SIIDISÕSARÕ, Setos' folklore group
Who are Setos?
The Setos are a small Fenno-Ugric nation with a
unique traditional culture.
Historical Setomaa is situated to the southeast of
Estonia and the northwest Pskov Oblast of the
Russian Federation.
There are about 15000- 20000 setos in Estonia, about
12000 of them can speak seto dialect. In 2009,
UNESCO added the Seto leelo, or the Seto's
polyphonic singing tradition, to its list of intangible
culture.
The folklore group „Siidisõsarõ“ was founded in 1994,
bringing together people whose roots are in former
Setomaa, but now live in Tallinn or or its surrounding
areas. The name of the group means „very close
sisters“.
There are currently 11 active members in the group. We have got one garmon-player, some of us
can cook traditional local food, we also have good handcraft makers. We proudly wear national
costumes on every celebration days.
Our choir presents an authentic heritage tradition, passed down from generation to generation,
or previously chronicled and preserved. To keep unique aspects of local tradition alive, our
repertoire consists of songs, dances and games based on authentic culture from historical
Setomaa.
Our group has performed in Estonia as well as outside of our homeland. We enjoy taking part in
various important days in the folk calendar in Setomaa and around Estonia.
We have had several festivals abroad such as in Ukraine, Siberia, France, USA; Bashkortostan.
In the summer of 2024, the choir participated in the Narva Opera Days in the performance of
"Bread Crumb Child" ("Raasulapsuke"), which is the first opera performed in the South Estonian
dialect.
Last year, the Estonian Cultural Endowment's Folk Culture Fund awarded the choir a recognition
prize for 30 years of fruitful and dedicated activity.
Choir has been released 4 CD-s.
Our repertoire includes many different
Seto songs from various time periods, starting
from the early 20th century.
We also perform various Seto dances,
accompanied by the karmoshka, the most
common musical instrument among the Setos. It
is quite common for us to involve participants from
the audience in the dances as well.
In a 15-minute sample program, we can introduce,
for example, the bride’s adornment for the
wedding, which is quite a lengthy procedure, or we
can create a summer-themed program that
includes various songs fitting the summer
atmosphere (such as Karelian songs, wedding
songs, etc.).
Additionally, we perform some dances (such as
"Kargus," "Serjoza," "Seto Tango") and instrumental
pieces.
We provide a brief introduction before each performance, summarizing the rich Seto heritage,
traditions, language, and clothing.