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Non-Latvians may find it hard to comprehend the importance of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival which takes place in Riga once every five years, and takes over the hearts and minds of the entire nation. The simple fact is that the festival is inextricably bound with Latvia's very identity.
After centuries of foreign rule, social and political changes in the 19th century led to the rise of a National Awakening in the minds of the Latvian people. They strove to rediscover their Latvian identity, despite the oppressive influence of so many foreign powers. The way they did this was through song.
Latvian folksongs, or 'Dainas', have a centuries old history and is estimated that over 1.2 million exist - making Latvian oral tradition one of the richest in the world. Dainas are characteristically made up of quatrains, or four-lined stanzas, and their topic usually include philosophies on life, love and the world order and the important rites of passage surrounding birth, marriage and death.
Taking the idea from the recent German practice of organising huge choir concerts, the Latvians organised their first Song Festival in Riga in 1873 in which 45 choirs and 1019 participants took part. Much of the aim of the festival was to help foster in Latvians a sense of national identity - and this certainly worked, as in 1918, during the aftermath of the First World War and the Russian Revolution, Latvia declared itself an independent state.
Unfortunately for the Latvians, Soviet Russia was to reclaim the state as its own following WWII. However, even the Soviets, who had criminalised the ownership of a Latvian national flag, dared not deny the people their beloved Song Festivals. And so the Song Festival continued to exist, albeit with an unhealthy amount of panegyric in praise of Lenin. Despite the heavy russification of the festival it was understood between Latvians, at first tacitly and later in the 1980s more openly, that the event stood for Latvian national identity. From 1987 to 1991 in fact singing protests became Latvia's most powerful weapon against the Soviet regime, as it did in Lithuania and Estonia, in what is now termed the Singing Revolution.
But enough about history, what does this Latvian Song and Dance Festival (the dance element was added in 1948) actually consist of? Well basically some of the largest choirs in the world getting kitted out in national dress and singing their hearts out! At the last Song and Dance Festival in 2003 over 30,000 participants, 300 different choirs, more than 500 dance groups, plus 57 brass bands, three symphonic orchestras and one chamber orchestra all took part during a crazy eleven days in June and July. On top of that a large number of art exhibitions, parades and also some contemporary rock and pop concerts took place.
The Latvian Song Festival, along with its sisters festivals in the Baltics, are truly unique awe-inspiring events - after all what other events can boast 20,000 people in national dress all singing in pride of their country at the same time! Perhaps that's why they were recently bestowed the title of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity", by UNESCO.
Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration 2008:
The next festival is due to take place from the 5th through the 12th of July 2008, in Mezaparks and Skonto Stadium in Riga. Attendees are bound to be blown away by The Land That Sings.
More information will soon be available on the festival's official site. | | | |
 | | "i never heard it before.." | SHORTY
United States
Mar.13.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "i like song" | waizin2009
United Kingdom
Jan.04.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I will be there on 12th of July but unfortunately in 2009 :((" | Cenk Özbaykal
Turkey
Sep.15.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "it is a perfect organization.thanks nataly" | tugrul
Turkey
Apr.01.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "Good Job!" | Anynonmous
United States
Mar.17.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Hi, we are not the organizers of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, this is merely an informative page about the festival in Riga. To contact the organizers, please find their information on the official website: http://www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv/" | Riga Life Team
Latvia
Jan.28.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Dear Sir
My name is Munkhzul.E/Zula/ and I work as general manager inMongolian National Recreation Centre. One of our good branch is National Song and Dance ensembleof Mongolia which is calling “Tumen Ekh”ensemble.
The Tumen Ekh Ensemle is one of the best national song and dance ensembles in Mongolia.”Tumen Ekh ” in the Mongolian language is expression of “leader or vanguard of everything” In 1989, group of outstanding artists took the name of ,the famous folk song “Tumen Ekh”, and joined together to form this ensemble.
There are traditional Mongolian string and wind instruments ,as well as drums and gongs.Mongolians have made their music through the ages using metal,stone,bam-boo,leather and wood.The most popular music instrument is the Morin kuur /horse fidddle/, which is said to represent the movement and sounds of a horse.
