8
EESTI ELU reedel, 30. aprillil 2021 — Friday, April 30, 2021
Nr. 17
We’re Listening with EMW: Erik Kreem rings in the finale of “Memories of Home” Vincent Teetsov English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Singing to freedom revisited On August 20 this year, we will be marking the 30th anniversary of Estonia restor ing its independence after 50 years of foreign occupation. The few years leading up to that momentous victory have been called the Singing Revolution – Laulev Revolutsioon. The worldwide acknowledg ment of this political-musical phenomenon has been evident even in the pages of this paper. Estonian Life has over the years republished hundreds of travel articles written for media from Singapore to Calgary, from Cairo to Kansas City. The stories have all stressed the singularity of Estonians fighting for freedom unarmed, using as its national weapon, choral music – singing. While this rather whimsi cally fuzzy reputation bolstered sympathy and esteem for a small country, the current inter national challenges of techno logical competitiveness have demanded a more succinct brand. Estonia is now widely recognized as cyber-savvy and Estonians acknowledged as far advanced in digital fluency. But it was a sustained act of defiance, the Singing Revo lu tion that lasted over four years, that afforded Estonians the conditions of freedom and inde pendence which gave them the opportunity to position them selves now as a serious inter national player in a highly competitive hi-tech world. What constituted the actual Singing Revolution has been a public debate for years. Many have suggested that it opened with the presentation of Alo Matiisen’s ‘Five Patriotic Songs’, with lyrics by Jüri Leesment, at the Rock Summer ’88. Others insist that in May of that year, at the Tartu Pop Festival the Songs had their actual debut. The year before, the two had created the song ‘Ei ole üksi ükski maa’ (No one stands alone) as a protest song to show solidarity with Ida-Virumaa, the county that was to be exploited for phosphorous mining, result ing in environmental catas trophe. This was known as the ‘Phosphorous War’. Different parts of the song were presented by some ten of the most favoured pop soloists in Estonia. Some say that the USA’s “We are the world” idea
from a few years previously was taken as an example. While the ‘Singing Revolu tion’ has been attributed mainly to spontaneous concerts at mass gatherings which convened without any government sanc tion, the ‘Song of Estonia’ (Eestimaa Laul) concert spon sored by the People’s Front (Rahvarinne) attracted a mas sive audience. However, many historians still insist that the real substance and emotional core of the Singing Revolution derived from the non-official meetings and assemblies of people. Ideas of solidarity, together ness, and loyalty to historic tra ditions were interwoven in the Matiisen-Leesment songs. They also exposed and directed atten tion to the prevailing problems of foreign occupation, the Moscow-controlled government and the changing ethnic demo graphics with forced migration from outside Estonia. In 1988 this spurred the sing ing of formerly banned patriotic songs at most mass gatherings. That year became the year most associated with the Singing Revolution. Some have named it the ‘hot summer’. At the end of the summer, spontaneous nightly song festivals attracted the young to march from Tallinn’s Old Town Square to the Song Festivals grounds waving the Estonian tricolour. According to historians, singing and songs used as a protest can be traced back to the 13th century, wielded in op position to German conquerors. Estonians applied it as a politi cal weapon for centuries. Songs were weapons against the occu pying army of Peter the Great in the 18th century. During the Soviet occupa tion, the national Song Festival (Laulupidu) had become a base for resistance against Soviet repression. Even though it was mandatory that the repertoire feature songs praising the Communist Party and the state, the Estonian organizers in fact were able to bypass officialdom by including banned patriotic songs and symbols. From 1987 on, despite divisions within the independence movement – be tween Rahvarinne and Congress of Estonia – the Singing Revolution had generated such strength that public protests, nationalistic displays and other
Over the past four months, to viewers all over the world, Estonian Music Week has pre sented a wide range of musi cians who exemplify what “home” means. Through music, they’ve shared their personal interpretations of what it is to be at home. Home might be in Toronto, Võrumaa, Latvia, or several places all at once if you move around a lot. With home being a rather complex idea, it’s our hope that maybe this music has given new insight into diaspora culture and experiences in a way that words alone can’t. It’s also our hope that the snippets you read in Estonian Life and stories you hear through live interviews with the musicians have been a founda tion for discovering new music and getting to know the people behind the music you enjoy listening to. Yet, to conclude the “Memories of Home” series, EMW is hosting a night with a musician who will be familiar to many readers in Toronto. On Thursday May 13th at 8:00 PM (EDT), we’ve invited back Erik Kreem, Toronto’s celebrated young Estonian-Canadian pia nist.
