ETHNO Estonia - an international music camp
ETHNO is an international music camp, where traditional music from different countries is learned by ear in workshops led by the participants themselves. Every day, 3-4 participants share a tune or a song with others, the tunes are arranged together and later performed at concerts. The idea is to give the young musicians a taste of different music cultures and create a network of musicians from around the world. The whole process of workshops and learning is supported by the organizers, artistic leaders and volunteers of the camp.The very first ETHNO camp ever took place in 1990, in Sweden, Dalarna. Today, ETHNO camps are held in very different places all around the world. The camps are coordinated by the organization Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI), of which Estonian ETHNO is also a member.
For more information contact eestietno@gmail.com.
Welcome to the XXVIII ETHNO Estonia!
Starting from February 20th, musicians can apply for the ETHNO Estonia pre-festival camp held before the Viljandi Folk Music Festival. The XXVIII ETHNO Estonia will take place in the beautiful Kõpu manor and continue at the Viljandi Folk Music Festival from July 16th to July 29th, 2024. The two-week camp is for musicians aged 18-30, with up to 60 participants expected to attend. Among this year's instructors, who will teach traditional music by ear, are musicians from various countries, such as Kaisa Kuslapuu from Estonia, Magnus Heebøll from Denmark, and Robert Alan Mackie from Canada.
Organizers
Kärt Tambet (artistic director)
Kärt is a true Ethno-soul whose biggest passion is learning about musical traditions of different people and places, and creating her own sonic expression through these exposures. For that reason she also earned a degree in Global Music from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. In addition to that, Kärt is an occasional host of radio shows, plays DJ sets at parties, gives workshops and teaches at various music camps and different community settings.
At Ethno, she is responsible for making sure that all the artistic work and everyday activities are running as smoothly as possible.
Hanna-Reet Ruul (Head of Communication)
Hanna-Reet is a musician from the forests of Võrumaa. In 2020 she started studying traditional singing at Viljandi Culture Academy which gave her a chance to go study at the Irish World Academy as an exchange student, joining the World Music programme.
Besides studying, she's been in groups like ÖÖT, Poogendajad, and Iiri-Eesti lauluvägi, organized local sessions, and taught traditional music and dances to kids.
Hanna-Reet joined the ETHNO world in 2020 with Ethno Estonia and after that, she's grabbed every chance to join an ethno - as a participant, volunteer, mentor, or organizer! In (and before and after) Ethno, she’s responsible for communication and social media and making sure that everything is running smoothly on the spot too.
Léon Allik (listener, observer, starter of games and events)
Name: Léon Allik Living in: Tallinn
Main philosophy: Improvisation
Main instrument: Guitar
Function in Ethno Estonia: Listener, observer and starter of games and events
I keep an eye out, that everyone would have an opportunity to feel free, creative, and joyful. Ethno camp is a place for me where:
- I can travel on the colourful landscape of music from the wide world;
- (re)discover again and again how beautiful and awesome people are;
- play, run, laugh;
- lay in the grass while the sun shines, and listen as the songs of birds melt together with the distant sound of instruments.
Margit Kuhi, Chief of Ethno Estonia
After getting a degree in traditional music at Viljandi Culture Academy, Margit started to organize different courses and music camps with the aim to spread the word about the coolest kind of music in the world - folk music!She says that it’s a great pleasure for her to meet all these wonderful and talented young people every year: “The way they create that special Ethno-world inspires me to organize the camp again and again and again…”.
As the mother of Ethno Estonia, Margit is in charge of the big picture - making sure that everything is at its best!
magit.kuhi@folk.ee
+372 5568 7474
ETHNO On The Road
During the journey, concert workshops are held in schools in the mornings, and concerts are given in the evenings for all interested parties. The finale of the tour is a performance at the Folk Music Harvest Party in Viljandi.
THe History of ETHNO Estonia
Two students of folk music at the time, Krista Sildoja and Tuulikki Bartosik, were sent by the Viljandi Folk Music Festival to the ETHNO camp in Falun, Sweden, in early July 1997. Inspired by this camp experience and at the request of the festival, the first traditional music learning camp for young musicians, called the Young Moosekants' Instrumental Days, took place in Viljandi from July 20th to 24th of the same year. They also performed together at the 1997 Viljandi Folk Music Festival. Since 2000, the camp has been named ETHNO Estonia.
