The Archives of Latvian Folklore Highlights Folklore References in Music on European Folklore Day

Today, September 20, UL Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art researchers Ieva Vīvere and Jānis Daugavietis appeared on the Latvian Radio 1 programme Kultūras rondo (https://lr1.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/kulturas-rondo/gatavojamies-eiropas-folkloras-dienas-svinesanai.a196965/) to talk about the Archives of Latvian Folklore’s preparations for European Folklore Day and other centenary events.

European Folklore Day (https://www.europeanfolkday.eu/) will be celebrated on Monday, September 23. On that day and in the surrounding days, various folklore events will take place across Europe, including in Latvia. Initiated by Daina Zalāne, head of the culture management centre Lauska, the day is now being marked for the second year by the European Folk Network.

For the occasion, the Archives of Latvian Folklore has compiled a list of Latvian or Latvia-created music of various styles and genres that contain references to folklore. Some of the songs from this list can be heard today and next week on Kultūras rondo. An online survey, Folklore References in Music (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rtWfUwSXO9yhmw50AZ1LQzM4-LKqhI0dVoh_sRwxgm0/viewform?ts=66ec86a6&edit_requested=true), invites everyone to contribute more examples. The public is also encouraged to share such music on social media using the hashtag #LFK100 — as a gift for the Archives of Latvian Folklore’s centenary. On December 2, 2024, the day of the centenary celebrations, playlists with the suggested songs will be published on music streaming platforms.

The research aim of the survey is to document the significance of folklore and archival folklore materials in Latvian society and culture, both past and present.

Today’s broadcast featured Raimonds Pauls’ song Maza, maza istabiņa, sung by Margarita Vilcāne, from the cycle Estrādes dziesmas ar latviešu tautas dziesmu tekstiem (Estrada Songs with Latvian Folk Song Lyrics), as well as Krāšņa bija tēva sēta by the Palsmane schlager group Palsa.

In the photo: the group “Palsa” from Palsmane. Photo from the Sniedze family archive.