Estonian "choir karaoke" proves a hit in China (Feature)

By Mike Collier Jun 10, 2010, 11:32 GMT

Tallinn - Estonia is proud of its musical traditions and now the small Baltic state of just 1.3 million people has scored a surprise hit with China's billions of citizens thanks to its latest quirky export: choir karaoke.

The country's original drive towards statehood owed much to the formation of large folk choirs and its restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s was dubbed the 'singing revolution.'

Every five years in July at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, more than 26,000 people come together to sing.

As part of Estonia's presence at the Shanghai 2010 Expo, officials decided to include 'Singing Saturdays' when visitors could experience some authentic Estonian song.

But the weekly sessions in the Estonian pavilion at the Expo have been so popular that they are now a daily occurrence with hundreds of visitors crammed into the small space for a singalong.

'There is a big screen with karaoke-style video of Estonian choirs singing sings in Estonian, English and Chinese,' said Erki Peegel of Enterprise Estonia, the government agency responsible for the pavilion.

'There's also a conductor who explains a bit about the songs and the history - originally this was just with subtitles but now there are so many people we decided a voiceover was more useful,' he said.

'It seems to have become popular because China also has a strong choral culture and they also love karaoke, like most Asian nations.'

Visitors can then download a recording of their efforts at a dedicated website, providing them with a musical souvenir of their day.

The whole experience promises reach a new level in July with three Estonian choirs flying to Shanghai to perform live.

An upsurge in Chinese tourism or a decision by Chinese companies to invest in Estonia would pay for the 4.6-million-dollar cost of the pavilion many times over, officials hope.

The Estonian Tourist Board has a target of raising the number of Chinese tourists and overnight stays in Estonia by 50 per cent over two years.

Feliks Magus, director of the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association said the hope is that Estonia can 'get a toehold' in China.

Estonia's success with simple songs is in sharp contrast with neighbouring Latvia, whose ambitious pavilion next door has been beset by problems.

Rather than modifying a ready-made pavilion, Latvia chose instead to custom-build a complex facility designed to house its vertical wind tunnel which allows visitors to simulate skydiving.

The pavilion was not complete when Expo 2010 opened its gates on May 1 and was officially opened only three weeks later.

Though the sight of 'aeronauts' soaring into the sky has been a popular attraction, an ugly row has broken out between the company operating the wind tunnel and the Latvian Investment and Development Agency responsible for the whole project amid accusations of kickbacks and incompetence likely to end up in the courts.