BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Meet the queen of 'Bubblegoth' music

Most people were pretty moved when Demi Lovato released the "overcoming adversity" ballad Skyscraper at the end of last year. What they didn’t know was that Demi didn’t write that song, the quirky queen of bubblegoth Kerli did.

Kerli, like Demi, has overcome all kinds of adversity in her life. She was born in Tartu County, Estonia in the town of Elva, with a population of 5,000 during the Soviet occupation. At 15 Kerli lied about her age so she could enter a singing competition, after that she worked with numerous producers and due to lack of money as the contracts she had gained previously were unsuccessful, she ate nothing but rice for three months when she lived in an abandoned house during winter and slept on a cot.

At the age of 18, she moved to the United States where she continued to perform and write songs, ultimately getting an audition with L.A. Reid, who signed her to Island Def Jam Music Group in 2006.

Kerli has just released the much anticipated single Zero Gravity to iTunes, and a matching music video. I got the chance to sit down with her and talk about her start, her inspiration and what exactly "bubblegoth" is.

Keltie Colleen

Kerli and Hannah

Apologies to Milan Kundera for borrowing from the title from his literary masterpiece, which explores artistic behaviour during the Prague Spring with an intellectual and philosophical vigour, that apparently is untranslatable. Kundera is on record saying Hollywood’s version of The Unbearable Lightness of Being with Daniel Day-Lewis had little if nothing in common with his book, which was written in 1982, but only published, with Kundera’s approval in the Czech Republic in the original Czech in 2006. Kundera has remarked that the movie had very little to do with either the spirit of the novel or the characters in it.

Yet after listening to the feather-brained Kerli’s now officially, (as of yesterday) released single “Zero Gravity”, and seeing the brand new video, courtesy of Õhtuleht (link below) I found no other words to describe this vapid paean to all that Hollywood in its brainwashing fervour holds dear.

What is truly a weightless number was actually already on the air, if you will excuse the attempt at humour, already last year. Kerli performed “Zero Gravity” at Vabaduse laul, Freedom song, in Tallinn, along with other English language numbers (that August 20th festival marked 20 years of reindependence from Soviet occupation for the younger set). The 25 year-old from Elva apparently has very few Estonian selections in her repertoire. So a young man, who greeted my news about Kerli’s release by beginning to sing the song, tells me.

I’ll leave the blatant anti-Christian symbolism in the video for others to comment on, but it is there – just as it was when Kerli first came to my attention with her initial attempt at swaying young minds with the help of superficial America and Hollywood. That was with the release of “Walking on Air”, which demonstrated more musical and lyrical fluff coupled with mind control symbolism.

There’s music in the air

Tallinn - If you visit the international headquarters of Skype, the Nordic Hotel Forum of Estonia’s LHV bank from March 29 – 31, there is a good chance that you’ll hear someone singing. But it’s not because someone has had a few too many beers at lunchtime. Instead, Tallinn Music Week is giving people a unique opportunity to hear artists in a setting not normally associated with music – though there’ll also be plenty of chances to experience traditional venues.

Certainly, with 183 bands and artists from 13 different countries performing in concert halls, clubs, cafes and corners the only way to escape the music during Tallinn Music Week will be to stuff cotton wool in your ears. But, with a program that boasts something for everyone, you wouldn’t really want to.

The festival will showcase 33 international performers with Alina Orlova and electronic-acoustic performer Markas Palubenka, both hailing from Lithuania, alongside Latvian band Instrumenti and Latvian singer Sergejs Jegers,  who will be flying the flag for the Baltic region. There’s also a wide range of styles from all corners of the globe, running the gamut from Polish rock in the form of Fonovel, to indie folk stylings from the Austrian band Diver.

Let's Go : Music from the Baltic

Cantus will perform “The Singing Revolution,” an inspiring story of music and revolution in the Baltic States.

