GRIEŽYNĖ - 1996
September 12 - 15, 1996

Photos   Recordings

Festival participants:

RUNDT PA GULVET (Denmark)
It is a group of five people who are playing together for already over 10 years in Funen city. They play not only traditional folk and salon music, but also swing. Once a year they play in a festival abroad. The group had a numbers of concerts in France.

DUJA (Vilnius, Lithuania)
The group DUJA (leader Arūnas Lunys) was formed in 1992. Before that all four members for a long time were involved in various folklore ensembles. The repertoire consists of all Lithuanian regions old Lithuanian folk songs and instrument music, which is performed with the old times music instruments – horns, skudučiai, lumzdelis, bagpipe, basedly, kanklės, fiddle, bandoneon, goat horn, švilpa and birbynė. DUJA is a well-known in the folk festivals and other events in Lithuania. They have also performed in many concerts in other European countries.

TIMO VAANANEN (Finland)
He is a member of a group LOITUMA ENSEMBLE, folklorist, musician who plays kantelės, composer and arranger. Timo plays in old and new models of authentic folk music instruments, playing music of his own and other Finnish composers.

International festival of instrumental folk music "GRIEŽYNĖ-96" also has participants from Lithuanian villages
ALGIMANTAS MIELIAUSKAS (Petersburg harmonica. Molėtai)
JONAS DANILEVIČIUS (fiddle, Molėtai distr.)
LEONAS PETRONIS (bandoneon, Biržai)
JONAS KARINAUSKAS (harmonica. Biržai distr.)
JONAS LECHOVICKAS (hammered dulcimer. Ignalina distr.)

KEISTO FOLKLORO GRUPĖ (Strange folklore band) (KAUNAS, Lithuania)
The group (leader Andrius MORKŪNAS) was founded in February of 1995. People who play and sing in the group are in the folk movement not the first year. The objectives are to show the diversity of a quite monotonous folk ensemble arsenal, and at the same time to bring the new colors by conveying the spirit of Lithuanian folk music. Their repertoire – songs from Ch. Barčas, A.Juška, L.Rėza, T.Brazys, A.Sabaliauskas sets and songs that were collected and written by the members themselves during the expeditions. You will hear the sounds of kanklės, lumzdeliai, fiddles, skudučiai, bagpipe, drum and other noisy instruments

LUFFE AND STEEN (Denmark)
This duo comes from Denmark. LUFFE (Herluf Skjerning Larsen) from Bornholm Island is known for the fans of "GRIEŽYNĖ" as ne performed here in 1994. STEEN (Steen Johansen) comes from Zealand and will be visiting Lithuania for the first time.
LUFFE plays fiddle and the medieval instrument rebec. STEEN plays a bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, twelve-string guitar and an ancient drum booram. The will perform traditional Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Irish music.

INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE (VILNIUS, Lithuania)
Most likely only few are aware that there is a group in Lithuania that plays Indian music. It is a group of like-minded people brought together by Anatolijus Lomonosovas. There are more of them, but those who will perform in the festival are:  Anatolijus LOMONOSOVAS (sitar), Jūratė ADLYTĖ (tampūra), Vitalijus LOGVINOVAS (tabla). As a guest Eirimas VELIČKA (kanklės) and the reader Erika DOMARKIENĖ will join them too. The members of this ensemble are not professional musicians, and Indian music is only a hobby. The leader of the group Anatolijus Lomonosovas (by the way, the only sitar player in Lithuania) – Ukrainian who lives in Lithuania for ten years. Twelve years ago, fascinated by the Indian music, he decided to learn how to play sitar. He was taught by Ustad Imrath Khan – a famous virtuoso of this instrument, representing one of two leading sitar schools in India., who teaches to play sitar and subarharu not only in his homeland, but also in London and the United States.Almost half a year Anatolijus lives in Calcutta, with his teacher`s family, having an opportunity to directly know the Indian culture. Ustad Imrath Khan even called A.Lomonosov his sixth son.
Sitar is a string instrument which in a classical trio performs the main (melody) role and is a symbol of female element. This instrument became popular in the 12th-14th centuries in Northern India. Sitar is not used to play specific tunes, and you tent to listen to the musician as there are just basic rules and unlimited improvisation. Tablo – the hitting instrument, which is a symbol of a male element. Tampūra – background instrument which sometimes seems as if not even playing, and symbolizes the sky – the silent divine element which is nor reachable for a man.
„Indian classic music is the freedom of discipline“ – said Amžad Ali Khan. This short aphorism perfectly describes a huge musical culture which has a great success in the world`s „music market“.

