Latvian Voices sings Lithuanian sutartinė

Vocal a cappella group Latvian Voices from Latvia has released a video dedicated to their Lithuanian neighbors. Laura Jēkabsone who is a composer and also sings soprano in the group, has made an arrangement to an old Lithuanian folk song - sutartinė "Titity tatatoj".

Latvian Voices was founded in 2009 and since 2012 has been performing worldwide as a professional a cappella group. The group has performed in more than 35 countries around the world, and interestingly enough, the first opportunity to perform here in Lithuania came only at the end of 2023. "Every time we visit a new country, we learn about its musical heritage, and often we choose to cover a foreign tune. Putting ancient musical traditions into modern a cappella sounds is also one of the goals of Latvian Voices. Sometimes these are just artistic experiments, but other times it happens that one of these songs becomes part of the group's permanent repertoire. This is also the case with this wonderful Lithuanian song," says Latvian Voices leader Laura Jēkabsone.

Sutartinės are a special type of Lithuanian folk song, characterised by several different melodies and words at the same time. The lyrics of "Titity tatatoj" are based on question and answer motives. The word sutartinė means to be in concordance. This is what Latvian Voices wishes for the Latvian and Lithuanian people; to continue to be united in their vision of freedom and democracy, of a secure future and peaceful coexistence.

The location for the video is the Riga Castle Convent, or the Castle, which is the historical home of the Latvian National History Museum. "We are honoured to have had the opportunity to visit a place that has a medieval atmosphere with a modern touch. Riga Castle is centuries old and still displays the many layers of culture that have touched the city of Riga and the history of our nation, so it seemed the perfect place from which to send greetings to our Lithuanian brothers,” says Latvian Voices alto Una Stade.  

To listen to Latvian Voices live, follow the calendar https://www.latvianvoices.lv/lv/calendar-1

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz12udfvwQs&ab_channel=LatvianVoices