#Tautumeitas #Latvian folk #world music #traditional folk #Eastern European folk #music video
Tautumeitas - Raganu Nakts
Hey all, I'm wondering if anyone can offer info about this song. I've read a google translation, so I have a vague idea of what the lyrics mean. I'm curious about the history of the group and some background on where they are conceptually coming from. The percussion is also really interesting and I'm curious of the instrumentation? Are they traditional latvian instruments/rhythms? (Sounds similar to japanese taiko drumming.) I am a descendant of Latvians displaced after WW2. I'm not fluent in this beautiful language yet, I apologise, I will get there. In the mean time, I'm trying to develop cultural appreciation and understanding through music. I've become a bit infatuated with this song and I'd love to know more.
Firstly - original Latvian (mostly older dialect) lyrics from the folk song that they are using as a basis for their track can be found here - https://genius.com/Tautumeitas-raganu-nakts-lyrics
As with most folk songs, there is no good (proper, well understandable) translation possible for this song. It's basically a short snippets of explanation supported by repeating chants ("līgo, līgo" - phrase being chanted during the "Jāņi" celebration - Latvian national summer solstice festival with long history). General idea throughout the song is that there is "Jāņi" being celebrated that night, and girls are taunting all the evil spirits and daring them to try to come in their farmstead, which is protected by old-Latvian protective signs, and they are singing that nothing bad will happen to them. I must explain that this is a common theme throughout many Latvian folk-songs, especially the ones dedicated to "Jāņi" celebrations - you see, it's an old folk belief that during the "Jāņi" night Latvians feel the most united and strongest, and are even daring the evil spirits. So there are a LOT of folk songs and tales with this motive.
P.S. "Tautumeitas" currently is, imho, by far the coolest and most successful folk-music related band, that is singing and playing their own versions of the classic folk songs, making them way more attractive to the younger audience. I highly suggest you to check out their other songs from the latest album - they are all great.
From: https://www.reddit.com/r/latvia/comments/gf3k8w/tautumeitas_raganu_nakts_info/
Tautumeitas is a Latvian folk/world music band formed in 2015. The band consists of six women vocalists/instrumentalists. Their album 'Songs From Auleja', released in 2019, introduced the world to sixteen songs from the Latvian village of Auleja. These songs, based on recordings found in archives, were also unfamiliar to most Latvians. In fact, it is this repertoire of songs that brought Tautumeitas together in the first place. The traditional form of a cappella multipart singing on this album, known as bolsi, is linked with specific times of the year or special celebrations. The texts tell about various natural phenomena as well as events and activities in people’s lives. These multipart songs were traditionally sung outdoors, the singers actively interacting with the environment. From: https://www.lmic.lv/en/musicians/-tautumeitas-4619#!/
