News

On 16 November in Nairobi, during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Lithuanian multipart songs (sutartinės) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Besides Lithuania’s nomination of the “Sutartinės, Lithuanian multipart songs”, the session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage discussed 46 other nominations to be included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Sutartinės, Lithuanian multipart songs” is the third value of the Lithuanian intangible cultural heritage, which was included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Cross-crafting and its Symbolism (included in 2001) and the tradition of the Song and Dance Festivals of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (included in 2003) are also on that list.

The main aim of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is to ensure better visibility of the intangible cultural heritage, and to draw attention to its significance, to promote an intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity.

The nomination file for the inscription of “Sutartinės, Lithuanian multipart songs” on the list was drafted by ethnomusicologist Dr. Daiva Vyčinienė, Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre and the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO.

Sutartinės (from the words sutarti, derėti – to be in concordance, harmonise) is a unique phenomenon of the Lithuanian traditional music, a real ancient form of polyphony. Sutartinės is a syncretic art that reflects the relation between music, text, and movement. Sutartinės are usually sung by female singers, but men perform instrumental versions on pan-pipes, long wood trumpets, plucked zithers and other instruments. The texts have many archaic refrains with abundant onomatopoeic words and vocables, the meaning of which today can only be guessed. A characteristic feature of these songs is that at the same time not only various melodies, but also different sets of lyrics are interlaced (both meaningful and onomatopoeic words).

Polyphony of sutartinės is created by a sharp interval of dissonance (an interval of disharmony) to achieve harmony, which is a paradox according to the European music theory. Already since the beginning of the 20th century, sutartinės have been one of the greatest symbols of the Lithuanian cultural identity.