In 1989 the people of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined hands in a peaceful revolution of song to gain their independence from the Soviet Union. Cantus shares this inspiring story and the music of the Baltic states.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 15
Cost: Adults $25; students $10
Location: The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Time: 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 23
Cost: Adults $25; students $10
Location: Colonial Church, 6200 Colonial Way, Edina

Info: cantussings.org or (612) 435-0055

Read more: Chanhassen Villager - Let s Go Music from the Baltic

Hannah's latest shoot

2012 has already been one incredible year for talented singer/songwriter Hannah Ild. With her latest vocal smash 'Falling Away' hitting Number 4 in the Music Week club charts this week, the track is gaining momentum at breakneck speed with its remix from Armin Van Buuren seeing pride of place on radio playlists across the Globe.

Following the track's support from the likes of Paul Van Dyke, Judge Jules, Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, Paul Oakenfold, Radio 1 and more; Hannah's team embarked on a major photo shoot project on a rather impressive scale - grand enough to reflect the truly monumental release of the package.

Estonia's Tallinn Airport was the location - the shoot involved a massive team of airport security, hairsylists, photographers, airplane pilots, and one huge Boeing 737! Check it out:

We'll let the video above speak for itself, look out for a selection of these shots working its way onto Hannah's forthcoming album later this year and several forthcoming singles penned for Summer 2012.

Championed by Armin van Buuren in his live sets everywhere from the Amsterdam Dance Event DJ Mag polls party to New Years Eve in Lebanon, ‘Falling Away’ has been supported recently by pretty much every A-list trance DJ around the World. Armin’s label Armada Music duly signed the track for the rest of the world and with a full vocal remix package now in place from Protoculture, Loverush UK and Digital Dog - including monstrous radio edits from the latter - it looks destined for commercial success across the globe. With more electrifying anthems on the way and future artist collaborations already in the pipeline, the stage is set for 2012 to be Hannah’s biggest year yet!

EESTI LAUL 2012 : Final on March 3rd

First semifinal : 18/02   Performer(s) Title ............... ............... Image Video   1 Janne Saar Fight for Love     2 Erasmus Rotterdamist Kuu pääle     3 MIA feat I.M.T.B Bon Voyage     4 Milky Whip My Love     5 POP Maniacs I Don’t Know     6 Ott Lepland Kuula     7 August Hunt Tantsulõvi     8 Soundclear A Little Soldier     9 Liis Lemsalu Made Up My Mind     10 Loss Paranoias Valedetektor

Pleasant grove man has an ear for pianos

Piano technician Brigham Larson takes a seat behind a shining black Estonia grand piano and goes to work tuning the beautiful instrument. With 88 keys attached to 220 strings, each needing to be tuned individually, it's a slow, deliberate process. Using tuning software and a well-trained ear, Larson listens closely to each note, making slight adjustments with a tuning lever. After seven appointments in a day, wrapping up this last one at a client's home in Cedar Hills, that equals 1,540 notes played, examined and adjusted.

When I first started it drove me crazy, the experienced piano technician said, who now has about 10,000 tunings under his belt. Larson, who owns Brigham Larson Pianos in Pleasant Grove, has 1,500 clients throughout the valley who own a variety of pianos. I've worked on everything from 100-year-old abused porch pianos to this piano here... which costs a lot more than my truck, Larson said, referring to the Estonia grand piano he tuned in Cedar Hills.

A fine instrument priced at close to $50,000, Larson compares it to working on a Mercedes-Benz.

You've got to know what you're doing, especially for a piano like that, he said, remembering how terrified he was the first time he worked on a client's high-end piano. Larson takes pleasure in every instrument he works on, even the old and well-used, as each has their own characteristics and sound. With pedals that squeak and creak, keys that clank and stick, broken strings and broken hammers, the piano may only need a few hours with Larson before it's back in playable condition. He has even had customers cry with joy after working all day on a family heirloom, a piano that once belonged to someone's grandmother, and get it playing like new.

A record 159 songs compete to represent Estonia on Eurovision 2012

 

A record amount, 159 songs, were submitted to the contest Estonian Song 2012 by deadline on Monday, and one of them will be chosen as Estonia’s entrance at the Eurovision Song Contest next year, LETA/National Broadcasting reports.

 

A music experts jury will select 20 semi-finalists from all the songs that were submitted and those will be declared this Thursday at ETV’s evening show “Ringvaade”. Last year, 140 songs were submitted to the contest.

