#kokles

[tazewild]

Got inspired by a guy I saw and created a very Latvian OC

[cryingyetcourageous]

This is how Raivis plays kokle.

I highly suggest listening/watching the whole thing to see how the song/technique transforms as it goes on, but if you're terribly impatient, skip to 1:45 to see it get truly wild.

[zhurawina]

Gusli (Гусли) it's the oldest East Slavic multi-string plucked instrument. It's roots lie in Novgorod. Gusli is related to Karelian/Finnish kantele, Latvian kokle and Lithuanian kankles.

Hi, long time no see :)

[askthelittlegenius]

Hello, everyone! My name is Raivis Ozoliņš. Liechtenstein told me about this website during a meeting, and I've decided to test it out!

Here's some things about me ↓(„• ֊ •„)

• I represent the Republic of Latvia

• I play the violin & kokle (A Latvian instrument)

• I have two pet rabbits named Bernadette & Little My!

• I play CRK, Reverse: 1999 & Animal crossing!

• I enjoy stop motion animations

• I draw & dream to become an animator someday !

• My favorite food and drink are Lauku Torte & milk tea

• I love poetry and romance movies especially tragic love ones

Anyways, that should be all! I hope you all treat me well

[beardedmrbean]

RIGA - More than 40,000 participants are preparing for XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival, according to the organizers' estimates after the first round of registration of participants.

The largest part of the total number of participants are folk dancers and choir singers - 20,774 and 12,426 participants respectively. Other participants include 3,245 modern dancers, 1,520 folklore groups, 1,315 brass band musicians, 1,018 symphony orchestra musicians, 468 kokle players and 245 accordionists.

Instrumental ensembles, vocal ensembles, theatres, chapels, professional education groups, special education groups and visual and plastic arts groups will also take part.

The largest number of registered groups is from Vidzeme - 872 groups. Riga will be represented by 663 groups, Kurzeme by 457 groups, Latgale by 368 groups, Zemgale by 186 groups and Selija by 80 groups. Also 18 groups are preparing for the festival from abroad.

The second round of registration is planned for the spring, after the selection competitions and auditions, when each participant will be registered for the festival.

The XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival will take place in 2025 on July 5-13.

The main venues in Riga have traditionally been the Mezaparks Grand Stage, where the gala concert will take place, and the Daugava Stadium, where a grand folk dance concert is planned.

Various concerts and events will also take place elsewhere in Riga - at Arena Riga, Brivibas Square, Dailes Theatre, Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music, the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia, the University of Latvia, the Riga Circus, Dome Church, the Latvian Society House, Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, VEF Culture Palace, Vermane Garden and Viesturdarzs.

It will be ten years since the previous one in 2015. Due to the pandemic conditions caused by Covid-19 and national restrictions, the festival could not take place in July 2020. ________________

HYPE

[alteredsilicone]

In the Operator timeline Eir became a famous composer, but he still liked to play the piano and the kokle. He started out playing a folk instrument before moving on to academic music but he always held his family traditions close to his heart, even if he couldn't be open about them when representing the Empire.

[unhonestlymirror]

The scale of russian misinformation is so huge that I've even seen Lithuanians using "Illya Muromets" as a derogatory insult because that legendary warrior is considered to be russian... but Illya is Ukrainian, actually!😭 His real name was Illya Murovets but russia stole it and renamed after the russian city "Murom" which isn't even close to Kyiv, but it sounds so similar to "Murovets", no one would care enough to notice!

The same happens among Ukrainians. I've seen plenty of times how Ukrainians use "gusli" to make fun of russians... but it's not actually an instrument of a russian origin! It's Finno-Baltic, Lithuanians use "Baltijos psalteriumas" as a common term for all these sort of musical instruments because it has a lot of names: Kokles in Latvian, kūkles in Latgalian, Kandla in Livonian (Livs), Kanklės in Lithuanian, Kanele in Estonian, Kantele in Finnish/Karelian Finnish and Kusli in Volga Finnish!

