Hydrated and chill, thoughts lead to summers past, when such extremes were rarely experienced. Such as the one in 1990 in Estonia. But before the lean machine waxes nostalgic, a look even further back...
...to 1969. The centennial of Laulupidu, our wonderful song festival that unites us all. But in Toronto, hardliners (kaikamehed) ruled the roost. Anyone, never mind if they had family and friends in occupied Estonia who chose to attend this event, was branded a communist. The backward-thinkers saw that as collaboration. Sure, visitors provided the Soviets with much needed hard foreign currency, but were not family and cultural ties more important? One boon for youth born in exile, which is what pagulus was, could be found in the cultural material those brave intrepid souls brought back from Tallinn. Books and recordings.
In the 1970s many more had the courage to visit the country of their birth. Some students, born abroad, took advantage of the programs offered by VEKSA, admittedly a communist organization that intended to cause dissension among the Estonian communities living in freedom and visiting the country where their parents were born. The flow of cultural goodies increased. To the gracile guy, cutting his teeth on popular music, the records and cassettes of such luminaries as Jaak Joala and groups such as Apelsin, Fix, and Collage were an introduction to what was taking place in Estonia. Sure, Jashka—as Joala was popularly known in other parts of the Evil Empire—sang cheesy translations of Beatles’ songs (imagine “Lady Madonna” rendered as almost Muzak and you get the idea) was no-one to emulate.
Täismahus artikkel on loetav Eesti Elu tellijatele
Igal nädalal toome me sinuni kõige olulisemad kogukonna uudised ja eksklusiivsed lood uutelt kolumnistidelt. Räägime eestlastele südamelähedastest teemadest, kogukonna tegijatest ja sündmustest. Loodame sinu toele, et meie kogukonna leht jätkuks pikkadeks aastateks.
Hind alates $2.30 nädalas.
