Category: Estonia

Curly Strings: Pidu meis eneses & Rahu meis eneses

February 15, 2022

Art often consists of freezing moments and reassembling them in words, music, digital images or on canvas, and frozen reality is something we’ve all experienced over the past two years. The Estonian band Curly Strings took full advantage of the global timeout and the result of the band’s reflections is an album diptych: The companion covers of Festivity Within (Pidu meis eneses) and Tranquility Within … More Curly Strings: Pidu meis eneses & Rahu meis eneses

Mari Kalkun: Ilmamõtsan

December 26, 2018

One of Europe’s smallest nations, Estonia is also among the most heavily forested. “The woods are a sacred place for many of us,” observes folksinger-songwriter Mari Kalkun. “Many Estonians have a spiritual connection to the trees, and a walk in the forest can be compared to a mini-pilgrimage.” Kalkun’s music is based on ancient regilaul chants, which she refreshes with newly composed works, and at the heart of Ilmamõtsan (In the Wood … More Mari Kalkun: Ilmamõtsan

Curly Strings: Hoolima

June 11, 2018

All societies revere music, but surely Estonia ranks first among equals when it comes to the power of song. The 1987-91 Singing Revolution, involving mass-scale performances of patriotic anthems, was a pivotal step in ending the Soviet occupation. Fast forward 27 years and the nation seems focused less on traditional music than on engaging with the wider world, but there is still something deeply Estonian about the quest to create new … More Curly Strings: Hoolima