 

“If things progress this way, selecting 20 finalists might soon not be enough,” ETV’s entertainment programmes manager Mart Normet was happy. “The trust between musicians and organisers of the contest is truly strong”.

 

In semi-finals on February 18 and 25, ten songs will be selected by people and jury that will get to the final concert on March 3 at the Nokia concert hall in Tallinn.

 

Estonian composer Pärt gets highest French state award

French Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand presented Estonian composer Arvo Pärt with the highest decoration in France, Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, LETA/National Broadcasting reports.

“This is very big honour for me and my homeland Estonia,” Pärt said when receiving the award.

The Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour was founded in 1802 by Napoleon I Bonaparte. In Estonia it has been awarded among others to former president Lennart Meri, current president Toomas Hendrik Ilves, current European Commissioner Siim Kallas, writer Jaan Kross, writer Jaan Kaplinski, French language teacher and school principal Lauri Leesi and historian Jüri Kuuskemaa.

The heart and character of Sade to bloom in Tallinn : Nov. 2nd

TALLINN - Once in a lifetime we get a chance to meet people who like to see the world from different boundaries than ourselves. One such person is Sade, British singer, songwriter and producer, who comes to Tallinn to perform her newest program and give an exclusive concert at Saku Suurhall, on Nov.2.

Helen Folasade Adu, who is better known as Sade, has Nigerian and English roots. Born in 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria, she moved to England with her mother and elder brother Banji, after the marriage of her father and mother failed. While Sade enjoyed American soul music, she did not think about a career in this field. Instead, she studied fashion at St. Martin’s School of Arts, helping with backing vocals in the band “Pride.” Sade toured around the UK with the band, until the soulful piece “Smooth Operator” drew the attention of the major record companies, which chose her over the rest of “Pride.” Finally, she accepted a deal with Epic records bringing in three other “mates” of “Pride” – bassist Paul Denman, saxophonist Stuart Matthewman and keyboard player Andrew Hale – together with her. In that way the unique crew of Sade was formed.

“Your Love Is King,” the very first single from Sade, provided a huge success for the band and its front woman, reaching the top 10 of the UK charts in 1984 and initiating a long-term musical career, alongside with media coverage about her life both on and off stage. The sound turned into Sade’s trademark, and seemingly it still lives today. In 25 years of singing it has been embodied in nine studio albums, one of which is a live performance of the 2001 Lovers Live Tour.

Estonian-French duo releases debut album

The Estonian-French experimental jazz duo Rouge Madame introduced their debut album with a gig in Paris on October 7, the opening day of the Estonie Tonique culture festival held in France.

Estonian-born singer and actress Lembe Lokk together with a native French songwriter and film director Jean-Christophe Onno established the band almost two years ago.

Their music is a mix of jazz, rock, electronic beats and Estonian folk tunes and the lyrics for their songs are either in Estonian, French or English.

The lyrics are written by Lokk, while the music arrangements have been made by Onno.

Rouge Madame’s first album was self-produced and the artists hope that it will launch their international career and help them get a record deal in France, ETV reported.

Ingrid Teesalu

check it here

ESN Tallinn is going to Harvest Fest 2011 in Viljandi

Harvest Fest is expecting exchange students to Viljandi

The real autumn of Southern-Estonia begins on 14th and 15th of October when traditional music friends and lovers are gathering in Viljandi to put an end to the summer season and have a great party before the wild winter colds.

The juiciest and greatest harvest of traditional music is brought out onto the stages of Traditional Music Center and into workshops, for examination.

From one side it is a great chance for exchange students to get to know Estonian and Pan-Finno-Ugrian great souls and their traditional music with deep roots. Also to listen to ethnic music and stories behind the seas.

On the other hand, Harvest Fest gives a chance to party, to find new friends and gather a lot of emotions. On both nights, folk’n rock bands and etno DJ-s, are taking over the stage and the Traditional Music Center.

More information, performers and timetable: http://www.folk.ee/en/Syndmused&nID=1143

Demi Lovato + Kerli

British singer Adele has now secured her spot as possibly the most successful artist of the 21st century. Her flawless sophomore album 21 has now sold more copies than any other album in a single year by any artist, with over three million albums having already been sold since it’s release. It’s safe to say that the most any other artist / band can hope to achieve this year is number two. With that being said, Demi Lovato makes more than a decent stab with her newest album. It’s been a week since it’s release and no word of a lie Unbroken by Demi Lovato has been on repeat almost every hour of every day within the last week. That’s how good the former Disney star’s new album is.

As mentioned in previous articles, Demi had been working on this album since before, during, and immediately after entering a treatment facility for various mental issues. If anything, this experience has strengthened Miss Lovato and made the album a lot more real and sincere; comparable only to Adele. Known for the typical bordering stereotypical pop rock sound, Demi has not stepped but jumped out of her comfort zone into the world of Urban music. She does it with such sincerity and such gusto that you’d think this is what Demi originally started her music career with.

The album commences with the funky track All Night Long, produced, written by and featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The production duo go back to their hit making formula seen in albums like Aaliyah’s One In A Million to get you in the mood. The lead single off the album Skyscraper is an emotionally turmoil ballad that represents both her recovery from her personal demons and possibly her recovery from her former relationship with fellow Disney star Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers). The violent and fragile imagery invoked strikes a nerve to anyone who’s ever truly suffered. The main writer of the song was Estonian pop star Kerli (Kõiv).

Police kept busy at Viljandi Folk

For all its cultural worth, the Viljandi Folk Music Festival has over the years become more and more like an Estonian Woodstock, if there is such a thing.

Snooping amongst fans and partiers camped out on the concert grounds in Viljandi, police handed out a number of misdemeanor citations: 63 underaged drinkers were busted; 23 individuals were put in the drunk tank; 14 were detained for disorderly conduct; another 14 were caught in the driver's seat with a positive blood-alcohol reading; and 12 incidences of illicit drug-use are being investigated.

Forty-six of the 171 violations were traffic-related.

The main program of the four-day festival, held from July 28 to 31, boasted 70 concerts, featuring artists from India, Senegal, the Dominican Republic, the UK, Denmark and elsewhere.

Ott Tammik

Special Estonian choir concert to take place on Wednesday

Conductor Lonnie Cline will lead a combined choir of over 100 singers and an orchestra in a performance of the Estonian Requiem by Cyrillus Kreek this Wednesday (August 5th) at 7:30 m at St. Mary’s Academy (1615 SW Fifth Ave.). This Requiem was written by Kreek between 1925 and 1927, making it the first ever written by an Estonian composer.

Cline, the Director of Vocal Activities at Clackamas Community College has assembled singers from Clackamas Community College Chamber Choir, Unistus Chamber Choir, members of Estonian mixed choirs from the West Coast and from Ontario, Canada, along with members from the Portland Symphonic Choir, Oregon Repertory Singers, Bach Cantata Choir, and the Oregon City High School Singers. They will perform with a 32-member orchestra that includes musicians from the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theatre.

The concert is a welcome from Portland to the West Coast Estonian community and an opening ceremony for the West Coast Estonian Days (Lääneranniku Eesti Päevad ) that’s being held at the Double Tree Hotel near Lloyd Center. The second half of the concert will feature the Estonian folk songs – performed a cappella in the style of the big song festivals in Estonia. One of the songs will showcase a dance troupe from Estonia, “Kajakas,” doncing to the song “Laul Põhjamaast” (“Song of the Northern Land.”)

James Bash

Estonian Golf and Country Club welcomes rock legend Rick Wakeman

The rolling green fairways of the Estonian Golf & Country Club will once again welcome rock legend Rick Wakeman when he returns for his second Golf Classic at the renowned Tallinnvenue.

The European Tour-designed course will host the former Yes rocker and his 80 guests as they compete over the Sea Course - ranked in the Top 100 European Golf Courses - in aid of children's charity SPARKS on Saturday, June 18.

Following the event Wakeman and his band will entertain guests into the night with a concert at the Tallink Spa and Conference Hotel located in the middle of beautiful Tallinn.