challenges to the Soviet power gained momentum. Estonians made a commit ment to non-violent protest, even when confronted with a dangerous provocation. In May 1990, Moscow-aligned Russians surrounded the Parliament building at Toompea. An at tempted coup was launched against a determined legislative body that had just been con stituted in March through an election free from Communist Party abuse. Tens of thousands of Esto nians rushed to protect the Parliament building. The Rus sians, organized by the Moscowcontrolled Interinne, recognized the resolve of the unarmed Estonians and decided to with draw. What remains as the most impressive and memorable moment of this critical confron tation is the safe passageway that Estonians afforded the Russians as they retreated. This was also the essence of the Singing Revolution, as was a saying coined by Heinz Valk at one of the concerts – Ükskord me võidame nii kui nii – Eventually we’ll win, no matter what. Most international observers placed the Estonian Singing Revolution not as a fuzzy, virtuous feel-good attribute of a timid people, but actually as a bold and audacious, but creative protest against tyranny. Good vibes, even now. LAAS LEIVAT
Photo: Elis Jaansoo
The last time we got to see Kreem play within the context of Estonian Music Week was at the afterparty following the fes tival’s night at Koerner Hall in 2018. And though I’ve written about him before, we’ve not heard much from him personally. Seeing as there is a long, fruit ful career ahead of him, it’s an important thing to record his ideas as a young musician here and now. So in addition to the concert, you’ll learn more about him as
I ask about his musical begin nings, his home life growing up, and formative musical ex periences. He is articulate in how he explains the themes that excite him most and the dif ferences in composing for different instruments. Further more, he explains his unique approach to improvisation for classical music. Last November, he and his fellow students at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music (Continued on page 9)
Russia expels Baltic diplomats ERR, April 2021 Four Baltic diplomats, two from Lithuania and one each from Estonia and Latvia, have been expelled from Russia in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian diplomats last week. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the expulsions are “based on the principle of reciprocity”. The Baltic states’ diplomats will have to leave Russia within seven days. Latvian Ambassador Maris Riekstins, Lithuanian Ambas sador Eitvydas Bajarunas, and Estonian charge d’affaires ad interim Piret Reintamm Benno were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednes day, the ministry said. “Based on the principle of reciprocity, we demanded that two employees of the Lithua nian embassy and one employee of the embassies of Latvia and Estonia each leave the territory of the Russian Federation with in a seven-day period,” a state ment published on the ministry website said. “Strong protest was ex pressed to the heads of diplo matic missions in connection with the provocative, unfounded actions to expel the employees of the Russian embassies in the Baltic states. It is indicated that Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn con tinue to pursue an openly hos tile course towards our country, hiding in this case behind pseudo-solidarity with the indis criminate actions of the Czech Republic towards Russia,” it said. On April 23, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jointly expelled four Russian diplomats from their countries in solidarity with the Czech Republic. Two diplo
mats were expelled from Lithuania and one each from Estonia and Latvia. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time: “Russia’s action violates inter national law, undermines European security & stability and is unacceptable.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia will retaliate. She told journalists: “The authorities of these countries can have no doubts about our response. Their diplomats can already start planning who among them will have to pack their things.” Background On April 17, Czech authori ties expelled 18 Russian diplo mats, accusing them of being secret agents with ties to a 2014 explosion at a munitions depot that killed two people. They also alleged that two Russian spies wanted over the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England were involved in the blast. Moscow denied the allega tions and responded by ex pelling 20 Czech diplomatic staff of a total of 32. The Czech g overnment on Thursday ordered Russia to remove 63 diplomatic staff from Prague by the end of May, to create an equal number of staff in both embassies. The Czech counterintelli gence service has repeatedly warned that the Russian Embassy is being used as a base for undercover spies. Slovakia has also expelled three diplomats in solidarity with the Czech Republic, which has called on NATO and EU allies to act in solidarity.
