Dine and reminisce with the heroes of the Singing Revolution for VEMU’s online fundraiser

VINCENT TEETSOV

On Friday the 23rd of April from 7:00 to 9:30 in the evening, join in for the annual VEMU fundraiser, together with Estonian Music Week, featuring the return of VEMU ÖÖTV.

Naturally, this time around, the fundraiser will be held virtually. However, that won’t do anything to stop us from having an great time. 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of Estonia regaining its independence, after all!

Just as a sit-down dinner was prepared for previous fundraisers, this year, a take-out dinner will be made for guests by Ülle Veltmann, drawing from nostalgic recipes of the past. These fresh meals will be available for pickup at Tartu College a day before the event starts, with deliveries available within Toronto for an extra charge.

For those who pay the ticket fee, a secret link will be sent. While you’re digging in, you’ll be invited to turn on your devices and head over to VEMU’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/ VEMUESC) for insightful words from University of Tartu Professor Marju Lauristin, who was closely involved with Estonia’s independence movement from the beginning.

Take a trip down memory lane through interviews and previously-unseen archival videos of this pivotal moment, when Estonians in Toronto witnessed their homeland regain its freedom.

The festivities will conclude with music and recollections of the Singing Revolution from Ivo Linna and pianist Antti Kammiste. Though we may already know about these musicians, here’s a bit of background in case you don’t.

Ivo Linna gained notoriety in Estonia in the 1960s with bands like Müstikud, in the 70s with the band Apelsin, and then from the late 70s into the 80s with Rock Hotel. These groups had a string of popular records published by the Melodiya record label. Before starting his collaboration with Linna, Antti Kammiste had hit the stage as a keyboardist with In Spe.

Linna and Kammiste’s visibility in Estonia took on a whole new meaning, though, with the rising independence movement in 1988, which brought them both under the arch of the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn as Estonians sang for freedom.

With the Rahvarinne (Estonian Popular Front) starting to take shape in the spring of 1988, concerts were held across the country that would become well-known for advancing the cause of Estonian independence.

Composer Alo Mattiisen created the Viis isamaalist laulu (“Five Patriotic Songs”), which were first sung by Ivo Linna, In Spe, and Kiigelaulukuuik in May 1988 at the Tartu muusikapäevad (Tartu Music Days festival, 1979–1991). This emotional event, where crowds were gathered together, singing hand in hand, led to even more political and musical events like this. The songs became beloved by all Estonians.

That August, Ivo Linna and In Spe both played at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds for the Rock Summer Festival. Johnny Rotten’s band Public Image Ltd played a set as well.

The crowning moment was on September 11th, 1988, when at least 100,000 people came back to the grounds for Eestimaa laul together to hear music and fervent speeches from Estonia’s independence activists.

This was a time unlike any other in Estonia’s history. In a 2005 interview with Õhtuleht, Kammiste joked about how, at one of his and Ivo Linna’s concerts in Viljandi, the crowd was so loud that they could not hear themselves playing, despite being right in front of the speakers on stage. Just like The Beatles experienced with screaming fans.

As many readers will remember, Linna came to the University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall in 1989, for the 71st anniversary of Estonia first gaining its independence. There with Alo Mattiisen on keyboard and a choir to accompany him, he performed René Eespere’s composition Ärkamise aeg (“Awakening Time”). He also sang Eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään (“I am an Estonian and I will remain one”), which he and Antti Kammiste had both performed during the Singing Revolution. Linna also brought songs and poems to the Toronto Estonian House. In April 2010, he played for the Estonian House’s 50 year commemoration party. It’s an instance of things coming full circle then, that he will be performing for Estonians in Toronto to commemorate the regaining of independence.

In fact, Antti Kammiste and Ivo Linna have played together all over North America, Australia, and beyond for Estonian events. At the VEMU fundraiser event, one will be able to hear more about those visits to Canada, what it was like to be in the midst of all that change, and to listen to them perform songs just for us.

Registration for this event has already begun, so don’t delay in securing your tickets for what’s going to be a standout night of the “virtual era” and among post-independence Estonian community celebrations.

Still from Edgar Väär’s video of Ivo Linna and Alo Mattiisen’s 1989 performance in Toronto.