A selection of Estonian folk music. We’re starting
off with some choir music, the first three tracks, which every Estonian will
tell you is a crucial part of our (folk) culture. We have these really big song
festivals every 5 years, in 2019 there were all together 30 000 singers
from different choirs, and I’d say that the root of this tradition is both in Protestant
religious music and more common, almost quotidian, folk songs.
Mu süda ärka üles is a Christian choral song in Estonian and by an Estonian composer which is now quite well-known in Estonia. I bring this origin out because it marks an important change, Kreek composed at a time (late 19th century) when church texts and songs were increasingly translated into Estonian (although under Russian rule, Estonia was mostly Protestant at the time). The change here is that Kreek used an Estonian text to begin with. For me this marks a certain religiousness inherent in Estonian folk music, a sense of holiness if you will, which nevertheless didn’t make Estonia more Christian (even now we are one of the most atheist countries in Europe).
Muusika is much more recent (2008) and is also sung at these big song festivals that I mentioned. Hearing it there is really something, with all the people singing.
Then we have Kust tunnen oma kodu which is more of a mix of choral and folk, here you can hear the emblematic regilaul, where a lead singer sings a line which is repeated by the choir or audience. Nevertheless it is an arranged piece, a kind of choir piece that makes use of a folk form and folk text.
Ты святая Варвара is in Russian and I’m pretty sure the band is from Smolensk, Russia as well. I think it’s a beautiful song, almost like a dirge, and in my eyes there is this kind of specific sadness in it that belongs to Russian Orthodoxy. Not that I could describe it or pin it down to anything.
Then we have Ehted kadunud which is a kind of contemporary interpretation of a folk text. The singer tells a story of going down to the creek or spring to wash herself, she takes off her necklace and ring and other valuables, but then a goose and sparrow come and take her things away. The girl runs back home crying and her mother says not to worry, that once a merchant comes by, she will get a new ring and neklace and all. A very undramatic story I’d say. But I think this is what I meant that folk songs are almost quotidian.
Une meeles is similar to the previous one, also a contemporary interpretation of a folk text. This time the text is a lullaby. Maarja Nuut is perhaps also the most well-known contemporary artist working with folk music in Estonia, I really recommend her whole album Muunduja.
Next up we have the band Collage, a gem from Soviet times. I really have no idea why they were allowed to do their thing in the 60s and 70s when all art had to be strictly social realism. Nevertheless I’m grateful they were. Collage started off as a school project between students in the Conservatorium in Tallinn (now the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy). In the beginning they did kind of modern interpretations of Bach and some other baroque music, that changed in the late 60s when Aarne Vahuri became the leader of the band, then they turned to folk texts, and these arrangements are the ones I put in the mix. Really unique stuff. Apparently also very difficult techincally, but I don’t know much about that.
Now we have Puuluup, which isn’t really connected to traditional folk music that much, but there is some kind of folkish feel to it still. The fact that the band is just two weird guys playing weird instruments I think relfects this freedom in folk music to do whatever you want, also to sing about whatever you want.
Between them Valgõ jänes by Zetod, a funky folk arrangement. The song is in Seto, a dialect in Southern Estonia that has a strong independent cultural identity which is also reflected in the band name.
Then we have a Japanese/Estonian collaboration. Pastacas is one half of Puuluup and Tenniscoats is a Japanese duo.
Kiigel kartlik by Duo Ruut. This is some really new stuff, and mostly I put this song here because Duo Ruut is something to keep an eye on. The duo is really young (both of them are 20 I think) and they’re putting up such great stuff already.
Next up Legendaarne lend by Maria Peterson & Eva Eensaar. This is something that my mom used to listen to when I was young, and it only came back to me a couple months ago. They only ever let out 1 album of which half the tracks aren’t uploaded anywhere. I’ll try to rip the CD that my mom has when I go back there, maybe I can do the world a favor.
Then we have Muuseas by Vaiko Eplik and Andres Ehin. Spoken word, the poem is by Ehin and read by him. I guess Eplik made the instrumental, otherwise he mostly makes indie music, some good stuff too.
Playlist:
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