Visitors have no need to go around the country ,crossing from mountains to the steppe,to find this fantastic Mongolian culture.All you need is just sit back in the “Tumen ekh”theatre, where you will have one –stop all the shows in front of your eyes and feel our artists’ natural voice and emotion without any microphone and technical support.
The “Tumen Ekh” ensemble is the home of 40proffessional artists well known in Mongolia and abroad.Tyhey perform not only on stage regularly,also tutor and do research in various institutions.
During the last 15years,Tumen Ekh ensemble has paid visits to more than 30 countries showing to the people of the world the unique,attractive ,colorful and wonderful Mongolian performances.t has been well received at the World Music Centrein NewYork ,The Millennium Stage of the Kennedy centre in Washington DC,the Buckingham Palace in Great Britain;the UN centre…
The hall of fame is decorted with
- The Grand Prix from the International Festival ,France,1994
- The Grand Prix from the Spring Holiday International Folklore festival,S.Korea ,1995
- The Bronze medal awarded by Japanese Mask Dance contest 1997
- Awards from National Musicians’ Festival,Fukuoka,Japan 1999
- The Best ensemble of National professional Musicians of all Mongolia,2002
- The Best ensemble with Best management/Mongolian ministry of Education,Culture and Science/, 2003
- The pride of Mongolia,2005
- “Mongolian image” award from the Trade and Industry Chamber of Mongolia ,2006
The “Tumen Ekh” ensemble is not merely a performing group on stage.we welcome also,with the focus point on performing arts, including but not limited to cultural exchanges,research and studies;training;creative activities, etc.
.Also we attached some pictures.
We are really interesting this festival and I am looking forward your mail.
Yours sincerely
Munkhzul .E .
" | Zula.E
Mongolia
Jan.23.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Man patika si informacija" |
Latvia
Jan.14.2008
rates this page 4/5
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| | "Am I too early to be booking for the festival in 2008 as unable to get through into the official site?" | Janis Molotoks
United Kingdom
Oct.06.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Greetings, We are not the official organizers of this festival, we merely provide information on this event in Riga. To enquire about entering the festival please visit the festival's official page: http://www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv/
Thanks, The Riga Life Team" | Riga Life Team
Latvia
Jul.23.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Dear Sir/Madam,
We take the pleasure to inform you that ours is a Cultural Group and Academy specialized in the Punjabi Folk Dances like (Bhangra, Giddha, Malwai Giddha and other folk dances) and are providing training to the kids and youths in Punjab, i.e. the northern region of India, which is known around the world for its good human values, relations and bravery. Our cultural group includes male as well as female members. Apart from this, we have been participating in different cultural festivals organized in India and abroad since long.
While surfing through internet, we came in contact with your site and noted that you are one of the organizers of cultural festivals being organized around the world. Since we feel that we are in the position to approach you directly to demonstrate our cultural specialties, if we are given a chance to perform in your country on your invitation, we are contacting you by this mail.
We are of the opinion that the cultural festivals being organized around the world are being proved to be a good source of culture exchange in between the different communities, nations and continents, which is really needed during this pace of human welfare, world peace and integration.
We hereby offer our consent to participate in the cultural festival to be organized by you in the future. We shall feel highly obliged if you kindly provide us the details of the forthcoming festival, if any and the formalities to be completed by us at our end for participation.
We hope you would consider our proposal favorably and would definitely give us a change to start and strengthen our cultural relations.
We hope for your kind consideration and long term cultural relations.
Please do reply.
Thanks and regards,
Ramjit S.Saini.
Mob…: 0091-98148-64629
Phone: 0091-161-5034629
0091-161-5054629
PUNJABI FOLK CULTURAL ACADEMY,
LUDHIANA (PB) - INDIA.
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" | RAMJIT SINGH SAINI
India
Jul.21.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "ghanta jasto geet mujee
" | lado
Nepal
Jul.03.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
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