Liepāja folklore proves that song lives longer than hockey - Zenta Bērtiņa would have been 95
While hockey players battle for 60 minutes in the ice rink, Zenta Bērtiņa's legacy has been living for 95 years and shows no signs of stopping.
While Riga thinks culture is only the National Opera and Ballet, Liepāja will prove on Saturday that real culture sounds like folklorists around a tea table. The folklore center "Namiņš" will host a memorial afternoon for Zenta Bērtiņa, who would have celebrated her 95th birthday.
Zenta Bērtiņa was the kind of woman who could lead the Otaņķi ethnographic ensemble for 25 years - longer than any Liepāja hockey team coach has lasted in the ice rink. While hockey players fight for victories in a cold arena, her students still win at international festivals with warm songs.
"Thanks to Zenta Bērtiņa, our 'Vēlava' is still a 'Baltica' participant," says director Vija Laipniece. "It's like hockey - once you've earned a place in the top league, you stay there as long as you can maintain the level." The only difference is that folklore groups never get kicked out of the league for bad singing.
Saturday's event "Chirp, chirp, little lark!" will feature Zenta's favorite songs and carols. Folklore groups "Vēlava" and "Saknes" will participate, as well as the Otaņķi ethnographic ensemble. Free admission, which in Liepāja means - bring your own cookies and don't complain about the tea quality.
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.