Laulupidu - The Opening Parade
Since we were in Helsinki, I have checked the weather forecast app every few hours to check the weather in Tallinn. As a quinquennial celebration, Laulupidu is, without doubt, the most important cultural event in Estonia, and the outdoor events would be held rain or shine. Since I had scheduled our entire trip around the festival, I have been worried inclement weather would damper the spirit. And my fear seemed to have been realized as we approached the festival. Although we were lucky to get dry weather in the two-hour window for the Tantsupidu performance we attended, there was quite persistent rain the following day. At some point, the downpour was heavy enough that I started to prepare for the worst. Naturally, I was nervous. Standing in the rain for ten hours would have been quite miserable.
Although Laulupidu and Tantsupidu are jointly hosted, the dance festival always precedes the song festival in the schedule. The start of Laulupidu is marked by an official procession from central Tallinn to the Song Festival Ground (Lauluvaljak). The route passed through Viru Square and then followed the Narva Highway (Narva Maantee); it actually offers a perfect overview of Tallinn's urban landscape, from the charm of the medieval old town, the shining new business district to the suburban elegance of Kadriorg District. The entire route is approximately four kilometers long and could be covered on foot in under an hour. But with well over 32,000 singers and 11,000 dancers, the parade could take anywhere between six to seven hours from start to end.
The banner lining the street in front of the Freedom Square.
Wonderfully beautiful hand-painted signage.
With the procession officially kicked off at 1 pm, we spent a few hours late in the morning visiting the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom, which happened to be just a few blocks away from our hotel. On our way to the museum, we saw that all the signage for individual groups had been laid out along the start of the route. What I loved about these banners was how beautiful and artisanal they seem. Each is unique and hand-painted, often incorporating traditional folk patterns and fresh flowers. It was quite a sight to see all of them lining the empty streets in such an organized fashion before the arrival of the participants. By the time we left the museum, the crowd had begun to gather, and a festive atmosphere had started filling Tallinn's streets.
The crowd began to gather as early as noontime.
We were given a prime spot from our room window at the Hotel Palace. We requested a room on the upper floor facing Freedom Square, allowing us a commanding view of the square and the Old Town beyond. It was remarkable just how quickly the crowd gathered. By 12:30 pm, it looked like all Estonia were gathered there. Quite frankly, I did not even know the massive possession was organized since the sequencing of each participating group is meticulously planned based on the county each group belongs to, starting with those from Jarvamaa, one of the smallest counties in Estonia. The organizer and the various choral conductors of the festival lead the head of the parade.
The massing of choirs and folk dancers at the Freedom Square
The banner for Jarva County.
The flag regiment leading the head of the parade.
Since I have watched many videos from past Laulupidu performances, I recognized many of the conductors. Many of them, like Heli Jürgenson and Hirvo Surva, conducted many of my favorite past performances. It was an odd feeling to see them in the flesh. It was as if meeting the celebrities of your childhood for the first time. But it was also funny that I might be just one of the handful of foreigners who could recognize these conductors and found the celebrity sighting a thrill. Among those leading the parade was also Jüri Ratas, the prime minister of Estonia. Dressed in full traditional folk costume from the Mulgimaa region, the prime minister certainly blended into the crowd and appeared to be just another folk dancer in the parade. It was very odd to feel that we could walk up and talk to a leader of a NATO member state.
It is the 150the anniversary of Laulupidu.
Among those leading the parade is Jüri Ratas, the incumbent prime minister of Estonia.
The parade started at one o'clock on the dot. As each group passed in front of Saint John's Church, the master of the ceremony called out each group to thunderous cheers from both the participants and spectators. Like any good parade, it was only as good as its spectators. As a national event, Laulupidu is the national gathering and is truly a national party. It offers a rare opportunity for citizens from all corners of the country, including outlying islands like Kihnu and Muhu, to gather and celebrate their collective national identity. Although not required, almost all participants wore traditional folk costumes. Each region or parish often has its specific dress style and special accessories.
The children's choir from Tartu Veeriku School.
One of the essential side benefits of the song and dance festival is to ensure the preservation of traditional outfits. With participating dancers, in particular, the festival organizers set strict guidelines in evaluating the appropriateness and "authenticity"; a special committee was established to work with each group to source and assemble the necessary ensemble. Perhaps even more importantly, the national festival creates the necessary market and demand for traditional craftsmen ranging from silversmiths and embroidery to textile weavers. Demands for folk costumes were so intense that many groups struggled to meet the stringent requirements. With a traditional outfit often costing more than €1,000, it is also quite a substantial financial commitment. Many groups received financial assistance from local parishes, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.
Estonian flags of all sizes are abundant in the parade.
These ladies with distinctive headwear from Pöide is one of my favorite.
The sign leading the contingents from Lääne-Viru County.
As the parade passed through Viru Square, a popular gateway for foreign tourists, I felt bad for those tourists who arrived today with a cruise excursion. While they enjoyed the nicety of medieval Old Town, they missed out on the best cultural experience Estonia has to offer. This reminds me of a saying that Rick Steves always put forward: "If you encounter a parade during your travel, follow the crowd." I wonder what percentage of tourists that day stumbled upon and participated in the parade. Selfishly, I felt slightly resentful for these casual tourists, who got to enjoy all this festivity without extensive research and planning as I did.
