Echoes of x International Mine Music Festival

The anniversary festival (partners – Kaunas Folk Culture Center, Kaunas First Music School, Public Institution Kaunas In, Kaunas District Museum, Vytautas Švažas), funded by the Lithuanian Cultural Council, as if summarized throughout the cycle of ten festivals. His program included various activities for national culture and beyond them.

The festival began with a familiarity with the tradition of martyr and the museum stored in the museum. The acquaintance was not limited to the exposition. Curious people had a relatively rare access to the Funds of the National Museum.

During the excursions, visitors met not only the museum collection, but also the work of the museum, the specifics of the exhibit storage, and other interesting aspects of the museum, which we will not know during the usual excursions. The special highlight of the festival was the presentation of the interactive – sounding – Archisculptan space installation « K ITUR » created by architect artist Mantas Maziliauskas. Installation in the courtyard of the museum, L. Zamenhofo str. 12, can be viewed until June 1.

During the festival the presentations of musical instruments were organized by Albertas Martinaitis and Vytautas Švažas. The craftsmen not only shared their work or the latest ideas, but also from the attitude towards the instrument, cooperation with musicians and other experiences.

Guests: The Finnish group Melkutus Party (Tatu Viatala, Jenni Venäläinen and Janne Strom). / Photo by O. Ivanauskienė

The workshop of the festival participants on Saturday received not only a large number of musicians and city guests, but also viewers. Latvian folk musician and musical master of musical instruments Valters Reiznieks presented his own musical instruments – various types of citres (kankles related to European instruments – accordion, chromatic, bass and more), and harmonica.

Both festival participants and spectators were fascinated by the fact that the ensemble « Ziemelmalas Muzani », who came from the Latvian Vidzeme region, plays by V. Reiznieko or restored musical instruments. It turns out that it produces not only the cyter, but also the harmonica « Ievinias » in the Vidzeme region. The music and repertoire of the ensemble also marveled at diversity and subtlety, from folk music to popular music.

Mood: Youth Kapelytė (guide Gintaras Andrijauskas) of Zarasai Cultural Center; Ensemble « Kankleliai » from Vilnius. / Photo by O. Ivanauskienė

Finnish musician Jenni Venäläinen taught to call in a traditional Finnish way. It turns out that the Finns use a stick of about 10 cm long instead of a swipe. The participants of the workshop learned to keep it interested and played some Finnish tunes. Most of the participants were attracted by the joint workshop of kankli and mandolinists. Here it was possible to try to play kankles or mandolina (a frequent participant was both that and that), and the participants of the workshop have refered several works.

Curious people had a relatively rare access to the Funds of the National Museum.

Of course, the most important part of the whole event is concerts. The festival’s concerts are essentially aimed at growing in Lithuania in Lithuania and creating dialogue among musicians from various fields. They are involved in both folklore and national art performers and professional kankles. Special attention at all festivals is drawn to the continuation of the tradition of martyrdom in the family, the community, but the professionalism of the performers is also important.

This year’s anniversary festival concerts were like a summary of previous festivals. They were attended by the strongest, most spectacular kankles, who appeared in previous festivals, but there were discoveries of this festival. In the perspective of the ten festival of the festival, both the personal growth of the performers and the overall level of the performers have emerged.

Photo by O. Ivanauskienė

Participants from different corners of Lithuania brought not only responsibly prepared programs, but also the mood that created a particularly uplifting atmosphere of the festival, brought the festival « Kankles in My Hands »! In the hands of Gabija Tatlauskaitė, the kankles sounded numerous timbre, like the nature of the Baltic States … Kristina Kuprytė and Sunny’s Sunny program admired the subtle professionalism, the duo of Regina Maroziene (Concert Kankle) and Dawn Kinder (soprano), revealed the versatility of martyrs in different genres in music. Šimkus, other composers and folk songs, approval of kankles and other folk instruments, and the ensemble Laumakė turned the festival from Anykščiai from Anykščiai as a small song festival. The already mentioned guests from Latvia were surprised by the talent and greatness of folk musicians, even a true professionalism, and Finnish musicians performed a particularly interesting, contemporary club -style Kantelė music program. At the end of the festival, all participants performed the works prepared during the workshop and once again experienced the joyful mood of this meeting.