🎻 Ethnic and folk music — Latvian

Latvian music rests on an exceptionally rich choral singing tradition, nourished in particular by the dainas, short folk songs passed down through generations. The great Latvian Song and Dance Festivals, held since 1873 and generally every five years, bring together tens of thousands of singers, dancers and musicians. They belong to a Baltic tradition shared with Estonia and Lithuania and recognised by UNESCO. The kokle, a traditional zither related to the Estonian kannel and the Lithuanian kanklės, accompanies both old repertoires and contemporary creations. School choirs, folk ensembles and kokle groups today ensure a particularly active transmission.