Diaspora Kokle Concert Debuts at U.S. Song Festival
For the first time, a separate kokle concert will be held at the 16th Latvian Song and Dance Festival in the USA, featuring only kokles made outside Latvia – the so-called exile kokles.
The 16th Latvian Song and Dance Festival in the USA, taking place from July 1-5 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will for the first time feature a dedicated kokle concert. Titled „Kokles Through the Ages,” the concert will bring together about 40 kokle players, primarily from the Latvian diaspora in the United States and Canada.
Māra Linde, the driving force behind the „Exile Kokle” project, explains that the kokle is a symbol of Latvian national musicality. After World War II, Latvians in exile had no physical instruments, but the symbol of the kokle persisted. In 1961, master craftsman Valdis Kārkls in the USA developed the prototype of the exile kokle – a 13-string instrument tuned in E major. This type remains common in the diaspora.
The concert program includes two new works: Dace Aperāne's „Legend of Vīķu Lake” for soloist, narrator, and kokles, and Zane Sniķere's arrangement of the folk song „I Went to Sea to Sow Money” featuring new playing techniques. Meditative music will be led by Inga Karpiča. A highlight is Bruno Skulte's rhapsody „Ganiņš Bija” (The Shepherd Was), arranged by Andrejs Jansons, which also involves a choir and soloists.
Participants range from experienced players to beginners, including some returning to the kokle after a long break. Linde emphasizes that the concert is a tribute to kokle music. Tickets are still available.
