Starting from July 3, 2008, all photo galleries are stored here. (Please feel free to download the photos. The photos are free and can be used for non commercial purpose. Please display the Author and the Song and Dance Celebration Office. Thank you.)
Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration in Riga, July 5-12, 2008!
In 2008, three Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia – will celebrate 90 years since their independence. Year 2008 will also be significant for Latvia as around 35 000 participants will gather in our capital Riga for the XXIV Song and XIV Dance Celebration. It is not just a festival – the tradition goes back for 135 years and in 2003 together with Lithuanian and Estonian Song and Dance tradition it was recorded in the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage. The celebration is due to take place from the 5th through the 12th of July 2008, in Mezaparks and Daugava Stadium in Riga. Attendees are certain to experience Latvia as the Land That Sings. Every spring all Latvian dance groups and choirs take part in displays involving more than 15 000 dancers and around 13 000 singers, demonstrating to the jury from the compulsory repertoire as well as freely chosen ones. In spring, 2008 dance displays will take place so that the jury can determine which dance groups and choirs are suitably prepared for the Song and Dance Celebration. The cream of the crop will be invited to participate in a final round on May 24! They have been preparing for 5 years to be named the best and win the participation at the celebration in July. The atmosphere will be similar to that of the 100 metre sprint at the Olympic Games!
The XXIV Nationwide Latvian Song and XIV Dance Celebration took place in Riga from July 5-12, under the sign of the 90th anniversary of the independence of Latvia. In 8 days 39 different concerts and events took place, half of which were free of charge.
This year the following participated:
Record number of participants - 38 601;
48 principal conductors and artistic directors, including 17 honorary principal conductors and artistic directors;
394 choirs and 54 vocal ensembles (including ensembles from minority communities), total of 18 464 singers (in comparison – 212 female singers and 791 male singers took part in the 1st Song Celebration in 1873);
544 dance groups, 13 700 dancers;
55 brass bands;
5 professional orchestras;
As part of the Celebration events 913 master craftspeople from 103 traditional applied arts studios exhibited 2942 pieces of traditional applied art at the Railway History Museum;
In order to promote the recognition of Latvia’s unique tradition in the world, the Ministry of Foreign affairs, in cooperation with the Latvian Institute and the Song and Dance Celebration Office, has created a travelling photo exhibition about the Song and Dance Celebration tradition in Latvia with the motto ‘When many become one’ (Kad daudzi kļūst viens).
The exhibition includes 39 photos by various Latvian photographers, forming an emotional story that reflects the preparatory process of the Song and Dance Celebration – rehearsals, auditions, as well as Celebration events – procession, concerts and, finally, the huge closing concert on the Mežaparks open-air stage. The first exhibition opening outside Latvia will take place on April 15, 2008 at the European Parliament in Brussels. It is possible to view the exhibition electronically here
"Choral singing, increasing in its scope, developed into a social process, that from time to time culminated in a broad musical event - Dziesmu svētki "choral song celebration". The first Latvian Song Festival, held in 1873, became political event of the first importance, symbolising the reawakening and unity of the new nation. The next celebrations, dramatically concentrating national aspirations and involving thousands of participants, won the status of central national musical event. More..."
Valdis Muktupāvels, Scientist and folklore specialist
