First performers of Viljandi Folk Music Festival program announced
The Viljandi Folk Music Festival has announced its first six performers for this year. Over the last weekend of the summer, Yamma Ensemble from Israel, Samba Touré (Mali), Breabach (Scotland), Raxtu Raxti (Latvia), WoWaKin (Poland) and the Belgian-Faroe Islands duo Raske Drenge are to perform in the South Estonian town.
"I am pleased with the geographical reach, but also with the fact that among the first performers there are young and unique musicians as well as experienced musicians who have already made a name for themselves in the world," Tarmo Noormaa, the program manager of the festival said.
The theme of the XXIX Viljandi Folk Music Festival is "Roots and Treetops". The theme seeks to celebrate the musical roots and emphasize the role of young talent as transmitters of tradition.
The Yamma Ensemble is an Israel ensemble that performs original Hebrew works, traditional music and the lost music of various Jewish diasporas, using ancient and exotic musical instruments for us.
Samba Touré from Mali brings the African desert blues to the audience, adapting it to an electric guitar from traditional strings. Like most Malian songs, Samba Touré's songs carry a moral message and introduce the specifics of Malian culture.
Breabach is a contemporary Scottish folk music ensemble that combines highland and island traditions with musical ideas from five band members in Glasgow.
The Latvian ensemble Raxtu Raxti offers the audience arrangements of Latvian folk songs, and the composition of the instruments is like the Latvian Zeto.
The Polish trio WoWaKin plays traditional Polish music - masurkas, polkas, tangos, foxtrots, statues, obereks. In addition to violin, three-line Polish accordion and drums, they also play a small banjo and harmonica and perform (cradle) songs.
Heavy Drenge is a duo consisting of a singer and guitarist from the Faroe Islands and a Belgian violinist. Their folk music has its roots in Scandinavian and North Atlantic folk music, and in Faroese, music combines power and melancholy, beauty and sadness.
The XXIX Viljandi Folk Music Festival will take place in Viljandi Castle Hills on July 28-31, 2022. The remaining performers of the festival will be announced in the coming months.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino