Recordings from the Estonian Folklore Archives 3

Anna Lindvere

Anna Lindvere at a recording session in 1937–1938. Photo by P. Parikas. ERA, Foto 873.

Anna Lindvere (1878–1955), who came from Kodavere Parish in Northern Tartumaa, was first and foremost known as a story teller but she was also a good singer. Her father Kaarel Kurs (Kiissa Kaelu) was an expert singer, violinist and story teller from the village of Sääritsa in the community of Ranna. Anna became famous because of the linguist Lauri Kettunen who, as a university student studying the Kodavere dialect in 1909 discovered in Anna an exceptionally good dialect speaker. He stayed with the Kurs family for an extended period and afterward took Anna to perform in Helsinki. In 1938 the National Radio recorded 30 pieces from her. In addition to regilaul and some spells and charms she also performed a couple of folk variants of hymns. At the time she was recorded she was already married and living in the town of Mustvee. She was a spirited woman full of temperament, she was a vender at the market, sang in a choir and performed in plays.