IX Tartu Folk brought warmth and light to an otherwise dark autumn time

Final concert on 17. November 2024:

The Tartu Folk festival took place on November 14-17. The festival’s main performers were BUL Bodø (Norway), Motora (Finland), the folklore group Tarkšķi (Latvia) and Sörvemaa sörmitsejad & Ammuker from Saaremaa. The folklore landscape of South Estonia was introduced by the festival organizers – Folklore Club Maatasa. The festival’s main concert program was illustrated by folk dance ensembles and folk bands operating in Tartu. The festivals pre-party this year was called evening of cultural enrichment, in relation to Tartu being capital of culture this year. Udmurt traditions, Ingrian dances and Ukranian songs were performed by groups operating in Tartu. In total about 20 groups, i.e. almost 300 people, participated in the festival.

The symbol of Tartu Folk is a fire that sends sparks into the sky, each spark is a piece of tradition. This is why a fire is always lit at the festival’s concert venue in Luunja on the banks of the Emajõgi river. Participating youth gather around it to sing old folk songs, thanking their ancestors for their rich heritage. Tartu Folk is a participatory festival. We value sharing our traditions and folklore with each other. So already by the festival opening campfire, groups choose to perform songs which other groups can join and sing along. During the four days of the festival, we learned each other’s songs, dances, and instrumental pieces, tried national cuisine, and took time for joint games and conversations.

The festival involves local schools in the , and so the first concerts took place there. Since Tartu Folk is a festival of authentic folklore, all the information that reaches the students is incredibly exciting. The students get to know the songs, dances, musical instruments, and folk costumes of one region of one country. Students are always invited to join in games and dances, which allows them to directly experience the culture of another country. This year’s groups were hosted by Tartu Miina Härma Gymnasium, Tartu Waldorf Gymnasium, Tartu Catholic Education Center, and Tartu Hugo Treffner Gymnasium. Thank you very much!

The main day of the festival and the most popular party has always been in Luunja. In addition to the main performers, the festival gala concert traditionally featured Tartu folk dance ensembles. Although the main goal of the festival is to introduce genuine and authentic tradition, it is equally exciting to see where the creation inspired by tradition has arrived today. While an international dance club was taking place in the hall of the cultural center, at the same time young Estonian traditional musicians shared musical experiences on the Sadama Pub café stage. The interest in this year’s Luunja folk festival was so great that the cultural center was starting to feel small and ticket sales had to be closed. It was great to meet our friends from different cities in Latvia at the festival. Ķocis, our guests from last year’s festival arrived all the way from Liepāja!

While the folk festival in Luunja places limits on the number of participants, the final concert at the Estonian National Museum is intended for a wide audience. What’s more, the concert is broadcasted live and is available to be seen all over the world. This year, while Tartu was named Europe’s capital of culture, the theme of the concert was local folklore. The premiere of Maatasa’s video about the legend of the Tartu Cathedral was held. The groups could also guess the content of each other’s local legends, which were pantomimely performed by the hosts Tuule Pihlap and Kaarel Pogga. The welcoming words were given by Deputy Mayor Lemmit Kaplinski, who emphasized that folklore extends beyond national borders and that thanks to the fact that Tartu has bearers of folk culture, Tartu will always remain a city of culture. The response to the final concert was very positive, and many perfomers from previous years sent their greetings and compliments. According to Facebook, our broadcast had views from Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Poland, but greetings were also sent from Germany and Ukraine.

The aim of the festival is to create a strong community and create friendships between young people interested in folklore. Therefore, it can be said that the festival fulfills its purpose and keeps friends together even when it is not possible to come to the venue. Folklore ensemble Perlynka from Ukraine: “We enjoyed watching this year’s festival. Every time you invite great folk groups! Tartu Folk is forever in our hearts ”

The festival is organized by Tartu Folklore Club Maatasa. We are sincerely grateful to all the supporters, participants and the lovely audience who are with us again and again!

Photos by Peeter Paaver

Events: November 14 – Cultural Wealth Evening; November 15 – Opening of the Festival in Luunja; November 16 – Gala concert and folk party in Luunja; November 17 – Festival closing concert and concert broadcast from the Estonian National Museum.