N.B. If it was in the 6th century A.D., it's highly unlikely those people were "Baltic Slavs": here is the original text (allegedly, because it is translated from Greek to russian, and we all know how russians love misleading people):

"They replied that they were Slavs by tribe and lived at the end of the Western Ocean (Baltic sea); that the Khagan had sent ambassadors as far as the local [tribes] to gather military forces, and had tempted the elders with rich gifts. But they, having accepted the gifts, refused him an alliance, assuring him that the length of the journey was an obstacle for them, and sent them, captured [by the emperor], to the Khagan with apologies: after all, the journey takes fifteen months. But the Khagan, forgetting the law [protecting] ambassadors, began to create obstacles for their return. They, having heard that the tribe of the Romans, if one may say so, is very famous for its wealth and philanthropy, went to Thrace, deceiving [the Khagan] at an opportune moment. And they carry citharas, they say, because they are not trained to carry weapons on their bodies; for their country does not know iron, which makes their life peaceful and unperturbed; they play the lyre, not familiar with the singing of trumpets. For those who have never heard of war, it's naturally, as they said, to engage in simple musical exercises. Autocrat, [hearing] all that was said, admired their race and, having honored the barbarians themselves who came to him with hospitality and marveling at the size of their bodies and the enormity of their body parts, he transported them to Heraclia."

Either the author confused something because there could be only Baltic tribes living next to the Baltic sea in the 6th century (Western Europe could never care less about whatever the hell happens in Eastern Europe, even nowadays, with all the Internet sources, they dare to call us "Slavic" and "post-soviet"🙄) or those were ancient Belaruthians (Gudija) who are technically Baltic Slavs who had more or less nice relations with their neighbours, or... russia just made it up, and there was no "slavs" mentioned at all. In any case, the full description really suits Baltic tribes (and even reminds me of Lāčplēsis a bit).

In russia (since it was born somewhen between Ivan the Terrible and Peter the First times) this instrument which is now called "gusli", came through Baltics then Finnish tribes. In Baltic tribes, psalteriumai have a sacral meaning, people there have a lot of festivals with kankliai, and they don't associate this musical instrument with russia... so I don't think Ukrainians should, too.

We should fight back russia not because for its clothes or music, but for their awe in killing and raping people en masse. We should also educate ourselves better about our neighbours.

[cockroachshop]

[israrcash]

SESI KOKLE

[grungeincluded]

Auļi is a Latvian folk band known for their energetic performances and modern interpretation of traditional Baltic and Latvian music. Formed in 2003, the band is made up of talented musicians who play a variety of traditional instruments such as bagpipes, kokle, and drums.

''Representatives of the national right-wing parties have been interested in our music from time to time — inviting them to speak at their congresses. But we are not the brand or logo of any party. As a political campaign, Auļi has deliberately taken such actions as in YouTube's statement of support for the Ukrainian people in their fight against the aggression of the Kremlin regime.''

''music works not only at the intellectual level of perception, but influences emotions, carries the message that the person feels, perceives, gets and changes their mood, which in turn- can also influence the political position and attitude of the individual or and society. An example is the Australian band Midnight Oil or the Irish band U2, whose strong ecological rock music messages also influenced the political environment through society’s frame of mind.'' - Normunds Vaivads

© BALTIC PAGROCK

[cryingyetcourageous]

It's almost Ligo and Jāņi which means it's time to share my absolute favorite video of Latvian folk music. The sheer joy of seeing multiple generations come together is overwhelming. There are so many songs I love but this video gets to me.

[ainews]

According to Latvian folk legends, the Easter Bunny was once a mythical creature known as "Lieldienas kaza" or "Easter goat" in English. This goat-like figure was said to bring springtime fertility and abundance to the land.

In ancient Latvia, top-hats were worn by farmers as a symbol of wealth and fertility. The tall, pointed shape of the top-hat was believed to represent the horns of the Easter goat, and therefore, it became associated with the holiday.

As Christian traditions spread to Latvia, the Easter goat gradually transformed into the Easter Bunny. However, the top-hat remained a staple accessory for this beloved holiday figure.

In addition to its symbolic meaning, the top-hat also serves a practical purpose for the Easter Bunny. In Latvia, where winters are harsh and snowy, a top-hat helps to keep the bunny's ears warm and protected from the elements while delivering Easter eggs.

Moreover, the color of the top-hat is significant in Latvian culture. In many old Latvian tales, the Easter goat or bunny is described as wearing a red top-hat. Red holds great significance in Latvian culture, representing vitality, strength, and good luck. This is why many Latvians still choose to decorate their homes with red Easter eggs.

But why specifically a top-hat, rather than any other headwear? This is believed to be because of the resemblance between the shape of a top-hat and the traditional Latvian headdress, the "Kokles lielauksta cepure," which is also tall and pointed.

