Power of Song

The Power of Song shows how the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania confronted a military superpower and achieved independence in the Baltic “Singing Revolution.” When attacked by Soviet soldiers in public displays of violent force, singing Balts maintained faith in nonviolent political action. More than 110 choral, rock, and folk songs are translated and interpreted in poetic, cultural, and historical context.Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh7vFFjK0rc

An exceptional study, outstanding, and gently unconventional…The Power of Song is a true achievement. Surpassing this book will be a difficult task, not least because very few scholars are able to conduct research in Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian…Reading this book was an enjoyable experience and I would recommend it to anybody interested in the culture and history of the Baltic states, nationalism, Herder, nonviolent political movements, singing, and the folklore movement., The book features 112 songs connected to the Singing Revolution. . . . Šmidchens explores the context of each song - both the events at which it was sung and the speeches that surrounded it - and delves into political science theory and music therapy to better understand how songs became powerful tools of protest., This engaging, well-researched book not only offers an account of the ‘singing revolution’ that took place in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the close of the Soviet era but also addresses the issue of whether, and how, nonviolent protest can result in a secure national identity. . . . Of value not only to musicologists but also to those pursuing Soviet and post-Soviet studies, peace studies, and political science., Combines an anthropological and ethnological approach with a refined musicological analysis of more than a hundred choral, rock, and folk songs. He also brings into his analysis findings from social psychology…as well as insights from peace and conflict research concerning the use of nonviolence as an instrument of struggle against a militarily strong repressive power., Šmidchens has produced a masterful blend of historical and cultural analysis and musicology. . . . [A] unique and valuable contribution to our understanding of both the nature and the collapse of Soviet power as well as national movements and nonviolent resistance. The Power of Song will appeal to historians of many stripes and regional experts, anthropologists, musicologists, and specialists in the study of nonviolent and peace movements.

Guntis Šmidchens is the Kazickas Family Endowed Professor in Baltic Studies in the Scandinavian studies department at the University of Washington.