GRIEŽYNĖ - 1992
September 3 - 6, 1992

Recordings

Straight to Griežynė with fiddles, bagpipes and accordions.

Julius Girdvainis

(Publication in daily Respublika, 4th September, 1992)

A few evenings of last years` folk song and dance festival „Skambaskambakankliai“ were dedicated to the instrumental music only. However, the idea to make an instrumental folk music festival, to get to know the oldest folk instruments, and to hear the contemporary folk music performers was alive for quite some time. A few years ago I had a chance to spend a few days in Lorient, France, listening to Scottish, Spanish, and other country`s bagpipers, where they held an international Celtic music festival. One instruments (some drums also), but I did not miss the vocals. The instrumental folk music appeared to be more interesting than I have expected.

Yesterday, in Vilnius Contemporary Art Center the first International festival of instrumental folk music “Griežynė 92“ began, and the “parents” of this festival AlgirdasKlova, Ona Šaltytė and ArūnasLunys. They promise that only the instrumental music will be played to the fans of folk music.

The performers came from seven different countries. Perhaps the furthest from us living group is LOS CHOLOS – a group came from Peru. The leader of the group CholoQuispe will offer a musical journey through the Andean highlands, but you will also hear melodies from all over the Latin America, and none of the melodies will repeat themselves.

A five musician ensemble from Scotland – DRUMALBAN, playing bagpipes, Scottish harp, fiddles, melodeon and percussion.

GjermundKoltveit – a violinist in the National Norway Opera Orchestra, graduated from the Oslo Music Conservatory, courses of music and archeology at the University of Oslo. Gjemund folk group plays Norwegian tango, gipsy music, and variety of Norwegian country dance tunes. The folk music performed by GjemundKolveit and another Norwegian folk artist Atle Lien Jensen by playing fiddles and push-button accordion, was considered to be a prestigious art in Norway, and now it is becoming a matter of great interest.

The group from Ukraine GUK are playing various folk instruments, such as zurna, sopilka, kobza, guk, and others.

Cymbals, armonika, and fiddle will be played by virtuosos of the ensemble KAPELA Z SULIM from Punsk Province (Poland). Other cymbal players are also guests from Poland – grandfather JozefasKrupskis, who was in fact born in Vilnius, and his student, thirteen year old grandson AndrzejZajko.

Per Rumberg – a young Swedish violinist, playing the traditional Swedish dance tunes with the old Swedish instruments.

The only Lithuanian representatives in Griežynė will be the only professional folk instrumental music group SUTARAS lead by Antanas Fokas. Their first concert took place almost four years ago, when the musicians worked in a Lithuanian Folklore Theater. Their repertoire contains all-time Lithuanian instrumental folk music performed with traditional fiddles, bandoneon, cymbals, accordions and authentic Lithuanian instruments – horns, lumzdelis, dautytės, ožragis, kankės, etc. Moreover, SUTARAS are not only playing, but the concert is also spiced up with tales and folk jokes.

By the way, according to A.Klova, one of the main highlights of the festival is the folk movies theater which was opened yesterday in the EOSS video-hall of the Contemporary art center. During the festival you will be able to see old and new movies from different countries about their instrumental folk music. Also, in “Langas” gallery you can visit the unique exposition of BalysBuračas – Lithuanian photographer of the beginning of this century. The pictures show the traveling blind rural musicians, trumpeters, and shepherds of Dzūkijavilages, accordion players, and others.

The festival`s flag will be sanctified today at 4:30 pm in the St. Casimir`s Church. From there the parade of all musicians will go to Ryšininkai culture palace where at 6:30 pm the festival opening will be held.

Festival programme:

09.03 - Thursday

11 am. Folk movie theatre opening in Vilnius Contemporary art Center, video-hall EOSS (Vokiečių str.2)

4 pm. Opening of photography and folk instrument exhibition in the gallery „Langas“ (Ašmenos str. 8)

7.30 pm.„Meet and greet“evening for the festival guests

09.04 - Friday

11 am.Folk movie theater in Vilnius Contemporary art center, video-hall EOSS (Vokiečiųstr.2)

4.30 pm. The festival flag consecration in St.Casimirs Church and a walk to the Ryšininkai culture palace.

6.30 pm.Opening of the festival „Griežynė“ inRyšininkai culture palace (St. Jonas str. 3)

09.05 - Saturday

11 am.Folk movie theater in Vilnius Contemporary art center, video-hall EOSS (Vokiečių str.2)

3 pm.Lithuanian old instrument and Lithuanian village musician’s concert in University theater hall (Universitetostr. 3)

7.30 pm.Concerts of festival guests in Vilnius halls (Ryšininkai, Artist palaces and University theater hall) 

09.06 - Sunday.

11 am. Folk movie theatre opening in Vilnius Contemporary art Center, video-hall EOSS (Vokiečių str.2)

Recordings