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The traditional music ensemble Ro:toro and Sild at the Baltic States Festival
17.02.2007
17th February, The Forum, Norwich
Ro:toro
Cätlin Jaago ― pipes, ensemble leader
Silver Sepp ― percussion
Marko Mägi ― saxophone
Sild:
Sille Ilves ― violin, hiiu kannel, vocal
Martin Leamon ― guitar, bouzouki
The Ro:toro ensemble has its origins in the Viljandi Cultural Academy of the University of Tartu, and its members are regular performers at folk music festivals both in Estonia and abroad. The group works largely with traditional bagpipe tunes, which also inspire its original compositions. Saxophone and percussion provide a modern counterpoint to the bagpipes, but the sound remains traditional and focused upon bagpipes.
Cätlin Jaago has studied bagpipe in the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy where she has studied traditional techniques and repertoire of the bagpipe from notations and authentic recordings.
Marko Mägi, the jazz-saxophone player, is bringing modern-thinking improvisation to this group.
Silver Sepp has developed his own drumset, constructed from bowls and basins, that adds interesting sounds to bagpipe tunes.
Martin Leamon and Sille Ilves formed the Sild (Estonian word for bridge), their unique Welsh-Estonian collaboration, shortly after the 2001 Viljandi Folkmusic Festival. Since then they have developed a truly original fusion of two different musical cultures, rooted in tradition yet thoroughly modern.
Sille Ilves is one of the best fiddle players in Estonia. She is also the leading exponent of the hiiu kannel (bowed harp), and an astonishing singer. She has performed at festivals and concerts in throughout Scandinavia and Europe.
In Wales she has played with top Welsh traditional musicians including Ceri Rhys Matthews, Cass Meurig and the KilBride Brothers.
Martin Leamon plays guitar and bouzouki with great skill and sensitivity.
He performed for five years with Welsh band Boys From The Hill, and has also accompanied leading Welsh singer Julie Murphy. With these and other projects he has played throughout the British Isles, Brittany, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Estonia.
The concert will be recorded by the BBC; interviews with the musicians will also be included.
http://rootoro.mcp.pri.ee/
http://www.sildmusic.com
http://www.theforumnorwich.co.uk/events/event-calendar.htm
 
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