80 years ago today, the Jewish population of Estonia was nearly decimated in one of the most devastating events known to man.
And here we are today, The Shuk together with the Jewish Community of Estonia on the eve of the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, bringing in the New Year in celebration of the richness of our culture with the community that still stands strong today; and doing so in an inclusive fashion alongside the general public who filled up and danced above us in the mezzanine of the Pärnu kontserdimaja / Pärnu Concert Hall
Landing in Tallinn, Estonia to the sight of hundreds of NATO soldiers filling up the airport terminal with the current fear of another major global escalation only goes to show the repeated fragility of it all and the utmost importance of bringing people of all backgrounds together in celebration of life and culture through music. Here's to a year of peace Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.
This was such a special concert. Featuring Gal Motiuk (Bass Guitar), Eliran Motiuk (Keyboards), Nir Hakim (Drums), Guy Strier (Electric Guitar), and Yoni Avital (Vocals). Performing world music of Jewish roots for an both a Jewish audience and the public at large is simply an incredible feeling, doing exactly what we set out to do from the get go so many years ago when we first began.
As our mission stated:
Music is about harmony, the warmth you generate, and the connection you establish between people of all backgrounds, using the beauty of this most sacred universal language. This has been the very idea that has driven The Shuk (meaning ‘Market’ or 'Marketplace' in Hebrew); a collective music project that has its roots in traditional Jewish Music and World Music; blending in elements of Jazz, Rock, Ethnic and Progressive Music. Our forte has been to present Roots Music with a revolutionary and modern twist. This embodies our very idea of art – one that creates a dialogue between cultures and is an exchange that stimulates compassion.
Photos by Vladislava Snurnikova