 | The topic of this articlemay not meet Wikipedia'snotability guideline for biographies. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citingreliable secondary sources that areindependent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to bemerged,redirected, ordeleted. Find sources: "Devi Khajishvili" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Devi Khajishvili | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1991-01-09)January 9, 1991 (age 34) |
| Alma mater | Texas Tech University |
| Occupation | Historian •Musician •Actor •Athlete |
| Years active | 2006- Present |
| Parent(s) | Nodar Khajishvili, Nana Khajishvili |
| Relatives | Elene Khajishvili, Sabina Khajishvili |
| Awards | Gold Medal - WorldShotokan ChampionshipCyprus, Turkey, 2004 Silver Medal - 8th World Championship,Tokyo, Japan, 2007Gold Medal - World Championship,Crawley, England, 2008. |
Devi Khajishvili (Georgian: დევი ხაჯიშვილი) also known asDevi K. is aGeorgian actor, musician and model born inBatumi,Georgia on 9 January 1991.
Khajishvili was born to the family of Nodar Khajishvili, the president[1] of theWorld Shotokan Karate-Do Federation[2] inGeorgia and Nana Khajishvili a piano teacher. He is ofGeorgian descent from his paternal side andRussian,Ukrainian,Spanish andIranian from his maternal grandparents.[3] Since he was six years old, he trained inShotokan Karate under his father's mentorship, and later after competing in numerous national and international tournaments, became a two time World Champion.[4] In his late teens, he was recruited by the nationalShotokanKarate Team composed of top athletes who traveled the world competing and representing their country. In 2008, he was the youngest person included in a list of the most successful athletes ofGeorgia.[4]
In 2023, he defended his fifth-degreeblack belt in an examination conducted by Sensei Kasuya Hitoshi, President of the WorldShotokanKarate-Do Federation (WSKF).
In 2014, Khajishvili graduated fromTexas Tech University with a Bachelors inPolitical Science[5] and moved toWashington D.C. to work forCongressmanBeto O'Rourke.[6][7] While working in Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s office, Devi Khajishvili built ties with multiple high-ranking government officials of his native country, like the formerPrime Minister of GeorgiaIrakli Garibashvili, formerGeorgian Ambassador to the United StatesArchil Gegeshidze, and the founder of theGeorgian Labour PartyShalva Natelashvili.[8][9]
Khajishvili then pursuedMaster of Sciencein International Affairs[10][11] and worked as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in Public Policy.[12] In 2024, as a PhD candidate in History at Texas Tech University, Khajishvili was awarded the prestigiousFulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to support one year of research in Georgia.[13] His research focuses on Georgia’s tea history during the Soviet era and its role in shaping the country’s post-Soviet identity.
Khajishvili speaks five languages; Georgian, Russian, French, Spanish and English.[14]
Khajishvili performed as a dancer with theGeorgian National Dance Ensemble for seven years, with whom he toured Europe and did shows nationally and internationally. After moving to the United States, he staged numerous dance performances showcasing Georgian culture to Western audiences. His most notable work centered around the playThe Knight in the Panther's Skin byShota Rustaveli. His talent for dancing was later noticed by a Time Warner advertising director who cast him in a commercial forMercedes Benz where he performed theTango.
Khajishvili's career in the United States took off when he was discovered by well known Los Angeles based photographerMichael Stokes who featured him as a model in one of his books Bare Strength in 2014.[15] Author Jen Frederick also used one of Michael Stokes photos of Devi Khajishvili as the book cover for herUSA Today best selling book Jock Blocked in 2016.[16] Next Devi Khajishvili moved into acting co-starring withRichard Riehle in the 2017 romantic-comedy You Have a Nice Flight.[17] Due to Khajishvili's martial arts background he was invited to train withWesley Snipes who helped to educate Khajishvili in stage combat. Khajishvili's talents for action roles led to him being cast as a lead role in a new television pilotWednesday The Film where he plays the role of a member of an elite team of the Russian Special Forces.Wednesday The Film has begun filming in Los Angeles and is scheduled to continue with some filming to be done in Georgia.
In 2017, DEL Records a Latin independent entertainment company headquartered in Los Angeles cast Khajishvili as the lead actor in a music video by Los Del Arroyo - Por Si Te Interesa.
Devi K., the musical alias of Devi Khajishvili, made his debut in the music scene with his first album, “The Runaway Train,” on 22 February 2020.[18] Characterized by its acoustic guitar arrangements and rooted in the singer-songwriter genre, this album marked his entry into the industry. In 2024, he released his second full-length album, The War Within, a 14-track rock record written and produced entirely by Khajishvili. The album reflected his transition into heavier musical styles, incorporating elements of rock and heavy metal.[19][20]
One of Devi K.’s notable deviations was a passion project in the form of a Spanish reggaeton song titled “Una Asesina.”
In addition to his genre-spanning works, Devi K. released a personal track named “300 Aragvians,” an homage to the 300 Georgians who defended Tbilisi from Persian forces in the 1795, celebrating his Georgian heritage and the valor of his ancestors.[21]