Sounds and Stories from Ruhnu Island
Eleven square kilometers of land in the middle of the Baltic Sea that is inhabited by 65 people - Ruhnu island is special in this sense of isolation. Rich in untouched nature, the island holds in it echoing forests, wetlands, pastures and long sandy beaches with migratory birds and bats flying across the skies. Its waters are home to the Ringed and Gray Seals, species that for centuries were the livelihood of locals. Legends tell that the ancestrals of the island people were Vikings.
It is true, one could see signs of older times when discovering the island. Let’s take for example the unique wind flag of Ruhnu (old) church that depicts a dragon.
In its traditional music Ruhnu doesn’t have much in common with the mainland of Estonia since it was mostly inhabited by Swedish speaking people. The cultural divide was made more secure by the surrounding sea. All changed in 1944 when a refugee boat took passengers escaping the war and soviet forces to Sweden, their new home. Most of the islanders were on this boat (with the exception of two families) leaving behind howling dogs and their family homes.
One of the of people who refused to leave was Peeter Rooslaid. And here begins our musical adventure: Rooslaid and his father Elias Schönberg, the two masters of Ruhnu violin music, are the igniters of this whole voyage of Sounds and Stories from Ruhnu Island.
Read more from our blog!The band
Karoliina Kreintaal - violin, viola, vocal
Lee Taul - violin, vocal
Sänni Noormets - violin, vocal
Kairi Leivo - storytelling, vocal
HOW IT ALL BEGAN The fondness felt by Karoliina Kreintaal, Sänni Noormets, Lee Taul and Kairi...The violin trio recorded their first album "The Many Points of Ruhnu" in February 2019 at the...Two Ruhnuites in particular have been especially important to Karoliina, Sänni, and Lee’s musical...Shows, Events and Tours 2023
07.05.2023 Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Blackbox / Tallinn
27.04.2023 Sabatants traditional dance festival / Tallinn
15.04.2023 Akvárium Klub at Budapest Ritmo
16.02. 2023 Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh festival at the Blasket Island Centre/Ireland
MAY 5th 2022
TALLINN MUSIC WEEK, Erinevate Tubade Klubi
MAY 10th 2022
PRIMA VISTA, TARTU
JUNE 16th 2022
PHILLY JOE'S, TALLINN
SEPTEMBER 2021
RUHNU ISLAND
SEPTEMBER 2021
TALLINN,
KAKUMÄE FESTIVALAUGUST 2021
VIRU FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, Käsmu, Estonia
JULY 2021
VILJANDI FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
JUNE - JULY 2021
SETO FOLK FESTIVAL, Värska, Estonia
7 CONCERTS - TOUR in ESTONIA
JUNE 2021
HIIU FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
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