Though many countries have their own version of the Easter Bunny, the tradition of wearing top-hats can be traced back to Latvia and its rich cultural heritage. Today, Latvians continue to celebrate Easter with colorful eggs, traditional foods, and of course, the iconic top-hat-wearing Easter Bunny. So, if you happen to spot a bunny wearing a top-hat this Easter, you'll know it's a nod to Latvian tradition and folklore.

[askthelittlegenius]

Can you teach me how to play the kokle...? It looks fun.

@ask-the-spherical-nation

Oh, of course I can teach you how to play one of my instruments, and it is fun! Sorry if I get too excited, it's just I've never been asked this question for.

[bates--boy]

It was true: three days was not enough time for them to catch up and hang out; and even less with the preparations for the next show. What could they even do in such a short time, anyway? They couldn't have the sleepover, nice as that sounded, due to the call Peter was expecting later and the need for privacy. And Raivis could only give Peter a tour of his neighborhood so many times before they came across some of the same places and rendering a tour pointless. Taking a handful of cookies and setting his bag on the floor, Peter eased down into the sofa and proceeded to munch on them as he thought. The best idea he could come up with was planning another visit once the tours ended for the year, or there was a long enough stretch of a break in-between shows and events, maybe a week.

He had finished with his first handful of cookies without realizing it, and reached for another -- just one, he wasn't going to be a pig! -- until it hit him. My home is always open to you. He stared at the other, uneaten snack in his hand, suddenly flooded with the warmth of those words. Sure, Peter had managed to visit others in their homes, but there was a way that Raivis had invited him. It wasn't I'm feeling charitable, let the mangy mutt in or Come on, you silly little boy, I'm in the mood for a good laugh. It was, You are my family.

And the thing that made him sick was a sinking, chilling feeling that followed as Peter worked to crushed that warmth. Because he couldn't have that, and he couldn't allow himself to think that he could have that, not after learning his place in life.

His head snapped when the clinking of the tray snapped him back to the present, and he let a bright grin spread across his face, so Raivis wouldn't catch on that Peter was half-listening after being thrown for a loop. He lounged back into the couch and listened, fully this time, and even managed to pluck some activity ideas from Raivis's list of going-ons. His ears had particularly picked up on choir practice, reading, and kokle... Whatever that was.

Peter bit into his cookie and looked up at the ceiling, the teasing tone turning his grin cheekier. He shrugged. "Pretty well. Album sales good, book sales good, a lot of my fans are really, really sweet, too. I do some brand deals and photo shoots here and there, but whatever the company gives me to model I end up giving away. I'm doing shows with this drag theatre company and they're going to make me a member. I'm looking at this old theatre near my neighborhood, maybe buy it and renovate it. Once I'm finished with my current duology and all this other stuff, though, I might take a quick break. Take a trip to Nigeria or something."

He straightened up and turned to Raivis, tucking a leg underneath him. "Hey, tell me more about your choir practice! How did you get into that?" Because it was such a forward thing for someone as anxious as Raivis, to sing in front of people, and if it was as Peter had imagined it, it made Peter proud to know that Raivis was putting himself out there like that. "And, uh... what's a kokle?" He had to ask; it was going to bother him all week, or at least until he can google it.

He had his next concert gig in three days, which meant three days to breathe. Everything was planned and booked in advance, from rooming accommodations and noted shops to visit, to the venue that charged a quarter off to book their place for the afterparty and autograph signing. It was going to be a daunting night, only for Peter to have to prepare for the next show and fly off to the next big city and do it all over again.

Only two things shone brightly through the tumultuous mulch that was his tight schedule. One was the planned video chat he and Ashira agreed on, the slice in the day where he could see the darling face of his child. The other, which was a bit unplanned, was visiting Raivis. Unplanned because although he loved Raivis like a brother, Peter usually tried to slip in and out of all of his touring cities undetected by the avatars of both city and nation (sans Scandinavia) -- less hassle for all parties. But it hadn't felt right that Peter would stop by Riga without calling, even if he was sure that Raivis wouldn't have known, anyway, so that was what he did.

And that was how Peter ended up in the general neighborhood, gazing around the confusing as hell buildings trying to find the right one.

[text: Rai Bread] hey yo, i think im by your apartment? what does the buildling look like again?

@cryingyetcourageous