Musicians blend jazz rhythms across Estonia-Russia border
Estonian guitarist Jaak Sooaar, background center, performs in the Narva Castle in Narva as Russian saxophonist Alexey Kruglov, foreground right, performs in the Ivangorod Fortress on the Russian-Estonian border in Ivangorod, 130 km (80 miles) west of St.Petersburg, Russia, April 30. AP-Yonhap
Two jazz musicians gave an unusual concert on the Estonia-Russia border, Friday, when Estonian guitarist Jaak Sooaar and Russian saxophonist Alexey Kruglov performed from castles on the opposing banks of the river that separates their countries.
The musicians combined rhythms on International Jazz Day as an act of friendship, despite the deteriorating relations between Russia and Estonia. The coronavirus pandemic has limited opportunities for cross-border contact.
``As the border stayed closed, I have friends on the other side of the border with whom I wanted to play with, so we decided to do it,'' Sooaar said before the concert.
For the predominantly Russian-speaking residents of the Estonian border city of Narva, the concert was a chance to reconnect with their foreign neighbors, albeit through music.
Few places in Europe illustrate the tensions between Russia and the West as strongly as Hermann Castle, the 14th century fortress of Narva, and the medieval fortress built across the river at the end of the 15th century in what is now the Russian town of Ivangorod.
Modern relations between the two sides deteriorated again this week when Russia added Estonia to its list of ``unfriendly'' nations following the expulsion of a Russian diplomat.
But for the musicians, politics didn't have a place in their performance.
``I don't think politically at all about it. It's about the music. It will be better for life on the planet. Let's just celebrate International Jazz Day,'' Sooaar said. (AP)