Vassili Oidekivi (Kiisa 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. I knew the singing voice of the first one from Martin’s tape. 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)

The recording of the Vassels did not go as easily as planned. The first attempt fell through, because Oidekivi had simply disappeared. We searched for him at home and at the field, where he was supposed to fertilize, but in vain. Later, even the family members, who were rather cross because of our intrusion, joined the search. The second time, the songs had been performed even if the words were at times forgotten. Oidekivi tried to look for liquid courage from the wine bottle, even if that made things only worse. (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 23)

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)

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

Vassili Oidekivi, 1905–1982, Liiva village, comes from Kantsi village. Recorded by I. Rüütel, O. Kõiva, K. Salve and O. Kiis in Suuremõisa village in 1974.