Between 1987 and 1991, Estonians used song to reestablish Estonian independence in the famous "Singing Revolution," one of the only nonviolent revolutions in the world.
Here in Estonia, I see and hear song everywhere. I see it in meetings and when I visit the Estonian Korporatsioon (university intellectual groups). I have watched several documentaries about the "Singing Revolution," and music is a large part of the curriculum in schools across the country. Music provides a way of bonding and of preserving the Estonian language. Music also connects multiple generations, like the older adults that lived through the end of the Soviet Union and the younger children that have only ever known an independent Estonia.
The song festival is related to another Estonian tradition, Seto leelo, that shows the importance of nature to Estonians. Seto leelo is a traditional way of singing that dates back to ancient times when Estonia was an agricultural society. Setos are an indigenous (native) people who live mostly in southeastern Estonia and speak their own language. Setos consider singing to be a way of expressing thoughts and emotions, to collect memories and to show respect for Estonia‘s land.
