Vassili Väli (Padaeite Vassel)

Kiisa Vassel (Vassili Oidekivi) and Padaeite Vassel (Vassili Väli) singing Muhu men’s songs, Kantsi village. Photo by I. Rüütel 1975. ERA, Foto 11151.

The main aim of the collection expedition to the Muhu island was to record local village songs and collect data about them. We were struck by good fortune with the opportunity to record old men’s songs in its natural environment. We recorded a group of men, who has previously sang together and who had a lot of shared repertoire. /---/ Truth be told, handwritten song notebooks were used to recall the words of the songs. The most knowledgeable of the songs and directing singers were Villem Saarik, Bärni Tuulik, August Vokk, Vassili Väli, Mihkel Alt and Vassili Oidekivi. (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 28)

The style of the old men’s song was best represented by two Vassels – Oidekivi and Väli, family names – Kiisa Vassel and Padaeite Vassel. /---/ They grew up in Kantsi village, where Padaeite lives till today, but Kiisa Vassel built himself a house in Liiva. Their songs are authentic men’s songs, their performance is as authentic. At times, the traditional alliterative songs’ performance form with directing singer’s part and secondary voices could be observed during their performances. It was clear that there was need for the new recording of them and the men from the Suuremõisa village separately as was at first agreed on that same Saturday during the driving the men home. (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 21–22)

Vassili Väli (Padaeite Vassel), singer with distinctive timber and interesting repertoire sang also an alliterative song “Must naine” (“Filthy woman”) with variations of rhythm and melody, preserving the natural word accents. Two Vassels from Kantsi village - Padaeite and Kiisa Vassel (Vassili Väli and Vassili Oidekivi) sang the song “Must naine” (“Filthy woman”) and others as a duet. The latter often joined only on the second half of the stanza or at its end and repeated it in a half recitative manner. There were variations in men’s alliterative songs’ tunes that created heterophonic zig-zags as in rhymed choir songs. (Men’s songs’ music and performance styles, Rüütel 2016: 101)

In 1984, we had an opportunity to visit Muhu island with the filming crew from Tallinnfilm to make a short feature about Muhu songs and game songs /---/. My aim was to use the provided recording equipment to make high quality videos that capture men’s songs and game songs and later edit them with sound. It came out on location, that from ten singing men we recorded ten years earlier, only two remained – August Vokk and Vassili Väli. But a couple of other men joined them, so we managed to record some songs, of which there are three in the video. /---/ Some interesting details about men’s dances could be found in recorded interviews. (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 27)

Songs:

• 19. Goodness Gracious me (Blacksmith’s house)
• 20. Muhumaa – an islet in the sea
• 21. Hey boys, don’t sulk
• 22. The song is sung and I will take a rest
• 23. In June when the beans are blooming
• 25. Now the sheet music songs begin (a dance song)
• 27. At the boundary of our fields

Videos:

• II. Songs and song games of the Muhu islanders 1984

Vassili Väli, 1906–1995, Kantsi village. Recorded by I. Rüütel, O. Kõiva, K. Salve and O. Kiis in Suuremõisa village in 1974; I. Rüütel, M. Soosaar, H. Eller and H. Aasaru in 1984.