Estonian Golf & Country Club - the only European Tour course in Eastern Europe - will provide the perfect setting for those competing as The Sea Course winds its way through forests before opening out alongside the Gulf of Finland and the Jägala River, enjoying stunning views across the gulf.

"I have had the real honour of visiting Estonia at the height of summer and the height of winter, and in both cases I found Tallinn and the surrounding countryside absolutely beautiful," said Rick.

"I first saw the golf course when it was completely enveloped with snow, but when I saw it at the start of the season I simply fell in love with it. It is beautifully designed and a great test of golf for all standards of player. It's certainly a course I would, and indeed have, highly recommended to friends to go and play, and to spend time in Tallinn itself."

Koit Toome at Scotland Yard : 14-05-2011

Estonia's Eurovision entry tipped to qualify

If bookmakers are to be believed, Estonia's Eurovision entry "Rockefeller Street" has a very good chance of successfully making it through the contest's second semifinal round taking place tonight, May 12, in Düsseldorf.

Online betting giant Bet365 is giving Getter Jaani's pulsing pop tune 1:6 odds for qualifying, tying with Romania and Ireland for the spot of third most likely to pass through to the final.

London bookmaker Ladbrokes meanwhile is giving Estonia an even better 1:20 to qualify, and puts it as the second most likely to win, while closer to home NordicBet is offering 1:17, the fourth best odds to make it through tonight's semifinal round.

Oddsmakers at all three companies are picking Bosnia and Herzegovina's "Love in Rewind" to come out on top among the 19 entries competing in the semi.

The numbers should be viewed with a degree of caution however, since Eurovision results are notoriously hard to predict. And the way this year's contest has gone so far should give even more cause for uncertainty, Tobias Larsson, as veteran Eurovision commentator and editor for the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation, told ERR News.

"Given the result in the first semi, we can safely conclude that Europe is surprising us a bit this year. When a pre-contest favorite like Norway drops out and an outsider like Lithuania makes it, then you know there is all to play for," he said.

Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson to perform in Nokia : October 12th

Legendary vocalist and flutist Ian Anderson, best known as the leader of British rock group Jethro Tull, will be coming to Tallinn this autumn to perform at the Nokia Concert Hall, the venue's management has announced.

Tickets for the concert, which takes place October 12, go on sale to the general public on May 9.

The 63-year-old's music career stretches back to 1962 when he formed The Blades, playing as the band's guitarist. He soon left the electric guitar in favor of the flute, an instrument that would become central to the sound of Jethro Tull, a band he and fellow musicians started in 1967.

In the more than 40 years following Jethro Tull's formation, the group has recorded 20 albums, selling a total of over 60 million copies.

The program for the October concert will be made up of songs Anderson and Jethro Tull have created over the last four decades.

Last month Anderson performed a flute duet with Cady Coleman, an astronaut who was on board the International Space Station, to mark the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's achieving the first manned space flight.

Steve Roman

Alan McKim is big in ... Estonia!

RISING rock star Alan McKim certainly has friends in high places – after the President of Estonia revealed he is a big fan of the Paisley musician.

Politician Toomas Hendrik Ilves was wowed by the 26-year-old Buddie after he played a storming set at an intimate gig in the Baltic nation’s capital city, Tallinn.

Award-winning musician Alan was the only British act to appear at the show at the 300-capacity Von Krahl venue, where President Ilves was guest of honour.

And the 57-year-old statesman – famous for wearing a bow-tie whenever he’s out in public – was highly impressed by the Paisley singer’s storming acoustic set.

President Ilves said afterwards: “The Scottish guy was much more interesting than say David Gray, even though the chord progressions were sometimes quite similar. He is an exciting artist nonetheless.”

Now Alan – who was named Best Acoustic Act at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards last month – has told the Paisley Daily Express he plans to send President Ilves a copy of his new EP when it is released this weekend.

He added: “It’s a bit crazy to have a president as my biggest fan but I suppose that, if I’m going to have someone from Estonia liking my music, it may as well be the head of state!

“I was stunned when I found out what he had said. It was very nice of him.