Ruja

A rock opera in two acts.
In August 2008 the Vanemuine will stage an original rock opera based on the story and music of the legendary rock group Ruja.

Presented with one interval.
Running Time:

3:10

According to the director Tiit Ojasoo, Ruja is one of the few Estonian rock groups which used good-quality poetry for its song lyrics. "It is very inspiring,” he said. “Ruja was a rock group of the pre-awakening times. It was very Estonian-minded during the Soviet time, but when the age of awakening did arrive, many of the group members were away. It is in a way a very telling paradox."
"I am very surprised and happy that the music and the lyrics which were initially only meant to sound contemporary, still have meaning for the listeners," said the composer and band member Rein Rannap.
"The critique and irony targeted at society, patriotism and aspiration towards inwardness – these are only a few key words which distinguish Ruja from the majority of the groups at that time, making these themes more exciting and more varied for the stage. In my imagination the outcome should be as realistic as possible – this would enable a generalisation which could be of interest to other nations with a similar destiny, as well," believes Rannap.