Kuršių ainiai
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The folklore ensemble "Kuršių ainiai", Folklore Ensemble Leaders Alvydas Vozgirdai and Jolita Vozgirdienė
The folklore ensemble "Kuršių ainiai" was founded in 1991 by Irena Nakienė. Currently, the ensemble is led by Jolita Vozgirdienė (since 2001) and Alvydas Vozgirdas (since 2005).
The ensemble members represent various ethnographic regions of Lithuania, which is why their creative focus includes not only the folklore of the Lithuanian Prussians but also that of the Samogitians and Dzūkians (songs, dances, circle dances, games, a rich repertoire of instrumental music, narrative and small folklore, and dramatizations of traditional work and customs).
The ensemble places special emphasis on preserving the traditions of Prussian Lithuania, aiming to reveal the unique worldview and lifestyle of the people from this region in their folklore programs. They have a rich repertoire of fishermen's folklore and delve into the historical past and traditional culture of Minor Lithuania.
The ensemble's instruments include: Prussian harps, kanklės (Baltic psalteries), 2-3 violins, cymbals, bagpipes, bass, accordion, bandoneon, jaw harps, hurdy-gurdy, diatonic clarinet, whistle, and drum.
The ensemble is a regular participant in the World Lithuanian Song Festivals, various events in Klaipėda, as well as national and international folklore festivals. Annually, they perform about 50 shows in Lithuania and abroad. They have performed in France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Japan, Croatia, Hungary, Finland, Belgium, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and more.
"Kuršių ainiai" were awarded the European Prize for the Support of Folk Art by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation (Hamburg, Germany). In 2010, the ensemble was recognized as the best folklore ensemble in Lithuania and was honored with the "Aukso paukštė" award.
The theatrical program presents vignettes of the nature, lives, and everyday experiences of the people of Lithuania Minor, where the unique worldview and distinct lifestyle of the Lithuanian Prussians are revealed. The traces of winds and giants, the challenging fate of fishing families, the joys of the fair, the secrets of beekeeping by the lagoon, laundry, humorous remarks accompanying hard work, the pain of loss, wedding celebrations, and the ominous foreboding of war—these elements create a mosaic of life in this region. Family rituals, celebrations, daily routines, traditional work, and other customs are interpreted through a modern perspective.
The program's content reflects the moral values of the people of the Klaipėda region at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, their respect and love for their ancestral land and its people, concern for the fate of their native language, preservation of historical memory, nurturing of family values, and worries about the future of their region and homeland. The program's action is like a history lesson illustrated with living pictures. The main character, a teacher from Minor Lithuania, speaks to the audience through the wisdom of the region's cultural figures such as Vydūnas, Adomas Brakas, Martynas Jankus, Frydrichas Bajoraitis-Paukštelis, and Vilius Kalvaitis, as well as through the experiences, emotions, and wishes for the future expressed by ordinary Lithuanian Prussians—ancestors, fathers, and mothers.
About the parallels between the lives of humans and bees, and the unique aspects of beekeeping in Minor Lithuania
The aim of the project "Dovis," a collaboration between the folklore ensemble "Kuršių ainiai" and Larion Dyakov (viola, sound processor), is to introduce the listener to the still largely unknown, unique musical folklore of Minor Lithuania and to convey the depth of the song melodies and poetic texts in a contemporary way. This project represents a new musical program, unparalleled in Lithuania. By arranging the old songs with a multi-layered viola texture and modern sound design techniques, a new musical fabric is created, leaving no listener indifferent to its sound.
Daržų st. 10, LT-91246, Klaipėda
