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The
Republic of Mordovia, an autonomous republic in the
Russian Federation, is situated around the Volga bend,
approximately 700 kilometres east/south-east of Moscow.
The Mordovians or Mordvins, who are Finno-Ugric and speak
a language related to Finnish, consists of two main
ethnic groups and languages: the Erzya and the Moksha.
The songs, which MeNaiset have performed together with
the Mordvin group Toorama, (http://www.torama.ru)
have been
collected amongst both Erzya and Moskha. Traditional
Mordvin songs are sung in several parts; in it the main
melody, sung in the middle, is supported by lower and
upper voices. The musical co-operation between MeNaiset and Toorama, a male folk ensemble, started in spring 1995, when Toorama came to Helsinki to perform at the Taiga Festival. After the concert the two ensembles sang together two Mordvin songs, which were already at that time part of the MeNaiset repertoire. The two groups had found a mutual tune, a shockingly heart-warming experience. In the autumn 1996 the Toorama leader Vladimir Romashkin invited MeNaiset to Mordovia because he wanted to introduce the Mordvin culture to these eager singers. The two ensembles went from one village to another, listening to old singers, both Erzya and Moksha, recording music and singing themselves. This week spent together made the friendship grow faster between the two ensembles, and brought the Mordvin culture and languages much closer to MeNaiset, than it could ever have happened by merely singing. It also deepened the ideas MeNaiset had evolved around co-operation with the kindred nations. During the trip MeNaiset learned new songs from Toorama which have in due time ended up in MeNaiset repertoire and also on the Mastorava CD. The ensembles have co-operated and performed together later, too, for instance on the Folklandia cruise (1997), at Ääniä! (Voices!) happening (1999) and at the publication concert of Mastorava record in August 2001 in Helsinki. Records: Toorama: Taga Erjaza Skai! Eesti erza-moksha söprade selts (Estonian Erzya-Moksha Friendship Association), Toorama austajate ring, 2000. MeNaiset & Toorama: Mastorava. MNCD 1, 2001. |
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