Seto leelo

What it is

Seto leelo is a kind of folk singing in which more than one voice sounds at the same time, which is what polyphonic means. The voice itself is the only instrument. The practice belongs to the Setos and is described as their own style of singing. Its performers are usually women, and they wear traditional clothing while they sing. The Seto word leelo gives the singing its name. A group works with a lead singer, and the other voices sound alongside her.

The UNESCO listing

In 2009 the Seto leelo was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Intangible heritage is the kind that lives in what people do, in songs, skills and customs, rather than in buildings and objects. The entry is listed for Estonia and is called Seto Leelo, Seto polyphonic singing tradition. It stands on the representative list, which was agreed at UNESCO's fourth session. A listing of this kind names a practice that a community and a state consider worth safeguarding.

Singers and the lead

Leelo is normally sung by women, dressed in the traditional clothing of the Setos. A group has a lead singer, and the sources show that the lead carries the weight of the performance. At the Seto Kingdom Day celebration the lead singer judged best among the leelo groups is given the title Mother of Song. A photograph from 2012 shows the group Siidisõsarõ singing Seto leelo. The title honours one woman, which suggests where the community puts its trust: in the voice that begins and holds the song.

Recordings and study

A collection of Seto songs was recorded at Värska and at Obinitsa in May 1990. The recordings appeared on a CD called Setusongs in 1991, produced by the Global Music Centre and Mipu Music. Scholars have written about the tradition for a long time. The oral epic of the singer Anne Vabarna, The Maiden's Death Song and the Great Wedding, was written down by A. O. Väisänen, and Lauri Honko published a study of it in the FF Communications series in 2003. Other articles on Seto song appeared in 1988.

How Seto leelo is kept

A leelo group is mostly made up of women in the traditional dress of the Setos. One singer takes the lead and the others sound with her, so the song is heard in several voices at the same time, and the voice is the only instrument used. Groups sing at Seto celebrations, and Seto Kingdom Day is the one the sources name. There the lead singer judged best is given the title Mother of Song, an honour that goes to one singer rather than to the whole group.

When and where

There is no single fixed date for Seto leelo. It is sung on Seto occasions, and the sources tie it above all to the Seto Kingdom Day celebration, when leelo groups take part and a winning lead singer is named Mother of Song.

Seto leelo belongs to Estonia, the country it is listed under. It is kept by the Setos, and the sources name two Seto places, Värska and Obinitsa, as the sites where a collection of Seto songs was recorded in May 1990.

What Seto leelo means

Seto leelo is described as the Setos' own style of folk singing, so the practice stands for the community itself and is one of the ways it is known to others. The title Mother of Song, given to the winning lead singer at Seto Kingdom Day, shows the standing of the woman who carries the song. UNESCO's listing in 2009 marks the singing as heritage the community and the state want kept.

Questions people ask about Seto leelo

See also

Christmas treeA decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.JaanipäevEstonia's midsummer night of bonfires, song and fortune-telling, on 23 and 24 JuneFinnish saunaA weekly bathing ritual of steam and heat, central to Finnish life and wellbeing.JaanipäevAn Estonian midsummer festival marking the shortest night with bonfires, songs and independence memories.

Good reading and sources

• Seto leelo on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.