WHAT IS A MUSICAL TRAIL?
A musical trail is a thematic walk with an audio guide that opens up Tallinn’s diverse and rich musical culture throughout history and in the present day.
From 2022, Tallinn will hold UNESCO’s title of City of Music.
There are many places here that have played an important role in the development of the local music culture and the history of the city. The first musical trail is called “Cellars of the Old Town” and it gives an overview of the entertainment and concert venues that existed in the capital’s basements in the past decades or are still operating today, and the music played in them.
CELLARS OF OLD TOWN
1990. The 1990s were difficult for Estonia. The country was freed from the Soviet Union, the economy had to be rebuilt, there was a lot of poverty, unemployment and crime. However, this decade also brought the expansion of geographical boundaries and the opportunity to experiment with musical ones.
Alongside the triumph of disco music, many small subcultures emerged here too, looking for their place in the newly liberated music scene. And the cellars of Old Town became the spaces that gave room to this new music.
Sounds Hidden in History
Tallinn is home to numerous buildings that tell important chapters of our history. Some were built in the 16th century, while others rose during the Soviet era or the first period of Estonian independence. Among these buildings are cinemas, places of worship, and granaries, as well as cultural centers and schoolhouses. Despite their apparent differences, these buildings share a common feature: they have almost always echoed with music of all kinds, from classical to jazz and from club beats to folk.
Tallinn Culture & Sports Department
Vabaduse väljak 10, 10146 Tallinn, Estonia
e-mail: kultuursport@tallinnlv.ee