Concert and dances, Jelgava,
18 January 2003

      By performances of Finnish folk music group Tallari the festival of musical traditions Rīga music began. It is not a festival in the usual sense of this word. It is a cycle of acitvities, in the bounds of which each month one foreign ensemble or musician will come to Riga and will act in Riga, will conduct master classes in University and will go to one of the districts' centres for perfrorming together with a local ensemble.
      This reporting is from the concert of Tallari and Dimzēns in Jelgava, January the 18'th.

Dimzēns

      By first performed the hosts - Dimzēns. They began with instrumental melodies on psalteries, after that they danced folk dances and sang callable songs. The leader of the ensemble in the beginning has told, that they today has a role of "warmers up", and this their self-sensation spoiled the performance a little: they would act more freely and confidently, if they feel itself as a partners fully valued partners of the Finns.

Tallari

      In Tallari there are four musicians, everyone plays on several instruments. There are 2 squeeze-boxes, 2 violins, mandoline, harmonia (portable organ), contrabass and bow fidel. There is a woman singer in group too - with a beautiful, strong voice, which sometimes joined by other participants. Both instrumental and vocal rendition was very qualitative, even professional.

Tallari

      The repertoir of ensemble is very wide - from lovely, traditional waltzes, until modern authors' songs and country-like arrangements. Certainly, group has some variety features, for example, separate singer - village musicians don't has something like that. Also in repertoir there are products which are not having anything common with the folk music. But, anyway, the ensemble performs the authentic folk music too.
      After the concert danced and played both Kaustinenans, Jelgavans and Rigans. All had an opportunity to eat refreshments prepared by the hosts.

      Songs' recordings from this activity:

• Dimzēns - Behind mountains, behind mountains
• Tallari - A song from the Eastern part of Finland
• Tallari - Votyaks' weddings' song
• Tallari - Stream (author's song)

      Article: Ansis Ataols Bērziņš, 1 February 2003
      Photos: Ansis Ataols Bērziņš