The youth dance group from Tapa Parish (Tapa Valid)
Being a parade of dancers, musicians, and singers, the procession is quite a musical event. Various Estonian ensembles often just burst out singing, ranging from repertoire from Laulupidu to the contemporary pop songs of Estonia. Our favorite moment in the whole parade was when Segakoor Viroonia passed by. They happened to sing Kauges Külas, a song by the Estonian ensemble Curly Strings. I first saw this song by broadcasting the national centennial concert in August 2018. Translated as "Distant Village,” the humble melody and simple words became an instant classic. It is my favorite song from Estonia, and I have been listening to it non-stop for the past year to the point that even Brian knows a portion of the lyrics. So, to hear it during the parade was deeply satisfying to me. It was somewhat of a "travel dream comes true" moment.
The smiling faces of Laulupidu.
Estonian expat of Ukraine.
As the parade approached the Lauluvaljak, we made a beeline to one of the visitor entrances. It was somewhat of a sentimental moment. The last time I visited Lauluvaljak was in 2012. The place was completely deserted at the time, with no soul around. At the time, I didn't even know of Laulupidu, and this amazing structure seemed like just a relic of the Soviet times. Fast forward seven years later, I returned to a place full of energy and excitement. Even having been to the dance festival ground a few days earlier, I was still not prepared for just how big the song festival both in terms of crowd and logistic know-how. Aside from the enormity of people, Laulupidu was set up as a small town with its own canteen, security forces, and medical response team. By all accounts, Laulupidu became the second-largest city in Estonia in these few days.
The procession.
Laulu-ja tantsupeo Jäätis, the official Song and Dance Festival Ice Cream by Premia.
Scoring some souvenir from the official Laulupidu shop.
To take advantage of the late arrival of ongoing parades, we took a little tour around the ground, sampled a few more snacks, and browsed through the official souvenir stand and vendors selling all kinds of Estonian patriotic products. It was remarkable how everything was selling hotcakes. Just about every other Estonian, parade participants and spectators alike seem to have a national flag in their hands. Truthfully, I could confidently say that the Estonians have the most beautiful national flag in my eyes. Blue, white, and red just happened to be my favorite colors.
Sending myself an official Laulupidu postcard with the commemorative stamp.
The woman choir from Muhu Island, also known as the “Island of Women”,
Ellerhein Children's Choir is among the most recognized choir in Estonia and is always situated at the front of the Song Arch.
We were fortunate enough to have reserved tickets for the opening concert, so we had access to areas closer to the front stage. It turned out to be quite an ideal place to have the front-row seat of the parade... literally. Because we arrived early, there were plenty of seats, including the best spot on the whole festival ground. The prime minister, the culture minister, and his wife were standing directly across from me. As each individual group passed under the Song Arch, the name of the group was called out by the master of the ceremony. Immediately afterward, without missing a beat, the prime minister would bellow out their name. It was the purest and most sincere form of politicking. In four to five hours, he could greet Estonians from all corners of the country.
The elite dance troupe putting on their last performance in front of the crowd.
Embracing the artistic director of this Laulupidu, Peeter Peren.
Enthusiastic greeting from the prime minister, Jüri Ratas.
Besides the prime minister, the song arch is lined with the orchestra and choir conductors, who were due to conduct this Laulupidu. I have read that in the Baltics, the biggest cheers are not for the political leader or rock stars. Instead, they are typically reserved for choir conductors. I can attest that this is the case in this context. Seeing the genuine personal connections developed between singers and these conductors was refreshing. Even though Prime Minister Ratas was quite popular, people greeted conductors with greater enthusiasm. Many hugs and high-fives were exchanged. Some conductors and the prime minister elected to join their home ensemble to march under the Song Arch together. After another two hours, the spectators and choir began to gather in great numbers while the parade was still taking place.
The island county of Saaremaa seemed to have the most elaborate props.
The gradual massing of the crowd had begun.
The heroic torch tower.
After groups from Harju County entered, the international contingents arrived at Lauluväljak. While Laulupidu is an Estonian event, selected groups of foreign choirs were invited to audition for the event. I could not think of a better way to demonstrate Estonia's soft power than inviting foreign choirs to this magnificent festival. What better way to get to other's hearts than a heavy dose of music and traditional culture? It also offers the growing population of the Estonian diaspora. Since joining the European European and the common labor market, many Estonians now reside across Europe. Joining an Estonian choir became the best way to connect with my homeland. It also speaks to the strength of singing as the dominant expression of Estonian culture. Aside from European countries like Belgium, Austria, and Ireland, the foreign participants came as far away as Japan and Brazil.
The choir began to assemble on the stand while the parade was still ongoing.
But of course, what piqued our interest were groups from North America. We were naturally excited to see the entry of the American flags into the song festival grounds. In the age of Trump, we were grateful that Americans were still welcome. By some accounts, the United States and Canada have the largest Estonian diaspora after Finland. Largely consisting of refugees fleeing the Soviet Occupation, the Estonian community in the United States was instrumental in maintaining the Estonian government in exile.
The Seattle Estonian Mixed Choir.
The Baltimore-Washington Estonian Mixed Choir.
We were surprised to see four diaspora choirs representing the United States hailing from San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore-Washington, and New York. They are joined by four American choirs, including two returning participants: Oakland's Piedmont Children's Choir and Unistus Chamber Choir from Oregon City. In particular, you might recognize Piedmont's Children's Choir, featured in the 2009 documentary about Laulupidu: To Breath As One. Coincidentally, we ran into many kids from Piedmont while visiting the Suomenlinna Castle a few days ago.
Before we knew it, the massing of the choir was completed. Let the concert begin!
