancing, if there is such, between stretches of toasting, so people stay attentive and entertained. This relates closely to a third quality of a good tamada: sensitivity. The tamada should have a good feel for the mood of the table and try to maintain a pleasant upbeat atmosphere in which all members are participating. The table should have a kind of unity, said one Georgian, which is the responsibility of the tamada. He should notice if certain members begin to pay less attention and draw them back, perhaps with a special toast or by making them “alaverdi”.
He should be able to sense how much people have drunk, and increase or decrease the pace of the toasting as needed. (In general, the pace of toasting is faster earlier in the evening and slows down once everyone reaches a certain level of inebriation.) Part of this includes recognizing when the guests are at the proper level of inebriation for him to propose more abstract or emotional toasts. If the tamada knows the people at the supra well, he will be able to tailor his toasts to the guests, encouraging them to have a good time.
Fourthly, a good tamada has to be somewhat forceful in order to get people to pay attention to the toasting and to get everyone to drink each toast. This gets harder as the evening wears on and some people would rather talk than toast. Last, but not at all least, a good tamada must also be a good drinker; the tamada is expected to empty his glass on each toast, but it is considered disgraceful for him to actually get drunk.
Both the tamada and the other guests are expected to propose a toast to every person at the Georgian table. Every speaker tries to distinguish the most interesting, original and praiseworthy features of a person toasted. The Georgians do not consider this flattery, but a way to encourage the good traits. They believe when a person is told that he is kind and honest he will find it difficult to do evil; when he is told he is generous he will try not to be greedy.
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