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EESTI ELU reedel, 5. juunil 2020 — Friday, June 5, 2020
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ESTONIAN CULTURE LINKS by Vincent Teetsov
We’re Listening with EMW: Kadri Voorand and Mihkel Mälgand, Live from the Estonian National Opera House Vincent Teetsov
New VEMU performance, workshop, and lecture videos available on YouTube Vincent Teetsov Did you know that VEMU (the Museum of Estonians Abroad) has been posting videos online of performances, workshops, and lectures since 2012? When it’s not possible to go out and attend an event at Tartu College, you can still dip back into the collection of video content on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/VE MUESC?sub_confirmation=1) and relive some of the high lights of what’s taken place in our multifaceted community space. There are videos that cover live concerts (including Esto nian Music Week performances: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ RytVqVmWs), improv comedy, nutrition, photography, histori cal research, and more. Some of the videos are in Estonian and some are in English. Most recently, VEMU has posted two videos: the very first “Cooking with Susi” live show from 2014 and Linnea May field’s adventurous stories of studying in New Zealand and Estonia, from 2015. In “Learning Vanaema’s Reci pes”, chef Susi Holmberg was brought in to teach the au dience how to make classic homely Estonian fare such as
Estonia handing… (Continued from page 8)
history,” he said. Estonia was very serious about its responsibilities as the presidency holder. The partici pation of its leaders in meetings attests to that. Prime Minister Juri Ratas opened the meeting on cyber security and President Kaljulaid presented a clear message at the high-level Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians, prepared by Estonia. Estonia also kept the impact of COVID-19 on security in focus. It is still crucial to put pressure on parties to im plement ceasefires. Here, the Security Council has influence and authority. “Regrettably, the Security Council has still not come to an agreement on a
soolalõhe (cured salmon), with the years ahead. a combination of sel gris (“grey The latter part of her talk is a salt” in French), sugar, roughly deep dive into her study of torn dill, lemon, and juniper biology in Christchurch, New berries, cured over 48 hours. Zealand, which included the This was followed by the prepa tagging of abalone molluscs on ration of hakklihakaste (minced the Pacific coast of the South meat sauce) with an old- Island. Particularly interesting fashioned meat grinder, home- was her story about learning style pickled cucumbers, and indigenous Maori methods of roosamanna (cranberry semoli using tree and plant matter. This na mousse) for dessert. Susi and organic material could be used host Ellen Valter are a charis for toothache relief, energy matic TV show duo and this is drinks, shoelaces, and perfume. a friendly, approachable way to I won’t spoil the whole video, learn some new recipes that but it’s an ideal watch for any might otherwise be restricted to one looking to lift their spirits a visit to vanaema juures (at up with stories of discovering your grandmother’s house). new places. I’d also recommend Linnea Mayfield’s auto it to anyone who wants to know biographical talk starts with an what moving to Estonia and insightful comparison of educa attending school there is like. VEMU will continue posting tion in Estonia and Canada. Linnea attended a Waldorf high throwback content from its ex school in Tartu for many years, tensive multimedia archives, where hands-on creativity and and hopefully, it won’t be too well-rounded curriculum were long before we can all join emphasized, which she supple VEMU at Tartu College again. mented with training in rhyth Make sure to subscribe to the mic gymnastics. Her family’s VEMU channel on YouTube so experience is a unique one be you don’t miss out! If you have cause they’ve lived with strong a Chromecast, Apple TV, or connections to both North another casting device, you can America and Estonia. She click on the casting symbol on speaks candidly about the chal the bottom right corner of the lenges of getting by in Estonia, YouTube video screen, to project and watch this content with a hopeful point-of-view on where the economy and Esto on a larger screen, for an even nian way of life will venture in better viewing experience.
