Lönnroots’ grand idea is to visit (nearly) every Finno-Ugric nation, explore the culture and to compose a new song in that language.
So we did. Oh man.
We didn’t even try to sing the leelo-way, because the polyphonic singing tradition is so difficult, that we would’ve just messed it up and ended up crying. (Hats off for the leelo-singers, oh boy!) Instead we took a slice there and a component there, which we inserted to our very own Seto song.
Repetition.
Subject (what’s the song about).
Melody.
Seto choirs sing (and improvise) literally about everything, so we had no difficulties finding the subject to our tiny little song. We ended up composing a song about Finns coming to Setomaa to explore stuff. That seemed to be a good idea, as many Seto songs are about traveling.
When the composing was ready and the components figured out, we were ready to commence a hardcore Seto-language-learning-workshop. Cause, you know, you kinda have to have words in order to sing a song about traveling.
So we did. We loaned the Seto ABC-book, looked at the pictures, mumbled words, wrote them down, mumbled some more, and finally gave the paper to a Seto to read our mumblings through. To our surprise there were only a couple of grammatical mistakes. Oh what geniuses we are!
Now we had the song with lyrics, but nowhere to perform. Luckily there was Ostrova Festivals, held in Setomaa at the time we were there. We took the car, drove a bit, passed the security without paying a ticket, met the head chief and asked:
– We have a new Seto song. Can we come and perform it?
– Okay, he replied. – Tomorrow at four. On the main stage.
The next day we passed the security, arrived to the area, waited for our turn, jumped over the fence to the backstage and went onto the stage. Palms were sweating, blood sugar levels hit all time low while a tiny little cute vomit was playing peek-a-boo in our throats.
Hi, we’re Lönnroots from Finland, I told the masses in my weird not-so-good Estonian. We came to Setomaa to learn Seto language and to perform our brand new song. Or something like that.
We started playing. We sang in Seto. I was blushing like bruises. Words came out from my mouth, or did they, I’m not sure. All of a sudden it was all over, people started applauding, and we bowed. We jumped over the backstage-fence, ate, hopped onto the car and drove back to Värska.
Went well, I suppose.
The actual gig will be published in autumn, but here’s a little something for all of you five eager fans. This recording is made in front of the Estonian Ministry of Finance couple of days after our performance in Ostrova.
Kiä mi olõ, mi olõ Soomõst // Who are we, we’re from Finland
Lätsi Setomaale kauma // We went to visit Setomaa
Om Uma leht ni uma rahvas // There’s Uma leht (Own magazine) and there are people
Ni seto kiil ni ilolinõ // And Seto language so pretty
Setomaa – katõ ilma veere pääl // Setomaa – between two borders
Mi opnu ni mi nännü olõ // We’ve learnt and seen (things)
Soomõ keeleh ni seto keeleh // –
Pallo sammu sõnnu omgi // There are so many similar words in (both) Finnish and Seto
Ma kõnõlõ seto keeleh / soome keeleh // I’ll speak in Seto / in Finnish
Pühä (holy) / susi (wolf) / sõsar (sister) / veli (brother) / pesä (nest) / tütär (daughter) / elämä (life) / häkelüs (confusion)
– Jonne
