Song Festivals and being Estonian

As I write this, the projector projects to the wall a live TV broadcast of the Youth Song Festival. It is a powerful event and really brings out the essence of being Estonian. Innocense, youth, unity and the power of singing are things that make me be really proud. One really has to see it to believe it.

Although I watch this on TV now, I am not far from where the event takes place and I did see and hear some of the parade this morning. And I am there in my heart, which I think every Estonian also is.

I think it is great that we have this as the main uniting force, such a positive force. The song festivals are ingrained in our identities, so if anyone really wants to understand or experience what is it to feel Estonian, then going to a song festival will give a better lesson than going to Õllesummer or other similar events.

I have been only to one song festival. It was in 1993, when I was 12 years old. I sang in my school choir, the school being Tallinn Secondary School no 62 (see here ). It was long time ago, but every time there is the song contest, it brings back a lot of memories: how it was in the parade, holding up the school sign; how the rehearsals were; how the interaction with the conductor was; how we had soup there. How there was this massive amount of people who had been gathered together to do something beautiful: sing together.