resolution, which would provide support to the call made by the secretary general. We made efforts ourselves to spur on negotiations but these were not successful. As we promised, we consistently kept the Security Council focused on the impact of the pandemic – on May 27, we organised a meeting be tween the Security Council and the secretary general of the UN on implementing the ceasefire,” Reinsalu explained. Estonia’s Permanent Repre sentative to the UN Sven Jur genson said that many col leagues have recognized Estonia for its smooth presidency. “Dur ing an unusual time, we repre sented a voice at the Security Council that was innovative and strove to include as many coun tries as possible. Our special events have already been cited as examples at various meetings
and it is clear that this presi dency will be remembered,” Jurgenson said. Other important discussions led by Estonia looked at the working methods of the Se curity Council, the protection of civilians in conflict zones, the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and the cooperation of the European Union and the UN. All discussions were also notable for their level of expert participants. At Estonia’s invita tion, the Security Council was briefed by academics from the top universities of the world, as well as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Fernando Arias and the European Union’s High Representative Josep Borrell.
Above Tallinn, in the roman tic light of dusk, a camera drone flew downward to the grand art nouveau Estonian National Opera House. Though the venue is closed to the public until the end of August, Kadri Voorand and her collaborator, bassist Mihkel Mälgand, catapulted their songs up to the rafters and beyond. Through sheer dedication to her craft, Kadri has established herself as a musical ambassador of Esto nia, and this is the kind of stage that speaks on an inter national level. Kadri and Mihkel can take hold of a stage by expanding the perceived possibilities of piano, bass, and vocals. We saw them do it at last year’s Estonian Music Week festival, and it was exciting to see them do it again in an even larger space. Though, of course, this time the audience was online. A bit more than just a few feet away. This performance was in promotion of her 2019 album “In Duo with Mihkel Mälgand” (available on Spotify). The al bum, which is her debut on the German record label ACT, is now available on vinyl. Soon after the duo set foot on the stage, Kadri commenced whistling, altering the notes with a pitch shifting effects pedal, as the light shone grace fully on the stage. The first song “I’m Not In Love” is a heart-wrenching tale of love that exists in gestures and ideas, but just isn’t right. Vocals and glockenspiel were entwined by Mälgand playing tender chords on his acoustic bass guitar. The duo move the stories of their compositions in unexpect ed ways. They changed up the structure of this song by closing it with layered harmonies that fade away. Mihkel plays a lulla by from a tiny wind-up music box into the mic of his double bass. The twinkling sounds seem symbolic of an idealized but fleeting romance. It winds down slowly and quietly. The songs were interpolated with views of birds and shore line from Lahemaa National Park. An area in Northern Estonia where Kadri, her father, grandfather, and great-grand father have all played music and lived. Kadri and Mihkel leaped through many energetic motifs and autobiographical prompts in 45 minutes’ time. One of these was a formative concert ex perience: seeing Michael Jack son perform in Tallinn on the HIStory Tour, when she was 12
Photo: Stina Kase
years old. The duo’s cover of “They Don’t Care About Us” captures the frustration of the original with vocal aspirations and rolling attack on the piano’s keys. It exchanges the pneumatic drum beat of the original for rapid scatting. Partway through the show, jazz trombonist Nils Landgren made a surprise video call ap pearance. Landgren had intro duced Kadri at Jazz Baltica 2013 as part of his artistic director role, and they’ve been friends since. They chatted for a moment about what it’s been like for musicians to make the camera their primary audience, in effect. There are butterflies in your stomach at first, but once the music begins, it feels com fortable again. Nils led the procession into “Ageing Child” on his shiny red trombone, leading inquisitively into chromatic kalimba instru mentation. Mälgand’s bass called like an approaching feline. This piece’s verses have a jaunty, danceable 7/8 time signature. Smoke crawled across the stage for the world premiere of the duo’s song “La La La” (a working title). The dopplereffect and sound wave bending bow work of Mälgand feel like flying through moments on a Wellsian time machine. In these pensive musical interludes, we find satisfying conclusions to the interpersonal frustration that Voorand expresses in many of her songs. This concert is the turning of a new chapter in her musical story. ••• Kadri Voorand has said that we cannot live without creating music, and indeed, we can’t live without listening to it. To enrich yourself with the artistic jour neys of Kadri, Mihkel, and other lively Estonian artists, you will most definitely want to follow Estonian Music Week on Instagram and Facebook. New releases, upcoming concerts, and music news – all in your grasp. Needless to say, we can’t wait for the first in-person con certs to begin!
