Ingrida Smuka
Assistant Professor, PhD
Latvian Academy of Sport Education
Celebration History
 Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance
Celebration is a traditional cultural event in
Latvia.
 The Festival is part of Latvian national identity
 The Festival take place every 5 years in Riga
 Since the 1873 this festival has taken place 25
times
 The Song Festival is unique
Celebration History
 Festival have a 140 year-old history
 It is a most characteristic cultural tradition of the
Baltic
 Festival are based a cappella singing tradition, a
nowadays include a various types of artistic and forms
of expression
 Festival is a unique Latvian folklore heritage
 2008 the tradition of the Latvian Song and Dance
Celebration was included in the UNESCO
Celebration History
 Roots of festival found in the 19th century in
Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
 First singing festival in 1857 in Tallinn and in 1861
in Riga.
 In 1864. first latvian choirs singing festival in
Dikļi. (participated 6 choirs with 120 singers
(man))
Celebration History
 The first Latvian National Song Festival
wos the 1873 in Riga.
 Festival organizer: Latvian Society of
Riga
The Latvian Song Festival flag
Flag Description:
 Made (sewed) in Leipzig
 The flag made: front of a white and red silk and velvet. On the velvet
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are arranged gold ornaments and tassels (pušķi).
Middle of the flag is picture embroidered with silk threads: sacred
grove, large old oak, under the large oak is an altar.
On the altar burning flames and smoke waves go up.
At the altar stands an old man and he held branch of oak in the right
hand.
At the top of the flag embroidered name: “Līgo” (sway) and the bottom
of the flag date - 26th of June 1873.
Size: height - 72 inch (1 inch (colla) 2,54cm) and 50 inch width.
Celebration History
 X-XIX Song Festival took place during the Soviet
time
 Dance groups the first time participated in the
festival in 1948.
 Since the 1960, every 5 years take place the Latvian
School Youth Song and Dance Festival
Celebration History
 During ocupation of Latvia exile Latvians began
to arrange Latvian Song Festival in the major
Latvian centers in abroad
Celebration History
 The first Latvian Song Day in Canada was held in
September of 1952, in Toronto
 The first Song Festival in USA was held in May of 1953,
in Chicago (Festival attended by 22 choirs with more
than 650 participants and 5,000 listeners)
 In Hamburg European exile Latvian Song and Dance
Festival began in 1964
Number of participants:
 1873 year – 1003 participants
 1880 – 1624 participants
 1888 – 2618 participants
 ..............
 1990 – 30000 participants
 2008 – 35000 participants
 2013 - 40 600 ( participants from different countries)
Folklore groups in the Nationwide Latvian Song
and Dance Celebration :
 Folklore and folk music groups widely
represented wos in 21st Latvian Song and Dance
Celebration in 1993
Celebration cycle:
 Since 1926th annual Celebration cycle is
determined every 5 years except during World
War II
 The next Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance
Festival – 2018. This festival will be in honor of
the centennial anniversary of coutry.
The XXV Nationwide Latvian Song and XV Dance
Celebration 2013
 Date: 30th June till to 7th July, 2013.
 Festive keyword was: “ Līgo” (sway)
 festival gathered a record number of participants - 388
choirs, 224 vocal groups.
 A record number of foreign participants - a total of
1,300 participants from different Latvian abroad
communities and the 96 national minorities groups
Before the Festival
 Latvian Song and Dance Festival – performance
and competition
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Before the Festival
During the Festival
concerts in different places of Riga city
During the Festival
Concert on both sides of city ​Canal
Last day of the Festival
 Festival procession usually takes place the last day
of Song and Dance Festival the morning (all
participants)
Procession of the Nationwide Latvian Song and
Dance Festival participants
Procession of the Nationwide Latvian Song
and Dance Festival participants
Procession of the Nationwide Latvian Song
and Dance Festival participants
Procession of the Nationwide Latvian Song
and Dance Festival participants
 http://www.ltv.lv/lv/raksts/08.07.2013-dziesmu-
svetku-daliibnieku-gajiens-no-dailesteatra.id16296/
 The evening takes place the Gala Concert (closing
ceremony)
Celebration in year 2013
Riga from June 30 till July 7
Congratulation of conductor of
chour
XXV Nationwide Latvian Song Celebration
2013
 “ Lūgšana”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0XXoQcSiW
k
XXV Nationwide Latvian Song
Celebration 2013
 Saule, pērkons, Daugava
phttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VyTf_0FQ2o
XV Dance Celebration 2013
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coxbYJmt6GE
Flail (sprigulis)
 Skaloju, velēju baliņam kreklu 2x
 Klip klap klap 2x baliņam kreklu
 Lai manis bāliņis kā saule staigā 2x
 Klip klap klap 2x kā saule staigā 2x
 Velēja vālīte pa vēlētavu 2x
 Klip klap klap 2x pa vēlētavu 2x
Thank you for your attention!
 Es izjāju prūšu zemi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvALtGanrRI