World`s first punk song celebration was held in Estonia

Estonian Punk Song Festival took place last year in Estonia, where popular punk songs were performed by professional choirs. The festival was opened by Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Total 71 choirs with 1700 singers took part of the event. The Punk Song Festival idea is from the art director of Rakvere Theater Üllar Saaremäe who is also the director of the punk song festival. The head choirmaster of the festival was Hirvo Surva who is very well known conductor in Estonia.

Take a look at the pictures and video from the punk song festival.

Photo gallery: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=punklaulupidu&ss=2&z=e

Video: Anarchy in the UK (performed at the Estonian first punk song festival).

Winners of Estonian Song and Dance Celebration photo competition

The operating company of Tallinn Song Festival Grounds organized a competition to find best picture from the 2009 Estonian Song and Dance Celebration. This year`s winner was photographer Priit Teng and his foto “Seismograph”. Here`s the gallery of top 50 pictures from the event.

First place: Priit Teng

Second Place: Kain Kalju

Third place: Varmo Ernits

Pictures are taken from http://fotokonkurss.lauluvaljak.ee/

Next big event – Estonian Youth Song and Dance Celebration in 2011

11th Youth Song and Dance Celebration will be held in 2011 in Tallinn. In 2011 Tallinn is the European Capital of Culture, so expect the three days celebration to be as popular as this year’s Song and Dance Celebration To Breathe as One.

In relation to Tallinn being European Capital of Culture, the Youth Song and Dance Celebration will be held in 2011, not in 2012 as planned earlier. 11th Youth Song and Dance Celebrations name is Under the Ground Sleeps Fire. The organizers of the celebration explain the name as follows: “All people living on this Land feel in their hearts its warmness – there’s no place like your own Land. Invisible Fire makes the children of this Land to sing and dance. And when the joy of dancing and singing rises to the sky then the bowels of the Land will open and the Fire will flame up among us. This is the most joyful celebration. This is the 2011 Youth Song and Dance Celebration. Joy will be born from Land.”

Artistic director of the Song and Dance Cebration is Raul Talmar, Song Celebrations artistic director is Veronika Portsmuth and Dance celebrations artistic director is Märt Agu. In 2011, when Tallinn is European Capital of Culture, there will take place a number of different cultural events from what Youth Song and Dance Celebration is the most important event.