All generations of the Estonian community and friends are invited to attend Estonian Central Council and Estonian Consulate-General annual Estonian Independence Day celebration and reception on Friday, February 21, at 6:30 p.m., Tartu College, Toronto (Madison Ave. entrance)
Estonian Central Council and Estonian Consulate-General have been organizing a reception for community, diplomats and elected officials on occasion of Estonian Independence Day for decades. This year in addition to a short formal program, community and friends will be able to enjoy the premiere performance of Nou Pois Äläud, as well as exciting music phenomena Hypnosis Negative – Katariina Tirmaste, Estonia and Alan Mackie, Canada (see below)
Pre-registration required at eknecc@gmail.com by February 17th .
Admission: $35.00/per person. Students $15.00. Refreshments included
Nou Pois Äläud – Tantsupidu brings together a far-flung and determined group of 24 dancers to vie for a spot at this summer's mecca of Estonian folk dance, “Tantsupidu” that takes place every five years in Tallinn, Estonia. Growing out of Estonian Arts Centre's women's weekend folk dance retreat “Nou Pois Äläud” (sound it out slowly…) held in September for three years running, dancers run up a collective 70,000 kms from five countries that are flown, driven, biked to attend rehearsal in Toronto.
EV107 reception on Friday, February 21st marks the first public performance by this subset of the NPÄ initiative, and it kicks off yet another weekend of intense rehearsal. Estonian Arts Centre is an arts charity celebrating its 50th birthday in 2025 and is associated with KESKUS International Estonian Centre currently in construction.
Hypnosis Negative – the feeling of being turned inside out and chasing your own feet around the floor. Fiddle and flute play a psychedelic display of traditional dance tunes, the colour of blackberries and the texture of ice snapping across the lake in spring. Together with drums and bass, Hypnosis Negative creates a massive and powerfully danceable sound that sits at the unreal intersection of folk music, EDM, and jazz fusion. Katariina Tirmaste (Estonia) and Alan Mackie (Canada) animate traditional music from their homes and from along the roads in between, collaborating with rhythm section players from across Europe and Canada.
On February 21st, alongside their Toronto band, Hypnosis Negative will play a mix of traditional party tunes and Estonian “tantsuklubi” dances – easy to learn circle and square dances that are popular throughout Estonia to this day. Check them out on Spotify!
In these sobering and turbulent times, it is more important than ever to honour our roots, celebrate freedom and come together as a community.