RŪTA and VALDIS MUKTUPAVEL (LATVIA)
Rūta and Valdis Muktupavelai play and sing traditional and improvised music from Lithuania and Latvia.
Each of their traditional cultural knowledge was held in its own way. Rūta has been collecting folklore in various regions in Latvia and Lithuania, and is now exploring the Baltic mythology in a comparative aspect in the Latvian Academy of Culture. Valdis works in Baltic organology (a science about the structure, acoustic characteristics and history of the instrument) and mythology fields, reads lectures at the University of Latvia, and the Latvian Academy of Culture. He also writes books and articles about Latvian traditional music instruments and folklore. In 1980-1990 Valdis revived and reconstructed, restored some old and forgotten musical instruments to life, such as traditional kanklės, bagpipe, hiss and horns. He forms an ensemble „RASA“ which he still leads, they have recorded a CD "Lettonie. Musiques des rites solaires". Valdis also recorded a cassette of traditional kanklės music, and published a textbook about how to learn playing kanklės yourself.
Both of Muktupavel organize and participate in various traditional vocal and instrumental music courses and seminars. For seven years they play together, and have performed if various festivals and events in Norway, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and Baltic States.
Rūta and Valdis Muktupavel will play kanklės, bagpipe, dambrelis, goat horn, hisses and a drum. By performing their own interpretations they will play old and contemporary ritual, mythological, calendar and family holiday tunes from different areas of Latvia and Lithuania

VISI (VILNIUS, Lithuania)
Folk ensemble "VISI" (leader Evaldas Vyčinas) was formed in 1980. Since then they started collecting and performing folk, they were especially interested in Žemaitija land, they had over 20 expeditions there. Since 1984 they got interested in the making of instruments (kanklės hiss, dambrelis, bagpipe, lumzdelis, daudytė, horns, skudučiai) and restoration of old instruments (hammered dulcimer, bass, fiddle, etc.).
They have made a record plate, prepared radio recordings, participated in TV broadcatst. Have also performed in many Eastern European countries, and various festivals in Lithuania, such as „Baltica“, „Skamba skamba kankliai“ and others. In 1994 the ensemble returned to active performing routine with already 10 members.

Program:

09 12    THURSDAY       
15.00- 18.00    Guest performances in Gediminas avenue and Pilies street, cultural – cultural cognitive program        
19.00    Private event – „meet and greet“ evening for the participants in a bar "ARMADILO"       
             
09 13    FRIDAY       
10.30    Press conference (Cinema center "Skalvija", A.Goštauto str. 2/15)       
11.00    Folk movie theater opening in cinema center "Skalvija" (A.Goštauto str 2/15)       
14.30    Painting exhibition of a musician and painter LUFFE from Bornholm Island (Denmark) in a gallery "Arka" (Aušros vartų str. 7). Performance of LUFFE and STEEN        
15.30    Parade of the participants from Gallery „Arka“ to gallery „Langas“       
16.00    "GRIEŽYNĖ FUJI SPALVOMIS" – opening of photography exposition by V.Usinavičius in the gallery "Langas" (Ašmenos str.8)       
17.00    Short introduction of the guests in the music club "Langas" (Ašmenos str. 8)       
19.00    Concert and an evening of festival participants "Šokių mokykla" in Teachers home yard (Vilnius str. 39)       
             
09 14    SATURDAY       
11.00- 13.30    Folk movie theater in cinema center "Skalvija" (A.Goštauto str 2/15)       
17.00 - 21.00    Performances of festival participants:       
     Gallery "ARKA" (Aušros vartų str. 7)       
     Vilnius university Theater hall (Universiteto str 3)       
     Restaurant  "UŽUPIS" (Užupio str.2)       
     Country pub "MARCELIUKĖS KLĖTIS" (Tuskulėnų str.35) and restaurant "BERNADETA" (Švitrigailos str. 7/16)       
     Music club "LANGAS" (Ašmenos str. 8)     

09 15    SUNDAY       
11.00 - 14.00    Folk workshop in the Bastion of the Vilnius city wall (Bokšto str. 20/18)       
16.00    Concert of Lithuania`s village musicians in the Teachers home White salon (Vilniaus str. 39)       
19.00    Final festival concert in  "VAIDILOS" theater (A. Jakšto  str. 9)       
21.30    Private farewell evening in the music club "Langas"    

Photos

Recordings