Varkava parish folklore ensemble
Madareņis

Rally of graduates of Varkava main school, 1993

      Name: Madareņis
          meaning: madders
          recommended transcription in English: Madarenis
          approximate pronunciation in English: Madarengis
          Listen pronunciation in AU format (13 Kb)

      Created: springtime 1983
      Location: Varkava, Preili distr., Latgalia
      Leader: Jānis Teilāns
      Number of participants: 14, of them by age:
          younger than 14 years: 2
          from 14 to 24 years: 1
          from 25 to 44 years: 9
          from 45 to 64 years: 1
          older than 64 years: 1
      and by gender:
          males: 0
          females: 14
      Forms of activity: sing, play roundelays

      Description: In 1982 the already existing Varkava female vocal ensemble has decided to perform folk songs only, as other songs they liked less, and in 1983 the ensemble was renamed the Varkava folklore ensemble. Then the participants decided to sing only local folk songs they heard from their mothers, grandmothers and neighbour aunties.
    Since the first days of its existence the ensemble has been managed by Jānis Teilāns.
    We sing songs of our area, we play roundelays, a little bit we dance, and, if there is a need, we sing spiritual songs too.
    Among the participants of our enemble there are several narrators of folklore.
    The name of the ensemble - Madareņis has been chosen because a song of the same name has become something like our anthem.
    Madder is a curative plant with small flowers. Just as madders cure various illnesses, our ensemble by its singing tries to cure our fellow humans from sadness, melancholy, loneliness. Where else we could gather force and knowledge, if not in folklore?

Opening of Varkava parish's bandstand, August 1997

      Sound sample: Sasdiņ labi cīmā braukt (On saturdays is good to go on a visit) (1998)
One couplet in AU format (271 Kb)
Full song in MP3 format (381 Kb)

      Address:
          in Latvian: Elvīra Āboliņa, Bērzu 2-15, Vārkava, Preiļu raj., LV-5337, Latvija
          in English: Elvira Abolina, Berzu 2-15, Varkava, Preili distr., LV-5337, Latvia
      Phone: (+371) 53-32229 (o.)

      Date of presenting the information: 31 August 1998