Imagine standing with 26 000 other people in a half dome, with in front of you one person frantically moving their arms and making faces. Behind, are sitting on the grass, a crowd so numerous that your eyes can’t even see how far they go to. There are even people in the trees, trying to get a better view ! Two seconds of silence…
Then all of a sudden as a wave of sound, you and all those around you are singing a powerful tune and each note goes through the air as if carried by one single voice. This was “to breathe as one”, the name given this year to the singing festival, or Laulupidu in estonian, which attracted thousands of people around songs of peace, love of nature, and freedom, some of which had been part of the Singing Revolution : a passive but efficient protest all through the Baltic States, to get rid of the Soviet and be free from the occupation.
Next to us, were standing some people who probably had lived through these events and participated in the liberation of Estonia. For them, as for all who know about this country’s history, this Laulupidu meant more than just a concert. It was a gathering of people wanting to sing and afirm their identity and culture. This, was particularly visible at the end when the flame of the festival was put out, and no one paid attention to it and continued to sing the songs they all wished to hear. When the crowd of singers finally dispersed, each one was still singing while tranquilly mixing in with all the other estonians. It was as if each one carried home the spirit of the Laulupidu… until next time !
