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| Venue: | Estonian Writers’ Union (see on map) |
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Ruhnu Island is a peculiar place, a spot of land in the middle of the Gulf of Riga, strangely removed from the rest of Estonia. Although maybe it is thanks to its isolation that Ruhnu has a fascinating history and cultural heritage to offer in addition to beautiful nature. One of the people who have grabbed onto this heritage is Kairi Leivo (1971), a folk musician and storyteller who is mainly known as a member of the ‘national treasure’ band Naised Köögis (Women in the Kitchen). However, Leivo is also keeping the cultural life of Ruhnu Island going, organising violin camps and a violin festival with her like-minded friends, letting the sounds of Ruhnu-Swedish music ring out, as the cultural role of the local violin players can be compared to that of handicraft masters and seal hunters. Leivo has also collected the storytelling heritage of Ruhnu Island – ranging from wedding stories to village chronicles. These are the stories Leivo will tell at the HeadRead festival, her companions from the Ruhnu Violin Camp – Karoliina Kreintaal and Lee Taul – will perform music from Ruhnu Island. Kreintaal, Taul and Sänni Noormets have recorded an album of the song tradition of Ruhnu Swedes titled Ruhnu saarel mitu otsa.
