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Music of Estonia
Celtic fiddle and pipes, sean-nós singing, Nordic polska and Sámi joik, kulning herding calls, Baltic runo-song and kantele.
Sung and searched in Estonian. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.
A brief history
History
The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing and dancing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (c. 1179). Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for an epic battle. The Estonian folk music tradition is broadly divided into 2 periods. The older folksongs are also referred to as runic songs, traditional songs in the poetic metre regivärss that are shared by all Finnic peoples. Runic singing was widespread among Estonians until the 18th century, when it started to be replaced by rhythmic folksongs. Professional Estonian musicians emerged in the late 19th century at the time of Estonian national awakening. The best known active Estonian composers is Arvo Pärt.
Popular music
20th century
In the 1960s, the Soviet communist authorities began encouraging forms of ethnic folk art from various parts of the former USSR and Eastern Bloc. Local ethnographic bands were formed after Leiko, a choir from Värska, came together in 1964, while a less regionally distinct form of Estonian folk music was soon promoted, Estonian ring dance beginning with the formation of Leigarid in 1969. The 1950s and 60s also saw the publication of Herbert Tampere's Eesti rahvalaule viisidega ("Estonian folk songs with melodies"), a collection of folk songs. The first LP of traditional music, Eesti rahvalaule ja pillilugusid ("Estonian folk songs and instrumental pieces") was released in 1967. In the 1980s, a series of musical festivals took place that helped stimulate the increasing popular demands for freedom of expression (these included the 1985 conference of CIOFF, the 1986 Viru säru and 1989's Baltica), leading to the nonviolent Singing Revolution of 1989, and Estonia's bloodless regaining of independence in 1991.
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Live radio
Radio from Estonia
Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.
Station directory by Radio Browser Streams come from each station's own server.