The Festival of Songs, a tradition listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ends on July 9 in Riga, the capital of Latvia, with a huge concert that will bring together thousands of singers. This year, Latvia celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first festival in a tradition that is still very much alive, but which also remains a logistical challenge. This is to feed and house 40,000 participants for a week.
With our correspondent in Vilnius, Marielle Vitureau
” It’s the big day of singing, a whole country begins to resonate, with several voices, united with the same momentum. This is how this traditional song begins. And, this Sunday evening, it will be in the repertoire of 15,000 singers who will take the stage installed in the middle of the trees of the Forest Park.
Vita will be among them. A diplomat for a long time, she is also a choirmaster. ” We laugh at the fact that the Latvians, we don’t talk a lot, she says. We communicate through song. It is something that strengthens our identity. »
Affirm your identity
Vita started singing in 1980 in her mother’s choir. In Soviet times, the festival always took place every five years, but it was also necessary to sing songs in praise of Stalin. Latvian songs are like secret messages.
Then comes the Singing Revolution and the country becomes independent again thirty years ago. And Latvians are now free to sing whatever they want. ” It’s not just for gigs, continues Vita. In fact, we sing these songs very often “.
Singing in Latvian allows you to assert your identity. It’s also a way to show support. This year, the choristers asked to include the Ukrainian anthem in the program.